Longtime Channel 10 colleagues of Lisa Wilkinson have turned on The Project presenter – one unleashing on her over her ‘big head’ – as the fallout from her now-infamous Logies speech boils over at the TV network.
Wilkinson’s victory speech about Brittany Higgins led ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum to delay the trial of the staffer’s accused rapist, Bruce Lehrmann, for several months through ‘gritted teeth’.
That led former long-time Channel 10 weather presenter Tim Bailey to rip into the controversial broadcaster in a brutal tweet last night, calling her a ‘big head’ and telling her to pull her head in.
‘Hey Lisa, pull ya head in,’ Bailey said in a now-deleted message. ‘I know this might be difficult, because it is a very big head. But please try.’ He added, ‘#LisaWilkinson #Logies2022 #carparkthief’.
Legendary Ten news anchor Sandra Sully also liked a tweet from showbusiness reporter Peter Ford blasting Wilkinson’s speech. That message said: ‘Such serious consequences from Lisa Wilkinson … if only she’d stuck to silly stories like the paparazzi who stalked her in Chapel St.’
Despite the uproar, there were signs Wilkinson was in denial over the consequences of her actions, with the host liking a tweet from a punter which said Wilkinson’s comments had ‘nothing to do with the accused. If the courts don’t recognise the difference, they are part of the problem.’
Lisa Wilkinson is pictured giving her Logies speech on Sunday night, where she thanked Brittany Higgins for sharing her story of an alleged sexual assault
Former Channel 10 weather presenter Tim Bailey called Lisa Wilkinson a ‘big head’ in a now deleted tweet
Tim Bailey is pictured on November 9, 2017 in Sydney. In a now deleted Twitter post, he told former Channel 10 colleague Lisa Wilkinson to ‘pull ya head in’
However insiders at the troubled network say staff are internally drawing up battle lines over Wilkinson with many openly vocal about their frustration over her now-infamous speech on Sunday evening.
Separately, Sunrise presenter Natalie Barr expressed disbelief on Sunrise on Wednesday morning – saying the Seven Network always runs stories by their lawyers before going to air.
‘You know, we have our own lawyers, we often consult them before we put a story to air, would this have been the case where Channel 10’s lawyers should have stepped in and lawyered this speech?’
Higgins’ accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann was granted a temporary stay in the ACT Supreme Court on Monday, after his lawyer said a jury trial would be ‘untenable’ following the reporting of Wilkinson’s speech.
Chief Justice McCallum told the ACT Supreme Court that recent media publicity had prejudged Lehrmann’s right to a fair trial.
‘The case has accordingly attracted a level of attention in the media … that while not unprecedented, is certainly extreme,’ she said on Tuesday.
‘Extensive media reporting of alleged criminal conduct is not mischievous in itself.
‘What is a potential mischief is media reporting of such issues in such a way … it impacts the criminal case.’
Justice McCallum says while jurors can be given directions to mitigate prejudice, this case was different with Wilkinson being a key witness.
Natalie Barr (pictured left with her Sunrise colleague David Koch) had a go at Lisa Wilkinson and rival network Channel 10 on Wednesday morning
No date has been set for the trial, but the judge said she wants the trial to be held this year, with an October listing probably providing enough time for publicity to dissipate.
Earlier, Justice McCallum slammed Ms Wilkinson’s speech, saying the line between an allegation and the finding of guilt was ‘completely obliterated’ by her Logies speech.
Wilkinson won a Logie for her reporting on Ms Higgins’ claim that she was raped in Parliament House.
Bruce Lehrmann, charged with sexual intercourse without consent, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Ms Higgins.
TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson (left) is pictured with former political staffer Brittany Higgins (right)
‘Your honour, this speech did not need to be made,’ Lehrmann’s barrister Steve Whybrow said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Whybrow launched the stay application following Wilkinson’s speech.
Mr Whybrow said a temporary stay – essentially, a delay – was the only recourse to allow for a fair trial so ‘adverse publicity can dissipate’.
‘It’s untenable in my submission for a trial to be held under these circumstances at this time,’ he said.
Justice McCallum slammed the media over its reporting of Wilkinson’s speech.
‘What concerns me most about this recent round is that the distinction between an allegation and a finding of guilt has been completely obliterated … on Sunday and Monday,’ she said.
‘The implicit premise of (Wilkinson’s speech) is to celebrate the truthfulness of the story she exposed.’
She added that Ms Higgins’ allegation had been bundled together in the minds of the public with the work of former Australian of the Year Grace Tame, despite a man having been convicted in Ms Tame’s case.
‘Grace Tame was talking about her experience after the man had been convicted and served a sentence of imprisonment,’ Justice McCallum said.
Bruce Lehrmann (pictured), is charged with sexual intercourse without consent. He has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in Canberra
‘(Ms Tame’s) important contribution to the legal landscape was to say ‘the jury knows what he did, the public knows what he did, but I can’t talk about it because of the law that prohibits me outing myself’.
‘Miss Higgins is treated as being in the same category. And she’s not,’ the judge said.
‘At the moment, she is not in that category. That’s what really troubles me about the last round.’
The Crown had opposed the temporary stay, arguing the application did not outline a significant enough risk to the jury that couldn’t be overcome by orders made by the judge.
Former political staffer Brittany Higgins (pictured front) speaks to the media as she leaves the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices after meeting with then prime minister Scott Morrison in Sydney on Friday, April 30, 2021
‘The test most apt … is a real and substantial risk that despite endeavours by the trial judge there will be members of the jury that would have prejudged guilt perhaps unaware and that cannot be remedied,’ ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold told the court.
‘We accept there is a significant change but the application limited to what it is limited to does not give rise to a temporary stay.’
The Supreme Court was told Wilkinson would be called as a witness at the trial.
On Monday, Mr Drumgold said the Logies speech was a ‘regurgitation’ of emotion, making the point that Ms Wilkinson had said similar things previously.
Justice McCallum said, in summary, Ms Wilkinson’s speech amounted to saying: ‘Not only do I believe her, but she’s brave and extraordinary and she’s the most important thing that’s ever happened to me and I’m proud of bringing forward her allegation …
Justice Lucy McCallum said the public has conflated the case of Brittany Higgins (right) with the work of former Australian of the Year Grace Tame (left), despite a man having been convicted in Ms Tame’s case
‘We know that the accused has given a recorded interview in which he denies any sexual activity took place,’ she said.
A previous stay application was dismissed by Justice McCallum in April, when she said she wasn’t persuaded directions given to the jury couldn’t alleviate concerns of prejudice against Lehrmann.
Mr Drumgold argued the second application constituted ‘a re-agitation of that order’.
The case was initially due to begin on June 6 but was delayed until June 27 after Lehrmann’s barrister pulled out days before the trial.
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