Patriots star celebrates new job: 'I despise the media'
Media personality and Channel 14 star Yotam Zimri shared in his new column a candid account of his separation from his wife Shiran, mother of his three children, alongside an unusual glimpse into his new life alone in an apartment in Ramat Gan.
Media personality Yotam Zimri published his first column in "Olam Katan", and among the jokes, politics, and jabs at the Israeli media, he also addressed the fact that he and his wife, Dr. Shiran Zimri, are separating after 17 years of partnership and three children together.
Zimri, known in recent years primarily for his appearances on Channel 14 and in programs such as "The Patriots", "Pathi and Zimri in the Nation", and now also "Life According to Zimri", has recently undergone a series of changes. After almost 11 years of writing for "Makor Rishon", he moved to write for "Olam Katan", and in his debut column, he decided to introduce the readers to the Yotam Zimri behind the screen.
"I wrote for Makor Rishon for almost 11 years, and the readers knew me so well that sometimes when my mother and I would forget something that Dad did once, we would call a random reader to check if he remembered that I wrote about it sometime," Zimri wrote.
He also wrote: "I love Israel and despise the Israeli media. I think the strongest body in the State of Israel is not the Supreme Court, not the IDF, and not the government, but the media. Yes, the media."
However, it was precisely within the entertaining text that the personal revelation came. Zimri wrote: "My wonderful wife, Dr. Shiran Zimri, and I are separating after 17 years of a good relationship and three amazing children: Peleg the toddler, and Adam and Gefen the twins." He included the separation in a list of changes he is going through lately, alongside the new program and the move to a new newspaper.
Later in the column, he provided a glimpse into his new life as a bachelor, at least regarding household chores. Zimri noted that he lives in Ramat Gan and writes, among other things, about his difficulty cleaning the house since he has been living alone. Alongside this, he told of his Friday routine, which includes sitting with friends at the Carmel Market, music by Zohar Argov, and also whiskey, which, by his humorous admission, does not always come in small quantities.
But the separation is only one of the revelations in the column. Zimri, 44, said he was born at HaEmek Hospital in Afula, the place where his father Ahab's life also ended eight years ago under circumstances he defined as tragic. He revealed that he is a die-hard Maccabi Haifa fan, a fan of heavy rock alongside Middle Eastern music, especially loves Shlomo Artzi and Aviv Geffen, and as far as he is concerned, shawarma beats almost everything. In contrast, avocado and halva do not enter his menu at all.
Zimri also told an intriguing political anecdote from his past. According to him, Naftali Bennett previously offered him to join him and run within his party, but he refused. After Bennett lacked about 1,400 votes in those elections to pass the electoral threshold, Zimri jokes that he is actually "responsible" for the four election cycles that followed the event.
And there is also a story about Netanyahu. Before the publication of the new column, Zimri uploaded a mysterious message to the networks about an offer he received and that his world might change. According to him, thousands of surfers were convinced by the hint that he was about to receive a reserved spot from Benjamin Netanyahu. Even his mother called him in anger because he did not tell her in advance, and even suggested he ask for the Ministry of Agriculture so he would have a reason to come to Afula more often.
In the end, no reserved spot and no government ministry. Zimri clarified that he is not on his way to the Likud list, and explained that he sees the media as the place where he wants to continue to act and influence.
Thus, in one column, Zimri manages to provide quite a few headlines: a 17-year relationship coming to an end, a new life alone in Ramat Gan, a professional move after more than a decade, a new TV show, an old political offer from Bennett, and rumors about a reserved spot with Netanyahu.
And for those who thought he was about to become a politician, Zimri has a completely different definition for his role. He is indeed used to being called a journalist, but from his point of view, the mission is elsewhere: to influence the way the public consumes and interprets the media. At least for now, it seems that he plans to make his next revolution from the studio and the keyboard, and not from the benches of the Knesset.
