- Don Burke called in top defamation lawyer to handle mystery allegations
- Patrick George is acting for the former Burke’s Backyard star, he confirmed
- Burke presented the popular gardening program for 17 years until 2004
TV gardening personality Don Burke has called in a top defamation lawyer over mystery allegations.
Veteran lawyer Patrick George – the author of the 2012 textbook ‘Defamation Law in Australia’ – told Daily Mail Australia he was acting for Burke on Sunday evening.
Burke was the brains behind the Nine Network television program Burke’s Backyard, which ran for 17 years until getting the axe in 2004.
TV gardening personality Don Burke has called in top defamation lawyer Patrick George over mystery allegations
His company, CTC Productions, also produced the hit show Backyard Blitz.
Burke has been a long-running fixture of the Australian media scene and occasionally pops up on TV and radio to provide gardening advice.
Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting any wrongdoing by Burke, just that he has turned to a lawyer specialising in ‘reputational risk’ of 35 years experience to handle recent inquiries.
Mr George is described online as a senior partner at the law firm Kennedys Australia.
Burke on the Great Wall of China during an episode of Burke’s Backyard’s final season before it was axed in 2004
Burke has been a long-running fixture of the Australian media scene and occasionally pops up on TV and radio to provide gardening advice.
The Kennedys website said he is ‘an expert in all areas of reputational risk and dispute resolution’.
He has acted for former prime ministers, state premiers, celebrities, actors, models and sporting figures, the website said.
Mr George was called for further comment.
A person answering a landline number for Burke said he and his wife Marea had gone away for the weekend, but expected to return on Monday.