Disgraced broadcaster Chris Smith has lost his roles with Sky News Australia and Sydney’s 2GB over his drunken acts at a work Christmas party.
2GB issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon saying it had been made aware of serious allegations against the media personality, arising from a Sky News party at the weekend.
“Sky has advised they are conducting an investigation,” it said.
“Chris has been stood down from his duties at 2GB until the investigation has concluded.”
Hours later, Sky News Australia said it had also acted.
“Following an investigation into the allegations of serious misconduct, we have today advised Chris Smith that his contract with Sky News Australia has been terminated as a result of inappropriate behaviour that is in breach of his contract and company policy,” Sky News chief executive Paul Whittaker said.
Smith hosted 2GB’s mornings show on weekends and had news hosting duties at Sky. He reportedly refused to resign from both.
“2GB has today terminated the services of broadcaster Chris Smith,” the Sydney radio station’s management said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The termination follows the Sky News Christmas party at the weekend, where Chris has conceded his behaviour was unacceptable, ‘apologising profusely’ for his ‘drunken treatment’ of women.”
Tuesday’s developments came after Smith’s colleagues at Sky publicly blasted his behaviour, which he had blamed on addiction and a bipolar condition.
Smith issued a “profuse” public apology on Monday night to “the women I upset”.
“That’s not the man I am at work ever, as they will all attest. They have been so supportive to me and do not deserve such drunken treatment,” he said.
However, fellow Sky host Andrew Bolt was having none of it on his program The Bolt Report on Monday night. He called for Smith to go.
“Chris, all the very best to you getting over what you say is your addiction and your bipolar condition, but your recovery must take place somewhere else, not here,” he said.
“With your record you still choose to drink, you did then, and allegedly assaulted and upset young women who must work here.”
Bolt continued to explain that “we’re all good people here at Sky with a culture of looking after each other.
“If you betray that good trust, besmirch our good name, offend women here, you’re out.”
Bolt said every organisation has “people who behave badly” and would be judged by “how they react”.
“And I say to Chris, ‘Good luck, but goodbye’.”
Another Sky colleague, Rita Panahi, also demanded Smith be kicked out the door.
“What he did on Saturday night, how he made a number of women feel, means that in my opinion he can never be on this network again,” Panahi said on her show.
“Women at Sky News are treated with the utmost respect and we will not have the fine reputation of this network and its people besmirched by one drunken man’s actions, that is not who we are.
“The women at this station know we have their back, we stand with them and will never tolerate this kind of behaviour.”
