Seb Costello exits Nine amid review into bathroom incident

A Current Affair reporter Seb Costello has resigned from the Nine Network, just months after the company launched a review into an incident where he chased an interview subject into a women’s public toilet.

Costello resigned from the company this week after 13 years, he confirmed to this masthead.

“After more than a decade at Nine, I have resigned from my role to seek a fresh challenge. I would like to thank Nine and wish them all the best,” he said.

Nine journalist Seb Costello has resigned from the network.Credit: Nine

Costello made headlines in November when he, alongside a camera crew, followed a finance executive from a firm being sued by the corporate regulator, ASIC, into a bathroom and attempted to film and interview him over the top of a cubicle door.

The executive, Oak Capital’s Mo Ahmed, subsequently alleged that the Nine reporter had assaulted him. Nine launched a review into the events, which took place at the InterContinental Hotel on Collins Street, Melbourne, with Costello stood down in the interim.

Costello, the network’s former European correspondent, was still stood down at the time of his resignation, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter who was not authorised to speak publicly.

A Nine spokesperson declined to comment on whether the review has been completed or not, but confirmed the resignation.

“We wish him all the best,” the spokesperson said.

The incident occurred only months after Costello’s father, former federal treasurer Peter Costello, stood down as the chair of Nine days after clashing with a News Corp journalist at Canberra Airport.

Nine has since overhauled its management team, including in the News and Current Affairs division. However, it was once again caught in the headlines in January when Today show sports presenter Alex Cullen was stood down after accepting a cash payment of $50,000 in return for on-air comments referring to Melbourne-based billionaire Adrian Portelli by a new nickname, rather than the “Lambo Guy” tag he has earned in the media.

Cullen later resigned.

In 2022, Seb Costello was handed a fine and a good behaviour bond following a verbal altercation with two neighbours that was referred to the police. He avoided a criminal record.

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