TV legend Don Burke was a ‘horrible, dirty old man’ who was the subject of a number of informal sexual harassment complaints by his female colleagues, according to a former Nine CEO.
David Leckie, who was chief executive at the network from 1994 to 2001, compared the Burke’s Backyard host to disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
‘I’ve been trying to think of Harvey Weinstein-type people (in Australia) and the only one I can ever come up with is Burke,’ he told Fairfax Media.
‘I am not going to mention any specific girls or anything like that,’ he said, admitting he had heard complaints against Burke but denying hearing anything first-hand.
Leckie’s predecessor Sam Chisolm agreed, describing Burke as a ‘terrible grub’ who was a ‘disgrace because of his behaviour internally and externally’.
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
Former Nine CEO’s David Leckie (left) and Sam Chisolm (right) described Burke as a ‘horrible, dirty old man’. Leckie admitted he had heard complaints from female colleagues about Burke’s alleged behaviour but nothing first-hand
Burke, 70, has been accused of sexually harassing numerous female colleagues, as well as groping a woman and a teenage girl.
The bombshell claims, made by the Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC, claim the host of Burke’s Backyard touched women inappropriately and made lewd comments.
The Order of Australia Medal recipient’s accusers included former researchers, producers, crew members, and TV hopefuls.
Burke has strongly denied the allegations of sexual harassment leveled against him and described the women as ‘malcontents’ who ‘bear grudges against me’.
He said he was ‘deeply hurt and outraged at the false and defamatory claims,’ in a statement provided to the ABC.
The former TV icon slammed comparisons to disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and claimed he had a ‘life-long opposition to sexism and misogyny’.
He said Burke’s Backyard was a ‘lone bastion of anti-misogyny’ and deliberately chose the best women in their field.
They were ‘not the typical media females aged under 30 with Barbie-Doll figures’ and he faced opposition to having them on TV as a result.
Burke (left, and right with his wife), 70, who hosted Burke’s Backyard for 17 years until it was suddenly axed in 2004, strongly denied the claims
Louise Langdon (left) and Wendy Dent (right) both made claims against Burke
Former researcher Louise Langdon claimed Burke 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.
Another researcher, who asked not to be named, said Burke bragged about groping women’s breasts as they smoked cigarettes on his production company’s rooftop.
He told her that his favourite part of cocktail parties was using name tags as an excuse to ‘grab women’s t*ts’ by pretending he couldn’t read them.
Then she claimed he grabbed her breasts hard and when she jumped back he insulted their size and said no one would want to touch them.
‘This was not a clumsy, oafish move. It was a calculated action. That is what was scary. It was premeditated,’ she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Burke in response denied the entire incident ever occurred.
Burke denied any of these incidents occurred and said researchers were not taken on location for taping
Wendy Dent was working as a children’s entertainer in the 1990s when she met Burke.
As part of her routine she had him kneel in front of her, sprinkled some ‘stardust’ over him and said he could have any wish once he opened he eyes.
To the then 21-year-old’s shock, Burke said it hadn’t worked because she was still wearing clothes, she claimed.
Ms Dent later took an opportunity to interview for a role on his show.
They talked on the phone about her being a ‘featured mermaid’ on the show and him helping her with her career, before the conversation allegedly turned sinister.
‘Well you’ll have to audition, but you’ll have to be topless,’ Ms Dent claimed he told her, prompting her to hang up in shock and disgust.
‘I went from feeling like this talent with a future to feeling like I was just a pair of boobs to him, to be honest,’ she said.
Burke did not comment on Ms Dent’s claims.
Burke (pictured in 2009) did not comment on Ms Dent’s claims
Bridget Ninness, a former producer on Burke’s Backyard for seven years, described Burke as a ‘vile human being’ who ‘got off on terrorising (female researchers)’.
Ms Ninness launched legal action against Burke’s company over alleged ‘sustained and systemic psychological abuse’. She eventually settled the case out of court.
A former crew member claimed Burke bragged about groping a teenage girl in a disturbing chance encounter on the street.
They claimed Burke chatted to the group of girls and offered to show them how to correctly hold a puppy they had.
Burke showed the girl how to nurse the puppy close to her chest and keep it warm, and when he walked back to the crew he exclaimed ‘give me three!’
‘He boasted that he had stroked her nipple three times while showing her how to hold the puppy,’ the crew member claimed.
Burke did not address the former crew member’s recollection of the alleged incident in his response.
A former crew member claimed Burke bragged about groping a teenage girl in a disturbing chance encounter on the street
He generally complained the ‘untrue claims’ would ‘destroy’ his income for the rest of his life and prevent him from performing his ‘extensive charity work’.
He said recorded testimonies from award-winning author Jackie French, and showrunners Michael Freedman and James O’Sullivan would support his denials.
Mr Freedman, his former chief executive, told the SMH: ‘I never observed any sexual harassment. Don’s not the kind of person to engage in that type of behaviour’.
Daily Mail Australia earlier revealed Burke called in top defamation lawyer Patrick George, senior partner at the law firm Kennedys Australia.
Burke called the allegations ‘false and defamatory’ and appeared poised to take legal action against his accusers.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr George for further comment.