Don Burke claims reflect a post-Weinstein era where accusers more ready to talk

DON Burke’s charm offensive was rough viewing on Channel Nine. A sombre and ashen-faced Burke tried to talk his way out of a slew of allegations that grow hour by hour, writes Susie O’Brien.

DON Burke’s charm offensive was rough viewing on Channel Nine tonight. A sombre and ashen-faced Burke tried to talk his way out of a slew of allegations that grow hour by hour.

Tracey Grimshaw put up a good fight, but all the interview did was give Burke wriggle room to admit his faults while denying the specific details.

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“Who remembers what happened 30 years ago?” he told Grimshaw, questioning the accuracy of the accusers’ recollections. But Burke does seem to think his own memories are reliable.

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He said he did know “what I would say and what I wouldn’t say”.

“You know who you are”.

He invited viewers to “make up your mind if I am the most evil person who ever lived — that’s your choice”.

Don Burke during filming for TV show Burke's Backyard.

Burke was clearly relying on his popularity to win over public opinion.

The message seemed to be that he was sorry so many people he worked with hated him, but he couldn’t possibly have done what so many have accused him of.

“It’s a witch hunt. I might have terrified a few people, or whatever, and I shouldn’t have done that, but these sort of things bear no relation to me and what I am about,” he said.

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But his contrition was not entirely convincing. Burke said owning up to having affairs was a “devastating time for me”. What about his wife Marea?

Burke says it’s been a “terrible time” and put the problems down, in part, to his having Asbergers which means he has trouble reading the signs.

Don Burke with wife Marea.

In a statement given today Burke vehemently denied all claims, which include suggestions he was a sexual predator, a sexual harasser and an adulterer while his hit show Burke’s Backyard was on air.

Over on Channel Two at 7.30 many of the accusers stood up and made their shocking allegations on air.

There is no doubt the claims against Burke will be viewed differently in this post-Weinstein era — although it must be said that Burke has not been accused of the sorts of things

Weinstein has been accused of. But in general terms, there is now a greater willingness to believe those who come forward to make sexual allegations against well-known figures.

This doesn’t mean all accusers are telling the truth, just that there is a more welcoming reaction to their revelations.

In the past many accusers stayed silent, worried they wouldn’t be believed. Those who did speak up were subjected to outright hostility and outrage. Remember the angst felt by

Sarah Monahan, the accuser of Hey Dad! star Robert Hughes, who was found guilty in 2014 on nine counts of sexual and indecent assault of young girls? She was harassed and shamed by those who claimed she was making it up.

I would like to think Monahan would have had more support these days. Of course, I am not drawing any parallels between Hughes and Burke, who has not been accused of any acts involving children.

Former Nine chief David Leckie called Burke a “horrible, horrible man”.

The allegation is that Burke’s behaviour was an open secret at Nine; one of his accusers called it “institutionalised acceptance”.

It’s pertinent that those criticising Burke include some of TV’s most respected names.

This includes David Leckie, the former chief executive of the Nine Network, who called him a “horrible, horrible man”.

Leckie likened Burke to disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, although as I have said, no rape charges have been levelled at Burke.

Leckie’s predecessor Sam Chisholm called Burke a “terrible grub” and a “disgrace”.

These are strong words from men who have been running Channel Nine for decades.

Let’s not forget that Burke was one of the big success stories on Australian TV and publishing: in 2004 he was a BRW top 50 Entertainer, earning $7.2 million. Burke’s Backyard won six Logies and launched the careers of some of reality TV’s top names, including Scott Cam, Dr Chris Brown and Jamie Durie.

Former Nine boss Sam Chisholm called Burke a “terrible grub”.

Burke was even given an Order of Australia Medal in 2010 for his services to the environment, horticulture and the media.

Burke called the original story “unfair and unworthy journalism” from a “small clique of malcontents” who were fired. Burke says he has a “lifelong opposition to sexism and

misogyny” but has allegedly hired defamation lawyer Patrick George.

No doubt the women and men who have come forward to tell their stories about Burke will be eager to see what happens next, as will his legion of fans.

Burke is going to have to keep defending himself given that an estimated additional 200 additional complaints have been made since the story broke.

While organisations always need to do more to protect those raising serious allegations against senior staff, there is no doubt the public mood has shifted.

Last night Burke stressed that he was “very happy not to do TV again”.

I would say that’s not a decision for him. He may deny the substance of the allegations, but the damage has been done.

The rest of us are wondering who’s next.

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Susie O’Brien is a Herald Sun columnist

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