Radio host Matt Siegel back on the air after walking off over controversial comments

BOSTON — One of Boston’s most popular morning radio hosts is back on the air after he quit in the middle of his broadcast Wednesday.

Matt Siegel on Kiss 108 got so upset Wednesday he signed off abruptly, shocking thousands of fans.

Thursday morning, Siegel is firmly back in his seat at one of the top-rated morning shows in the city, “Matty in the Morning.” But after recently celebrating 40 years on the radio, no one was certain he’d be back.

It all started after his boss told him to stop talking about pop star Demi Lovato. On Wednesday, Lovato came out as non-binary and asked to be addressed using gender-neutral pronouns like “they” and “them” instead of “he” or “she.”

Siegel reiterated his feelings about the move.

“Somebody had to say this is ridiculous, ya know. And the company was like, ‘What, you can’t talk about that.’ ...it’s like somebody had to say ‘are you kidding?’ Like life’s not complicated enough, now you’re telling young people they don’t know what they are.”

Advocates for the LGBTQ community are condemning yesterday’s comments and say it’s important for celebrities to challenge gender norms, but Siegel believes he should have the ability to share his thoughts in his role.

He says the station has now given him total support and the freedom to say what he wants. He also shared it was his wife who told him he wasn’t allowed to quit, saying he was not ending his career over a Demi Lovato controversy.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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