*This post has been updated
TV presenter EDWINA BARTHOLOMEW is likely to face defamation action after posting explosive allegations about a channel 9 reporter.
The tweet, which has since been deleted, was in response to a Nine News Melbourne post about journalist Seb Costello reporting live from Spring Street, which was shut down due to a security scare.
Her tweet, which we have to censor for legal reasons said:
“Surprisingly articulate for a (CENSORED)”
Fiona Byrne from The Herald Sun approached the Sunrise star about the tweet, to which she replied;
“I was half asleep and on the other side of the world. It was clearly a mistake and the errant tweet has been deleted,”
The paper notes it took 50 minutes for the offending tweet to be deleted. Bartholomew is in London on assignment and it’s understood she went to sleep after posting.
TV Blackbox understands discussions have been held on Saturday between senior Nine management, legal and PR teams to decide a course of action. The most likely outcome will be legal action against Bartholomew. A senior source has told me her statement to the Herald Sun has only inflamed the situation, saying;
“Really, she’s done that and not even apologised”
Costello is the son of chairman Peter Costello and Nine say they are going to go hard on this one, but not because of any connection to the Chairman. Our source says Seven has been waging a war behind the scenes trying to plant stories in various papers that paint the network in a bad light and this is the final straw;
“No way are we going to let them get away with this”.
The question now is can Edwina’s career survive this gaffe?
Nine is not making any public comments at this time and Seven has not responded to enquiries.
*UPDATE
The online version of the Herald Sun article now includes an apology from Edwina, but the paper edition does not. The apology was added after we published our story noting Nine’s outrage over the lack of an apology.
Co-Creator and Editor of the TV Blackbox website, Robert McKnight is highly regarded Australian Television Producer, he has worked at SEVEN, NINE and TEN, and is most well-known for creating and producing STUDIO 10. Currently Rob is the host and producer of the TV Blackbox, McKnight Tonight and Monsters Who Murder podcasts.
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