ITV Racing star Francesca Cumani has addressed rumours she was paid £140,000-a-day for a lucrative presenting gig.

Cumani, daughter of iconic trainer Luca, has been a mainstay on terrestrial TV here over the years.

But it is in Australia where she has achieved even greater levels of fame after a chance encounter led to her going on TV.

Cumani, 39, will be heading back Down Under for the Melbourne Cup on November 1 as part of the blockbuster Channel 10 team.

When she was poached by Channel 10 from Channel 7, one news story claimed Cumani became 'Australia's highest paid TV presenter'.

She was rumoured to be on the equivalent of £140,000-a-day as part of a £2.8million deal in all.

But Cumani recently revealed to the Racing Post that figure was very wide of the mark.

She said: "When I joined Channel 10 there was a big story in one of the papers about how much I was getting paid.

Most read in Horse Racing

OFFERS OF THE DAY

William Hill: Bet £10 Get £30 in free bets – CLAIM HERE

Betfair: Bet £10 Get £30 – CLAIM HERE

Paddy Power: Bet £20 and get it back as cash if it loses – CLAIM HERE

Sky Bet: Bet £10 on Racing and get £30 in free bets –CLAIM HERE

Ladbrokes: Bet £5 Get £20 – CLAIM HERE

Coral: Bet £5 Get £20 – CLAIM HERE

William Hill: 18+. Play Safe. From 00:01 on 13.04.2022. £30 bonus. New customers only. Minimum £10 stake on odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on sportsbook. Further terms apply. Begambleaware.org

Betfair – Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly 18+ begambleaware.org

Paddy Power: New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any market at odds of min 2.0 (EVS) and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using cards will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. 18+ Begambleaware.org

Sky Bet: New customers only. First single & e/w bet only odds of 1/1 or greater. 3 x £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets only redeemable on horse racing. Free bets are non withdrawable. No free bet expiry. Eligibility restrictions and further t&cs apply.

Ladbrokes: 18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £/€5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £/€5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org

Coral: Eligible UK+IRE players. Paypal & some deposit & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cash-out, restrictions & T&Cs apply. 18+ T&Cs Apply. Begambleaware.org

"It was completely untrue.

"You have to learn to take everything with a pinch of salt.

"I've got a pretty thick skin and have learned not to worry about what people think."

Cumani did not reveal the actual details of her pay from Channel 10, where she is the main anchor during coverage.

That is in contrast somewhat to her familiar role on ITV, where she has shared main hosting duties with Ed Chamberlin.

Regular viewers will have noticed that Cumani – who confessed to having a wild crush on Frankie Dettori as a youngster – has been missing from screens this season.

Well the reason is she became a mum for a second time to baby boy Teddy in May, with triathlete partner Max Johnson.

Cumani has been missing for the entirity of the Flat season, with Adele Mulrennan and Leonna Mayor among those sharing duties.

And she won't be back until it starts properly next year either, choosing to skip Cheltenham Festival and Aintree's Grand National.

Cumani, who is also mum to six-year-old Harry, said: "If I had given birth to Teddy during the jumps season, I would have taken shorter maternity leave and come back for the Flat season.

"I feel like I have more purpose on the Flat."

FREE BETS GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chases their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org

Source: Read Full Article