The Network 10 has beefed up its security after receiving threats and ahead of protests backed by an online religious group over an X-rated joke made on The Project.
Last month, comedian Reuben Kaye was speaking on the network’s flagship show about the hate he’s received from the Christian community when he joked “I love Jesus — I love any man who can get nailed for three days straight and come back for more.”
The Project aired an apology the following night but the joke had already inflamed groups who accused the show of disrespecting their religion. Charlie Bakhos’ Christian Lives Matter, which has repeatedly campaigned against LGBTQIA+ causes and individuals Bakhos has accused of “mocking God”, has promoted a protest outside of the Network 10’s offices on Saturday, along with calls for the show to be cancelled.
Multiple Ten staff members, who were not authorised to speak publicly, told Crikey of the fallout of the joke. The Project had received threats against its staff and had increased security around its Sydney office ahead of the protests.
Former Project host Dave “Hughesy” Hughes spoke publicly about being approached by two men on the beach asking if he was still part of the show earlier this week.
“You on The Project? You against Jesus? If you are, I’m going to bash you,” the man allegedly said, according to the comedian on 2DayFM earlier this week.
A Network 10 spokesperson didn’t directly answer questions about whether the station or employees had faced threats.
“The safety and wellbeing of staff is always the primary focus for Ten,” they said.
“As a media organisation we recognise the rights of people to respectfully and peacefully express their opinions.”
Bakhos hosted a Zoom call on Tuesday night with several hundred supporters including political figures such as One Nation MLC Mark Latham and Silvana Nile, NSW election candidate and wife of Reverend Fred Nile. Despite claiming that he’s “not organising it”, Bakhos set up the call, promoted the protest through Christian Lives Matter’s social media accounts and associated group chats, and led discussion about how to protest on the weekend.
Bakhos stressed the importance of having a peaceful protest and spoke worriedly about fears that “the media” would infiltrate the protest.
“They might even send people into the crowd to cause trouble, and blame us!” he said, later claiming that media agitators might throw rocks. In the Zoom chat, one commenter hinted at violence: “If someone comes into our group I’m ‘talking to them’ around the corner.”
Last weekend, Crikey reported that a Christian prayer march protest through Newtown during WorldPride that was called “peaceful” by Bakhos had turned violent when one participant allegedly grabbed the head of a bystander.
Bakhos also defended against claims that the group was anti-LGBTQIA+. “This isn’t us against the gays. The gays are saying ‘we’re not with those paedophiles’,” he said, referencing a common anti-LGBTQIA+ trope.
Later in the call, Latham spoke briefly to thank Bakhos and the group for defending “Western values”.
“We need more groups like Christian Lives Matter,” he said.
