★★★★★ 0/5

Paul Henry apologises for “starve to death” asylum seeker comment

EXCLUSIVE: TEN Breakfast co-host Paul Henry has apologised over comments that asylum seekers should be allowed to starve to death.

67
Leave a comment

EXCLUSIVE: TEN Breakfast co-host Paul Henry has apologised after comments he made yesterday that asylum seekers should be allowed to starve to death.

The controversial New Zealander was reacting to news that Christmas Island asylum seekers were on a hunger strike over plans to shift them to Nauru Island.

He was slammed by viewers on Twitter and Facebook:

Lynne D Johansen: @channelten PAUL HENRY!! Disgusting remarks on Breakfast… Let all the boat ppl starve to death.Get rid of this disgusting person!!!

Kaz: @channelten Racist Paul Henry states we should just let asylum seekers starve to death. Go TEN. Isn’t your rep bad enough at the moment?

Victoria Craw: Execs must be wincing after that outrageous call from Paul Henry re asylum seekers #tenbreakfast

Andrew Butler: @tenbreakfast Did Paul Henry say “let them starve” whats that about, there needs to be an inquiry into his comments!

Trev Good: @tenbreakfast send Paul Henry back to nz. Dehumanize yourself else where #refugees=human

Yesterday Henry issued a statement:

“I want to apologise for some of my comments on Breakfast this morning.

“My aim was to stimulate debate about the Government policy concerning asylum seekers in light of the hunger strike.

“People have interpreted my comments on Breakfast regarding asylum seekers and hunger strikes inaccurately. Some people believe I was implying that asylum seekers on hunger strike should die. I’m genuinely sorry if I gave that impression.

“It is the personal choice of the hunger striker to take this course of action. I was merely stating my view that our response to their action should be to stand firm and follow through with current Australian policy.

“I believe doing that will ultimately save many lives.

“I didn’t set out to offend anyone, nor do I believe that anyone should die over such a matter.”

He will also apologise on air today.

TEN was quick to distance itself from his remarks, despite Henry being hired by TEN Chairman, Lachlan Murdoch.

A network spokesperson told TV Tonight, “Network TEN unreservedly apologies for Paul Henry’s inappropriate and offensive remarks. His comments do not reflect the views of Network TEN.”

But this isn’t the first time the controversial host has been criticised for his comments on asylum seekers. In May he commented on the government’s plans to pay families to temporarily house asylum seekers in their homes to help deal with increasing arrivals.

He suggested they could live in linen cupboards.

“That’s a good idea, 300 bucks a week for the linen cupboard. You could put – you’d want to get the linen out, wouldn’t you? Otherwise (inaudible) ‘oh, these sheets are dirty. Ergh’.

“Don’t ask. These towels… (sniffs) oh no, don’t ask. We’ve got someone living in the linen cupboard kids, just don’t go in there.”

Meanwhile the ratings for the ailing Breakfast continue to flop, last week averaging a dismal 32,000 viewers.

While The Circle never fully recovered from comments about Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith, at least it had a following to begin with.

67 Responses

  1. @deedeedragons

    Careful there ddd, me thinks PH possibly reads and adds comments, going on several of the ones that praise him(sic).

    I can only just imagine, that he may not have been able to contain himself and what he may have said about and with one of the words you used in citing the number offended viewers, especially seeing his offensive comments related to hunger strikers.

  2. The worst thing about all this is how it affects all the other people who work on Breakfast. For the few of us that have seen it, you’ll know it’s a good production with genuine talent. Kath does a great job (how she copes with her side-kick is anyone’s guess), Magdalena is an extraordinary talent and of course we have the genuinely likeable/warm roving reporters. The production values (especially since changing that horrid set) are great too. There is a huge team behind the scenes who are unfairly being tainted by the controversies (and subsequently shocking ratings) that Paul Henry brings. I can only imagine a change of host will go a long way in turning things around. It would greatly lift morale and (with the right replacement), make the show far more watch-able.

  3. @cynicaloldcodger, seriously, P Henry cracked jokes on air about the elderly succumbing to hypothermia????? I am speechless!!!!! Why wasn’t this in the media, that is an absolute disgrace, you never, ever joke about such a thing.

    1. Lynne: Ratings are published here in a user-friendly format, with morning TV referenced from time to time, so anybody who wants to check them can search to their heart’s content. You’ll find days when it was higher in Feb, days when it was lower. “Never fully recovered” was a reference to more than just ratings and included media support and advertisers.

  5. @Evan43

    Unfortunately whilst I agree with Natasha, but after frequently watching his rise to fame,Hamish Rude(possible substitution) . Hamish is possibly just a milder version of P Henry and may possibly end up very similar.

    Who like many who have gone before, or are still around like P H, who actually believe their own promo’s with growing self importance.

    Just watch Hamish’s Jeckle and Hyde interviewing style, and and watch the transformation before ones eyes, between an interviewee that agrees with Hamish and an interviewee who dares to have a different view.

    I judge how long it is, before Hamish Interrupts some one, sometimes well before they have chance to at least put their point of view/opinion across, as to just how correct that person may well be.

    There are none so Right in their own eyes, as those who Do Want To Listen.

  6. It’s not because he’s a New Zealander – it’s because he’s a talentless, politically driven & generally ignorant presenter who believes that people want to hear his views. We don’t and we won’t! Save your breakfast program TEN – or at least give it a fighting chance. Paul Henry should never have been there in the first place.

  7. @Sarah H I totally agree with you. The comment by Paul Henry, in my opinion, was a lot more offensive than Yumi’s comment. Her comment was said as a joke (even though it probably wasn’t that funny) but Paul’s comment was out of pure hatred. And in my onion wishing some one dead is a whole lot more offensive than calling someone a dud root! Why isn’t this plastered across every news paper?? Where is the public outcry?? Total double standards!! But at the same time the less publicity this idiot gets is probably good too as he would probably thrive on it.

    @ nrc_02 Yer Australia needs Paul Henry like a hole in the head! I am so happy to see no one cares enough about him to watch the show. People like this who thrive on hate and fear make me sick to the stomach and I am so glad people are not tuning in to the likes of him and his Aussie cousin Bolt!

  8. @nrc_02… I must respectfully disagree apart from Henry being confident on screen. He is simply an up-market, soft type of shock-jock.

    Unfortunately in Aussie “speaking [your] mind” tends to be no more than taking any serious issue and making light entertainment out of it…or trying to.

    I don’t find these approaches courageous at all and indeed attempting to use humour or throw away phrases to get a point across is anything but courageous. If he had squarely faced the camera and said, for example “In my opinion we should do nothing to intervene on hunger strikes because……” that is another thing entirely. But these people don’t. You have to try and glean their views from the smattering of verbals that ensue after a fallout like this one.

    We can do far better. I’d say “send him back where he came from” but he might try and get a gig on that show too.

  9. @peter cronshaw – “Good on him for saying what a lot of us are thinking as nobody asked them to come to our country…”.
    Dead right. Maybe I’ll try running to the front of the Immigration queue at Tullamarine and go on a hunger strike until I’m processed before everyone else.

  11. Surely at least one of the Financial Experts that have been popping up ever since the GFC(where were they before?) where they now predict Doom and Gloom(vested interests?) almost daily and probably will continue to do so up to the next election.

    But to return to my reasons for this comment that concerns the the down hill stampede occurring at Ten.

    Why doesn’t someone take Ginna and Locky aside and explain ‘In Depth’ the principles of Share Trading Shorting as they seem to have got it completely wrong.

    I am definitely no share trading expert, but even I know, if someone intends to make money by shorting share values, they obtain and Sell Shares at a high price and wait and/or even hasten a drop in that Share Price Value and buy the replacement shares at the much Lower price and pocket the difference(profit).

    Unfortunately it seems this is where they may have gone wrong, because it seems that ever since they purchased their shares(even increased their holdings), they have seemingly overseen/initiated some very bizarre decisions such as ‘Bolt’ and ‘Henry’ ? along with losing many Very Experienced Staff, combined with many many changes of programmes and Viewing times.

    This has resulted in the current decline in viewing numbers and may eventually also have the results, where they have Shorted their Own Share Values?.

  12. Here’s a good excuse to sack Paul Henry, and revamp their breakfast show by using instead as hosts Hamish McDonald & Natasha Beling – those two have some serious on air chemistry.
    Otherwise, Ten might as well can the whole thing, save some money, and bring back the cartoons.

  14. Even when the axe falls on breakfast I hope Paul Henry remains on our TV he’s great to watch and confident on screen, mistakes are made sometimes but he’s honest in his opinion and not afraid to speak his mind, something Aus TV need.

  15. Thanks for nothing Channel 10, by forcing this obnoxious person to apologize in writing and on air, almost instantly yesterday and again this morning.

    Well what about us elderly Australians?, we have been waiting(ignored) since this same obnoxious person and his disrespectful(disgraceful to so many of us) hysterical performance at aprox.8.08am on the 9th of August approximately 3 weeks ago.

    This resulted in him reaching a state of hysteria and ending in tears of laughter, as he expanded and compared symptoms of normal aging and a Official Public Health Waring based on official records and issued by the State Government, regarding Hypothermia and where many elderly people can easily succumb to this condition during winter.

    Given there has seemingly been a Cone of Silence from Ten and himself ever since.

    One can only assume Ten Fully Condones his performance that morning, perhaps if had been expanded/highlighted to include that elderly refugees as well, there may have been a totally different Non Response. .

  17. joey69 I don’t think a single person wants Channel Ten to fail. Channel Ten are doing a fine job of failing on their own merits though. They were a great channel once, and they can be again, but I doubt it will be while Murdoch is at the helm.

  18. Thanks, David, for reply re Circle. Would it be difficult for you to check what the Circle ratings were in the week before the Roberts-Smith comments (mid-Feb) and what they were in July, when it was axed? I’m genuinely interested.

  19. I agree with Bonobo! Saying ‘never fully recovered from comments about Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith’ is wrong. The Circle was a fantastic, relevant to us Aussies morning show. Thousands of us are still mourning it’s loss and Channel Ten will not take notice. We are the viewers. I love your articles David but that statement is far from the reason our beloved Circle ended. It was the easy way out for flailing Channel Ten!!

    1. Look to my wording, never “fully recovered.” I have not indicated The Circle was axed because of these statements (in fact I also said he accepted the apology so let’s move on). Plenty of posts across this site indicate the complicated factors at play for the show. it also never fully recovered from the loss of Chrissie Swan. It did lose sponsors, and I believe one used the incident as an excuse to back out and go and support Mornings where its talent was hosting a show on a rival network.

  21. Lachlan Murdoch your actions created this show. Take action and end it. Paul Henry and the program is a failure. Who cares what Paul Henry thinks? Or says? He can not offend, there is not a soul watching.
    We turned off when the good Doctor left!
    Come on Lachlan be pro active and end this nightmare!

  22. “It is the personal choice of the hunger striker to take this course of action. I was merely stating my view that our response to their action should be to stand firm and follow through with current Australian policy.”

    “our response”?

    Isn’t he a New Zealand citizen?

    In which case his dirty comments are laced with a foul hypocrisy..

  23. @ gregaus….I tend to agree. But this demeanour issue and the low humour has actually become part and parcel of certain networks way of being. During the Olympics opening ceremony the silly jokes about the way certain female athletes were dressed and a quip about one athlete learning another language (and, ho ho, that will bound to help him score in the village).

    This humour is high-school stuff that these ostensibly sophisticated blokes in suits seem to think it really hilarious. It’s lame and getting old. And that $10 attitude and the gagging etc….I wouldn’t have found that funny. I would think the speaker an idiot.

    And who wants to be interviewed by people like this? They have no dignity and offer none.

    There was a fleeting time when Henry would have been hauled off to a homeless shelter or a refugee camp and made to work for a day…within some form of broader investigative show..and within the frame of the network itself quietly agreeing their staffer could do far better and needs to get a grip.

Leave a Reply