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ABC apologises to Miranda Devine after Hack Live insult

"ABC regrets any offence caused to journalist Miranda Devine regarding the use of a profanity by a guest on Hack Live."

ABC has apologised to News Corp columnist Miranda Devine after Hack Live guest Clementine Ford referred to her as a c**t during last night’s live broadcast.

The ABC2 show, which presents as a hot-button debate show pitched at Gen X and Gen Y viewers, was discussing the topic “Is Male Privilege Bullsh!t?”

But “angry feminist” Clementine Ford and anti-feminist writer Daisy Cousens, who have disagreed on social media, got sidetracked in a personal debate that left one guest asking what it had to do with the topic.

After Ford repeated a profanity she had used at Devine, host Tom Tilley took to the floor to steer the show back on track.

In a statement to TV Tonight, an ABC spokesperson said, “The ABC regrets any offence caused to journalist Miranda Devine regarding the use of a profanity by a guest on Hack Live last evening. Program producers provided all guests with a full briefing before the show asking them to be respectful during the live television broadcast.

“The nature of live television means it can be unpredictable and while the ABC never aims to offend, it is not responsible for what guests say.”

Last September ABC management ordered a debate on Aussie patriotism to air on a delay due to the risk of hate speech.

ABC has since bleeped the offending comment from replays and iview.

8 Responses

  1. Why would the ABC bother engaging with someone as toxic as Clementine Ford? She has nothing worthwhile to say and resorts to profanity to cover the vacuousness of her arguments.

  2. I am neither generation x or y but i was drawn into this program out of interest, That segment was a complete derailment of the subject at hand, and from my perspective it was the presenter/producer using the ear piece that should have not gone down that rabbit hole. It was blatantly personal and inflammatory. It looked like an episode of Jerry Springer at that point. The rest was fascinating. For me anyway.

    1. Couldn’t agree more, I think it’s obvious when people resort to using this language they don’t wish to engage in anything resembling a debate. Fairfax and the ABC should stop giving her a platform for spouting this stuff. If you wouldn’t say it at work to someone, it definitely doesn’t belong on TV, let alone a public broadcaster. I also don’t see how as ‘a feminist’ you can call another woman a —- and not look like a complete fool

  3. Why is it that the ABC seems to have to continually apologise to conservatives due to abuse by its “progressive” guests, and never the vice versa?

  4. It seems that the ABC or her other employer, Fairfax, have to apologise for Ms Ford’s behaviour/writings/tweets/words on a regular basis , why are we even surprised when it happens one more time?

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