The Footy Show veteran Sam Newman says the program can remain a force in the wake of the ugly falling out between his co-stars Garry Lyon and Bill Brownless.

In his weekly appearance on 3AW Nights, Newman also said it was a ‘given’ that Lyon would come back to the show when he recovered from his mental health issues.

‘What the public should do … is give us a chance to get to air,’ he said.

‘James Brayshaw (the stand-alone host in Lyon’s absence) is a very competent broadcaster, and I am what I am; I’m a dill.

‘I’m sure Bill will be there at some stage, and Garry will be there at some stage when he has overcome his depression. That is a given.’

When asked why Lyon was the subject of so much public sympathy, Newman responded: ‘He’s getting sympathy for the depression, and rightly so. Bill has nothing to worry about, he can stand tall.’

Click play to hear the full segment with Andrew Bolt, starting with Sam Newman’s response to the fallout