The network and production company move to distance themselves from the polarising figure as controversy at her appointment ramped up.
Seven and Big Brother VIP production company Endemol Shine Australia have been forced to release a statement about English commentator Katie Hopkins not participating in the upcoming production of the Big Brother VIP.
A joint statement released today said:
“The Seven Network and Endemol Shine Australia confirm that Katie Hopkins is not a part of Big Brother VIP. Seven and Endemol Shine strongly condemn her irresponsible and reckless comments in hotel quarantine.”
The statement attempts to distance Seven and the production company from the suggestion they cast her in the program and paid to bring her to Australia for the program.
Hopkins has previously made many racist statements and comments that quarantine and lockdown procedures for COVID-19 were unnecessary. Arriving in Australia only a few days ago she posted on her Instagram that she was breaching the hotel quarantine protocols as often as possible because she thought them to be irrelevant.
Her arrival sparked an online firestorm as many were upset Hopkins appeared to jump the arrivals queue ahead of ‘many other more deserving’ Australians stuck overseas. Her comments about breaching quarantine protocols also earned her the attention of the Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews, who directed Australian Border Force to “urgently review” the British media personality’s visa.
Only last week Seven CEO James Warburton was forced to apologise for a poorly-worded headline on an article published on 7news.com.au that drew claims of racism. In response he sent an email to all staff including this statement:
“The post was inexcusable, embarrassing and clearly does not meet the expectations of our company and the values that we’ve all worked so hard on over the past 12 months.”
This post updates.
