Former television presenter Don Burke has been accused of serious sexual harassment during his 17-year-long tenure as host of Burke’s Backyard, with former employees telling Fairfax Media and the ABC that he engaged in “sustained and systemic psychological abuse” of the women in his vicinity.
The joint exposé, compiled from interviews with more than 50 people, includes the testimony of former Burke’s Backyard producer Louise Langdon. She stated “dealing with Don Burke was an endurance test in terms of his persistence in commentary about anything sexual,” including an incident where he allegedly showed her a video of a woman having sex with a donkey.
“Don was getting so much pleasure from seeing my reaction to it,” Langdon said, adding she was “speechless” during the ordeal. She also stated that while they were on a bus during a trip to the Northern Territory, Burke tried to remove her bra and her shirt.
Wendy Dent, a former children’s entertainer, also stated Burke acted towards her in a sexually inappropriate manner. Dent stated that after being offered an audition for Burke’s Backyard, she was told “you’ll have to be topless.” She said men like Burke are “dream killers”, and that she didn’t pursue a further career in the entertainment industry after that incident.
Bridget Ninness, who worked as a producer on the show for seven years, said “women were his playthings and he loved seeing them shocked by his behaviour and language.” Ninness added that during one overseas trip, the “vile” Burke threatened her so severely that she vomited. She settled with Burke’s production company out of court for “psychological abuse,” and is currently dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“He is a high-grade, twisted abuser,” Ninness said.
Those on-the-record allegations join a host of stories from unnamed women previously under his employ or within his professional orbit. One reporter said that across a series of interviews with Burke, he said “I bet you’re a demon fuck,” openly stared at her breasts, and said he enjoyed seeing his young female relative ride a horse “because I love watching her rub her c*nt on its back.”
Two former Nine Network chief executives also spoke to reporters for the piece. David Leckie said Burke was the only “Harvey Weinstein-type” person he could think of in the Australian entertainment industry, while Sam Chisholm said he was a “terrible grub.”
Burke vehemently denied all of the allegations made against him in the piece, saying they come from a group of disgruntled former employees.
You can read the full piece HERE, before 7.30‘s report on ABC tonight.
This article discusses sexual assault & harassment. If you would like to talk to a counsellor about rape, sexual assault or domestic violence, give the people over at 1800 RESPECT a call on 1800 737 732.
