Sunday Night producer Hamish Thomson denies telling staffer she needed a ‘good f***’

An executive producer who has been stood down after one of his staff claimed he allegedly used sexually inappropriate language during, what was claimed by TV sources, an annual performance review.

• Sunday Night producer stood down after harassment claims

At the heart of the clash between the suspended executive producer of Channel 7’s flagship current affairs program and a female staff member is a claim the Sunday Night boss informed his staffer at a social gathering in May that she needed “a good f...” — something he emphatically denies.

Sunday Night executive producer Hamish Thomson was suspended from work two weeks ago pending an external investigation after Sunday Night producer Lisa Ryan accused him of using sexually inappropriate language.

Producer Hamish Thomson has been suspended pending an external investigation. Picture: LinkedIn

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From a Seven spokesperson yesterday: “A formal, external investigation is examining allegations lodged by a staffer against a producer. The producer is vigorously denying the allegations. Until the investigation is complete it is inappropriate to comment.”

Television sources confirmed relations between the co-workers were already strained when the pair crossed paths outside work hours at a social gathering, possibly a colleague’s farewell, in mid-May.

In the days that followed, Ryan was called to a performance review overseen by Thomson and also attended by a Seven culture/HR representative.

Following the performance review, Ryan immediately went on stress leave, from which she is yet to return.

Ryan has retained high-profile employment lawyer John Laxon, who represented veteran television producer Stephen Rice in his dismissal case against Nine over 60 Minutes’ bungled Beirut child rescue case, as well as Thomson’s predecessor at Sunday Night, Mark Llewellyn.

Mr Thompson was an executive producer for current affairs program Sunday Night. Picture: Supplied

Llewellyn, who is now at Nine heading up its special news investigations division, was a week ago spotted having coffee with Thomson at a north shore cafe. Joining the pair was 60 Minutes’ reporter Charles Woolley.

Before joining Seven in 2016, Thomson had been, from 2007-12, executive producer of Nine’s 60 Minutes.

When queried on the catch-up last week, Llewellyn denied Thomson had been making inquiries about a job at Nine.

“I am very good friends with Charlie and he invited me to Garfish to meet him and a mutual friend — and lo and behold it was Hamish,” said Llewellyn last week.

“Charles cares for his mates, it’s his greatest quality.

“I very much like both Hamish and Lisa at Seven — and, speaking from personal experience, in all these matters, commonsense is the best salve.”