Tim Worner: Back to day job for embattled Seven chief

The sex-scandal Channel 7 CEO Tim Worner made his first public outing in Manly today as he grabbed a coffee on his way into work.

Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner spotted getting coffee in Manly. Picture: BackGrid Australia

• Seven West stands by embattled CEO after board grilling
• Former lover of Tim Worner reveals details of their affair

TIM Worner emerged from his Manly home today to grab a coffee on his way into work.

Sporting a smart white shirt and green tie, the embattled Channel 7 CEO looked ready for business.

It is the first time the 55-year-old father-of-four has been seen since a former colleague claimed to have had an affair with him.

Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner ducks out for a coffee, the first time he’s been spotted since the allegations emerged. Picture: BackGrid Australia

A statement issued by Seven on Monday acknowledged the inappropriate consensual sexual relationship but said the rest of the staffer’s statement contained “wideranging inaccuracies and false statements”.

Amber Harrison, 37, said she had sex with him at her Sydney apartment on a number of occasions, during work hours and afterwards, and made the unsubstantiated claim that cocaine was involved.

Amber Harrison claims to have carried out an affair with the Seven boss. Picture: Supplied

Seven said the claims contained “inaccuracies and false statements”.

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Ms Harrison also claims they were intimate at boutique NSW venue Bells of Killcare at a July 2013 conference, which was held to celebrate Mr Worner’s promotion to the role of CEO of Seven West.

Another romp allegedly occurred during the Seven-sponsored Australian Open tennis in January 2014.

Mr Worner leaves his Manly home.

Their assignations began in 2012 after she began exchanging lewd text messages with him, many of which she has shared, to his eternal embarrassment.

“I think my performance was drug assisted” and “You are so f…ing hot I will take the chance,” were two messages he allegedly wrote.

Seven Network stands by disgraced CEO as he apologises for his actions

Mr Worner, who is estimated to get $3 million a year, was grilled at an extraordinary meeting of Seven’s 10-member board on Monday.

The company’s chairman and owner Kerry Stokes was looped into the phone hook-up from his Beaver Creek ski property in Colorado, where he is spending Christmas.

Insiders say he was asked to answer two key questions.

Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes reportedly took part in a phone hook-up demanding answers from Mr Worner. Picture: AAP

The first question, the insiders said, involved words to the effect of: “Tim, have there been any other relationships like this with anyone from the company?”

The second question was about whether he had “ever done drugs in a work context”.

It is understood that Mr Worner’s answer to both questions was a firm “No”.

Ex-mistress of Seven chief claims senior executive threatened her

The board is understood to have concluded that they did not “condone” the affair, but that it was “a personal matter and it was consensual”.

Ms Harrison was last night due to appear on A Current Affair to discuss her relationship with Mr Worner but the interview failed to proceed.

Mr Worner will remain in his role at Channel 7, the media group announced. Picture: John Feder / The Australian.

Tim Worner with his wife Katrina at a Seven function in 2013. Picture: PerthNow

Ms Harrison was due to appear on Channel 9’s A Current Affair.

She previously confirmed to the Daily Telegraph she had chosen to go public on the 18-month relationship after two years of negotiations with Seven broke down in recent weeks.

The Daily Telegraph understands she was paid $150,000 in a confidential settlement late in 2014.

On top of this was also compensation for her legal fees to that point.

Insiders say that the final figure added up to about $350,000.

However, this agreement was terminated around March 2015.

The Seven statement confirmed Mr Worner would continue in his role but included an apology from him.

It read: “This relationship finished some years ago and I apologised at the time and am still trying to make amends.

“I am obviously filled with the deepest regret and shame. My focus is to continue to work through this in private and minimise the distress to my family.

‘They are the most important people in the world to me and I will continue to fight to repair the damage I caused.”