ABC accused of brushing off employee concerns over Chris Walker’s nudity in online meeting

The ABC has been accused of double standards after conflicting reports emerged of producer Chris Walker’s behaviour in an online meeting.

Carrie Bickmore and Chris Walker. Picture: Instagram

The ABC has been accused of double standards and brushing off employee concerns over an incident in which a senior producer shed his clothes in front of stunned staff during an online meeting.

The Weekly executive producer Chris Walker, currently on a working holiday in Europe with his partner, Carrie Bickmore, signed off from a rehearsal call made via Skype and proceeded to take his clothes off.

It is understood Mr Walker was in a bathroom and was observed by about nine staff taking his pyjamas off in readiness for a shower after failing to close his laptop.

Staff in a control room at the ABC were subjected to his naked body, including a close-up of his penis, on a screen approximately 1.5m wide.

More seriously, the Herald Sun has been told Mr Walker engaged in a lewd act during the incident, which happened earlier this month.

Carrie Bickmore with long-term partner Chris Walker. Picture: AAP

Mr Walker, in a statement issued through his production company Thinkative Television, has strongly denied that suggestion.

The Herald Sun has been told by an ABC employee the incident should be on tape.

The Herald Sun has asked the ABC if it has reviewed any footage which exists given conflicting accounts of what happened have emerged and ABC staff have been offered counselling.

The ABC on Tuesday said it would not be commenting further on the matter and declined to answer a detailed set of questions that were submitted.

The ABC employee told the Herald Sun a senior ABC producer had dismissed concern over the incident, saying: “I think it’s hilarious”.

The staffer said Mr Walker was technically savvy and it was very odd he had not closed his laptop.

ABC staff have raised concerns over Chris Walker’s behaviour in the online meeting. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

“Everything that came in was recorded, that call was recorded, there is a technical log,” the staffer said.

The staffer said there was a double standard at the national broadcaster.

“You’re not allowed plastic bottles in the building but the nude guy is on the screen but that’s hilarious,” the staffer said.

“The reason we are all concerned about it is (because) the ABC are moral preachers.”

The employee said there was a feeling among staff that the handling of the matter has been overshadowed by the fact that Thinkative Television is a key client of the ABC, delivering Hard Quiz, The Weekly and Tomorrow Tonight and using ABC staffers in production.

“If it was an ABC person they would never be allowed to set foot in the place again,” the employee said.

“If it was Karl Stefanovic it would be a different story … the ABC are quick to jump on everyone else.”

Ms Bickmore revealed in November that Mr Walker accidentally strolled nude into the background of a midnight Zoom call “with his bits out”.

She told her Carrie & Tommy podcast they laughed their heads off after he was unintentionally nude in the background of an interview with 35 journalists from all around the world.

“It was outstanding,” she told the podcast.