Channel 7’s redundancy for producer after Hamish Thompson’s alleged comment

Channel 7 has reached an agreement with the senior television producer whose boss allegedly told her she needed a “good f**k”. She has taken a redundancy and has now left the company.

• Sunday Night producer stood down after harassment claims

Lisa Ryan, the senior television producer whose boss allegedly told her she was in need of a “good f**k”, has taken a redundancy with Channel 7 for an unspecified generous sum and left the company.

Ryan, who was a senior producer on Channel 7’s Sunday Night program for a decade, reached an agreement with Seven on Friday — a month after taking stress leave from the show following a disastrous performance review meeting with the program’s executive producer, Hamish Thomson, in May.

Sunday Night executive producer Hamish Thomson. Picture: LinkedIn

Prior to the performance review meeting, Thomson allegedly clashed with his staffer over drinks at an industry social event, with sources alleging Thomson told Ryan ongoing workplace tensions the pair were having could be resolved by her having a “good f**k”.

A Seven Network spokesman could not comment on Saturday for confidentiality reasons.

Thomson, executive producer of Seven’s flagship current affairs program since 2014, was suspended by the network following the performance review meeting pending an external investigation by HR consultants.

He remains on leave.

Seven did not respond to questions concerning Thomson’s return to Seven and future at the network.

Thomson has emphatically denied making the comment to Ryan.

MORE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH NEWS

UK Premier League star arrested in Sydney

Light rail drivers taught to watch out for drunks

Murdered teen’s mother confronts getaway driver

Seven sources claim Ryan has had the support of her Sunday Night colleagues during the investigation.

A long-time colleague said on Saturday that for a decade Ryan had been “married to the job” at Seven.

She was re-signed to a new two-year contract — with pay rise — only last year, they added.

Ryan, who cut her teeth as a producer working on Nine’s A Current Affair, hired gun media employment litigator John Laxon for her fight with Seven.

Laxon previously represented veteran television producer Stephen Rice following his dismissal from Nine over his part in the bungled Beirut child rescue case.

He also represented Thomson’s predecessor at Sunday Night, Mark Llewellyn, in his 2006 fight against Nine which exposed former Nine CEO Eddie McGuire’s plans to “bone” then Today show presenter Jessica Rowe — comments recorded by Llewellyn in his sensational affidavit.

Originally published as Channel 7’s redundancy for producer after Hamish Thompson’s alleged comment