‘Disgusting’: Why eight phone calls left a radio program’s executive producer in tears

A popular Aussie radio show has called out a “disgusting” incident live on air after a female staff member was left in tears.

A Brisbane breakfast radio show has revealed the horrifying reason their executive producer, Ash, ended up in tears.

The radio show, Stav, Abby & Matt that runs weekdays from 6am to 9am, recently had a segment discussing Australia’s rising issue with domestic violence and violence against women.

Twenty-six Australian women have died allegedly at the hands of a male perpetrator in the 16 weeks since January 1, according to the Counting Dead Women project.

During a segment on domestic violence, which invited male listeners to call up the show and have their say on the issue, executive producer Ash’s job was to field those calls.

She answered 15 calls, and within those 15, 8 men rang to abuse her.

Ash was subjected to a series of abusive phone calls from male listeners. Picture: TikTok/b105brisbane

Matty Acton pointed out it wouldn’t happen to a man. Picture: TikTok/b105brisbane

Co-host Matty Acton said that Ash was “incredibly upset” by the calls she received about a segment that was meant to be about involving men in the conversation productively.

The producer said that she doesn’t usually get “tearful” and considers herself a “pretty strong” person, but the response from men was not something she had expected.

“I was not prepared. I got abused by men calling through saying women don’t know what they want anymore and that is why this happening. Women can’t make up their minds anymore,” she said.

Ash continued and explained that men also called to tell her, “it isn’t all men,” and she said the callous response “shocked” her.

Co-host Stav Davidson said he found the response from men “absolutely disgusting” and said the point of the segment was to show that men want to help solve the issue but the response ruined that.

“Why would you think that was the forum to abuse a woman when we are trying to fix the problem on radio?” he asked.

Davidson added that the men that called up and were rude to Ash are “part of the problem”.

She said the calls made her cry. Picture: TikTok/b105brisbane

Co-host Stav Davidson said the behaviour was ‘disgraceful’. Picture: TikTok/b105brisbane

Acton said that it wasn’t just Ash fielding phone calls; another male producer, Jace, was also on the phone lines and answered the same number of calls but received zero abuse from the men calling.

She's an executive producer. Picture: Supplied

The segment exposed Australia's problem. Picture: Supplied

Ash joked that she must have just been “unlucky”, but Acton argued that it wasn’t about luck. He said it was about how Australian men feel more comfortable abusing women than they do other men.

“They get a bloke and go, I’m not going to have an argument with him about it. But you know what, I’m going to tear shreds off a woman because I feel that I can and that is not okay,” he said.

Acton said that the whole point of giving men an opportunity to call the radio show was to give men space to say that they aren’t “bad blokes” and offer their support to women, but far too many men who rang up missed the point.

“You are the people; you are the men that are making it horrible for the men doing the right thing,” he said.

Davidson added: “Disgraceful. You should be ashamed of yourself.”