Don Burke will beg the Australian public to forgive his ‘stupidity’ but also deny sexual harassment allegations against him in a TV interview.
The former host of Burke’s Backyard is accused by more than 50 women of indecent assault and making lewd comments over his program’s 17-year run.
Burke strongly denied the claims by the Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC and described the women as ‘malcontents’ who ‘bear grudges against me’.
Don Burke will beg the Australian public to forgive his ‘stupidity’ but also deny sexual harassment allegations against him in a TV interview with A Current Affair
In a Monday night interview with A Current Affair the 70-year-old continued to deny the serious allegations, but admitted to ‘stupidity’
In a Monday night interview with A Current Affair the 70-year-old continued to deny the serious allegations, but admitted to ‘stupidity’.
‘I am happy to say to the people of Australia: This is my story, make up your mind if I’m the most evil person that’s ever lived, that’s your decision,’ he said.
‘If you can forgive me for the stupidity and the other things I have done then I am very grateful, but I think that’s their decision not mine.
‘I have looked in the mirror and there’s a lot I don’t like. But that’s up to the people of Australia to decide can they forgive me or not.’
Tracey Grimshaw arrived at Burke’s house in Kenthurst, north-west of Sydney, to interview him about the explosive allegations
The former host of Burke’s Backyard is accused by more than 50 women of indecent assault and making lewd comments over his program’s 17-year run
Burke said he was the victim of a ‘witch hunt’ driven by rumours swirling on Twitter in the wake of similar allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
However, he did confess to cheating on his wife and rubbing plenty of people the wrong way during his iconic career.
Just minutes after the ACA interview goes to air, the ABC’s 7.30 program will air interviews with his female accusers.
The Order of Australia Medal recipient’s accusers included former researchers, producers, crew members, and TV hopefuls.
TV legend Don Burke has been accused of sexually harassing numerous female colleagues, as well as groping a woman and a teenage girl. He is pictured with accuser Louise Langdon
Louise Langdon (left) and Wendy Dent (right) both made sexual harrassment claims against Burke
Former researcher Louise Langdon claimed he insisted she watch a video, which turned out to be disgusting footage of a woman having sex with a donkey.
The then-27-year-old claimed Burke gained pleasure from her shocked reaction to the video, which left her ‘speechless’ and ‘overcome’, she told the ABC.
Ms Langdon, now a psychologist in the US, claimed he later indecently assaulted her.
‘It was things like pulling at my bra strap, flicking a bra strap… pulling up my shirt to see what colour underwear I was wearing,’ she said.
Another time he allegedly pushed his toe into her backside to check how firm it was, and with disappointment noted she ‘hadn’t been working out’.
On a trip to Alice Springs for Burke’s radio show, Ms Langdon claimed he joked it was so hot she should remove her clothing as they sat together on a shuttle bus.
‘He decided that it was okay for him to put his hands on my T-shirt and try and pull my bra strap, my bra, off and somehow remove my clothing. He was trying to take my top off,’ she said.
Burke denied any of these incidents occurred and said researchers were not taken on location for taping, and he found no record of her being on such a trip.