ABC’s Q+A sinks to lowest ever ratings

ABC’s Q+A has sunk to a new low, a week after host Stan Grant controversially kicked out a pro-Russian audience member.

ABC’s Q+A has recorded its lowest ever viewer numbers, a week after host Stan Grant controversially kicked out a pro-Russian audience member.

The political talk show drew just 175,000 viewers across the five major capital cities on Thursday night, its worst ratings result since it first aired in 2008, according to figures from ratings company OzTAM reported by The Australian.

Focusing on gender, equality and justice, Thursday’s all-female Sydney studio panel included National Farmers’ Federation president Fiona Simson, podcaster Lillian Flex Mami Ahenkan, businesswoman Wendy McCarthy, refugee and gender policy adviser Najeeba Wazefadost and Quillette founder Claire Lehmann.

Despite the rock-bottom ratings, Grant opened the program by noting it was “the biggest crowd we’ve had in a long time because of Covid and all the lockdowns and all of the disruptions so it’s fantastic to have you all in the room”.

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Stan Grant ejects an audience member in a blow-up over Russia. Picture: ABC

Last week, Grant sensationally booted audience member Sasha Gillies-Lekakis after the Russian-Australian told the panel there were “a lot of Russians here and around the world that support what Putin’s doing in Ukraine, myself included”.

Mr Gillies-Lekakis repeated Kremlin talking points, claiming the government had “besieged” Russian-speaking populations in Donetsk and Luhansk and killed about 13,000 people – before audience members began to heckle him, with calls of “that’s a lie”, “don’t do this” and “propaganda”.

Almost 20 minutes after the question was uncomfortably deflected, Grant decided to take action, booting the questioner.

“Something has been bothering me … people here have been talking about family who are suffering and people who are dying. Can I just say – I’m just not comfortable with you being here. Could you please leave?” Grant said.

“You can ask a question, but we cannot advocate violence. I should have asked you to leave then. It‘s been playing on my mind and, I’m sorry, but I have to ask you to leave.”

Sasha Gillies-Lekakis said many Russians support Vladimir Putin. Picture: ABC

Grant, who later told The Australian it was his decision to evict Mr Gillies-Lekakis and not that of executive producer Erin Vincent, apologised to the audience for the disruption and claimed the question had not been vetted.

But Mr Gillies-Lekakis disputed that, saying on social media his question had been vetted by QandA staff shortly before the program.

The move generated fierce controversy, with some supporting Grant’s decision and others accusing him of stifling free speech.

“Obviously, we don’t support what Russia’s doing, but I don’t think this guy … was advocating violence,” 2GB radio host BenFordham said. “He’s a Russian living in Australia and he’s standing up for his own country.”

Once the ABC’s flagship political discussion program, QandA has struggled with declining ratings in recent years.

A scheduling change last year from Monday to Thursday — plus a rotating cast of hosts — led to a viewership nosedive and soon the program clocked its lowest ever ratings with just 228,000 across the metro cities.

It now regularly fails to crack the top 20 programs of the night.