Studio 10 apologises for ‘offensive’ interview with Lawrence Mooney

Studio 10 was forced to apologise to viewers after an appearance from Lawrence Mooney who made “offensive” comments on air.

Lawrence Mooney has struck again.

Studio 10 was forced to apologise to viewers yesterday morning after the comedian, under the guise of “Sydney’s meanest TV critic, Rudi Vanderstone”, dropped some clangers at the expense of industry names.

Among his risque quips, he called Studio 10 “a place on television where careers can go to die,” described MAFS as “real estate agents and beauticians falling in love under the auspices of alcohol to rub their skin together….” and referred to morning TV as a space for “sl*t-shaming and casual racism”.

It was the latter that seemed to cause the most offence to hosts, and the look on Natarsha Belling’s face said it all.

Natarsha was not amused. Picture: Channel 10.

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“So what do you think of our show Rudi? What do you think of Studio 10?,” host Joe Hildebrand had asked the comedian, who is hosting the Steaming Brown Logies in lieu of the actual event, which was cancelled due to the pandemic, on Triple M’s Moonman in the Mornings.

“Well I thought you’d never ask. It’s great that there’s a place on television where careers go to die,” he responded, adding: “As a Dutchman, I love to settle down in the morning with a cup of coffee to watch some sl*t shaming and casual racism.”

While Hildebrand laughed at the joke, Belling looked appalled, her mouth open in shock.

Comedian Lawrence Mooney is hosting the ‘Steaming Brown Logies’ on Triple M tomorrow. Picture: Supplied.

After an ad break, the hosts apologised for the segment.

“We just need to apologise for our viewers for the offensive language in that last segment,” she said.

“For everything in fact!” Joe Hildebrand added.

Reacting to the moment, one viewer asked whether the comedian was “drunk”.

Another praised the segment, and slammed the program for cutting it short.

I gotta ask... Was Lawrence Mooney drunk this morning ?

— Craig Murphy (@Cam6363) June 25, 2020

@lawrencemooney @NatarshaBelling @Joe_Hildebrand I thought that segment was hilarious but I think it was cut short??? Talk about the Death of the Aussie Larrikan @Studio10au

— Peter Gatt (@PeterGatt) June 25, 2020

Last year, Studio 10 was at the centre of racism claims after host Kerri-Anne Kennerley’s views were labelled “putrid” when a discussion about Australia Day protests turned heated.

Panellist Yumi Stynes cancelled her appearances on the show following the spat.

The race row between Stynes and Kennerley began when the panel was discussing the weekend’s “Invasion Day” protests, in which thousands of Australians took to the street to call for changing the date of Australia Day.

Kennerly and Stynes locked horns during the segment. Picture: Channel 10.

Kennerley asked whether any of the protesters had “been out to the Outback, where children, babies, five-year-olds are being raped? Their mothers are being raped, their sisters are being raped. What have you done?”

Stynes said her statements were “not even faintly true” and sounded “quite racist”.

“Keep going then, because every time you open your mouth you’re sounding racist,” said Stynes.

Studio 10 then tried to hose down the racism row by enlisting two prominent indigenous community leaders to join the debate, all while protesters gathered outside Ten’s Sydney headquarters calling for Kennerley to apologise.

In October last year, it was found Channel 10 did not breach broadcasting codes for racism during the segment.