Hamish Thompson investigated amid fellow producer’s bullying, sexual harassment claims

The executive producer of Channel 7’s flagship current affairs program Sunday Night has been sensationally stood down following a complaint from a staffer.

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The executive producer of Channel 7’s flagship current affairs program Sunday Night has been sensationally stood down following a complaint from a staffer.

Hamish Thompson, a former 60 Minutes chief who joined Seven in 2016, was sidelined indefinitely this week by the network’s news and current affairs boss Craig McPherson pending an “external investigation” into a bullying and sexual harassment.

An independent legal organisation has been engaged to look into allegations made by a female employee who has made an official complaint against Thompson.

Hamish Thomsons has been stood down following a complaint from a staffer. Picture: LinkedIn

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The woman, long-time Sunday Night producer Lisa Ryan, has also tapped her own legal muscle in high-profile media specialist John Laxon.

It’s understood Ryan is currently on unpaid leave.

Sources close to the show have confirmed Ryan had initially made a complaint to network bosses several weeks ago.

However, after an internal review, no further action was taken against Thompson.

However Ryan then pressed for an independent review.

Contacted this week McPherson confirmed Thompson had been temporarily stood down pending the outcome of an investigation but declined to comment further, saying; “It’s now in the hands of a HR reviewers.”

It’s believed that, among Ryan’s claims, Thompson addressed her by a crude four-letter word in front of other colleagues.

Thompson, the executive producer of the Sunday Night program, has been stood down pending an “external investigation”. Picture: Supplied/Seven

Thompson has denied any wrongdoing. Ryan, meanwhile, declined to comment.

Incidentally this isn’t the first case of some behind-the-scenes strife at Sunday Night — recently renamed Sunday Night True Stories.

Founding executive producer Mark Llewellyn famously exited the network after he allegedly threw one of his reporters, Paul Waterhouse, up against a wall.

Llewellyn later defected to Nine and Waterhouse still works in the SN newsroom but — according to one Seven employee who asked not to be named — some ‘interpersonal problems’ still remain within the show.

“I’d call it dysfunctional with a capital D,” they said.