Craig McLachlan: Actor’s ‘tell-all’ on Channel 7 angers advocates

Seven Network’s tell-all interview with actor Craig McLachlan – the fourth-most watched program on Sunday night – has been met with criticism amid fresh allegations.

Seven Network’s tell-all interview with actor Craig McLachlan — found not guilty of seven indecent assault charges in December — was the fourth-most watched program on Sunday night, trailing Nine’s LEGO Masters reality show.

The program, which came as fresh allegations of inappropriate behaviour against McLachlan were filed by Nine as part of its defence against defamation claims brought against it by the actor, attracted 720,000 viewers across five capital cities.

Broadcast as a Seven Spotlight special, the program included recordings of The Sydney Morning Herald investigative reporter Kate McClymont — before publication of the alle­gations — saying “ultimately we want him out of that job”.

McClymont, who published accusations against McLachlan in January 2018, said the recordings had taken her out of context and was made about McLachlan starting a new Rocky Horror Picture Show tour.

McLachlan has launched defamation action against the SMH and the ABC for publishing articles about his behaviour while working on that 2014 tour.

Fresh allegations of inappropriate behaviour were filed in the defamation case last week, including claims he whispered to a woman she was attractive while playing a dead body on ABC’s The Doctor Blake Mysteries.

The program also aired vision of an ABC producer who appears to prompt a complainant.

“We are looking for a sharp, short … this is predatory behaviour, this isn’t a one-off, if we all share our stories we would ­realise this isn’t a one-off,” she said.

“Maybe something like, ‘He’s a big star, he has clout, we wouldn’t be listened to’.”

Another producer is then heard saying: “I don’t think we should be putting words into her mouth to some extent.”

Anti-domestic violence advocates say the interview was ­“irresponsible” and “traumatic for sexual assault victims”.

Bianca Fileborn, a criminologist at the University of Melbourne, said she was concerned the program was “minimising or excusing” McLachlan’s actions.

“He is in a position of power as a well-known actor and media personality,” Dr Fileborn said.

“I’m not sure what we gained from hearing his side of the story in this case — it seems like a free ride for people who have engaged in some pretty problematic behaviour.”

Centre for Violence’s chief executive officer Kerry Burns said the television network made the wrong decision to air the program.

“Seven should not have aired the program, it was irresponsible in terms of harm specifically to victim survivors of sexual assault and broadly to women watching how his power as an actor gave him that platform,” she said.

“He could have taken responsibility and thought, “I thought it was fun but they don’t” or he could have started redefining his own behaviour.”

Melbourne magistrate Belinda Wallington in December found prosecutors had failed to meet the required standards to find McLachlan guilty, but described the actor as “egocentric” and said his “self-entitled sense of humour” may have resulted in him believing his acts with fellow cast members were consensual.

The ABC and Seven were approached for comment.