Don Burke tells A Current Affair’s Tracy Grimshaw he was bully, not sexual predator

In car crash ACA interview Don Burke admits to behaving like a bullying tyrant, but can’t remember “exact things I did 20 years ago” | WATCH

Former Nine television personality Don Burke has given a car crash television interview in which he admits to behaving like a bullying tyrant, and having “a number of affairs”, but cannot remember “exact things I did 20 years ago”.

Burke faced an uncomfortable grilling on television tonight as he faced up to the allegations he was a “sexual predator” and “psychotic bully” during the 17-year run of Burke’s Backyard.

A tenacious interview conducted by A Current Affair host Tracy Grimshaw saw Burke confess “I might have gone a bit far”, but categorically deny he was like Harvey Weinstein, whose swift fall from grace as one of Hollywood’s most powerful movie moguls has been capped by rape allegations.

Dismissing the claims against him as a “witch hunt,” he told Grimshaw the Weinstein scandal “reinforces the victim mentality.”

Weinstein faces a police investigation. Burke does not. The Australian does not suggest Burke is guilty of any of the allegations, only that he has been accused.

“I was this bullying figure, it was a robust environment and everybody was entitled to put in their two cents,” Burke said.

Burke also claimed he suffered from self-diagnosed Asperger’s syndrome, a subtype of autism that affects how people make sense of the world and relate to others.

Burke dismissed the most serious allegations but told Grimshaw: “A lot of this was 30 years ago. Who remembers what happens 30 years ago? What I know is that I know what I will say and what I will not say.”

Burke’s Backyard was a ratings juggernaut for Nine before it was cancelled in 2004. As Burke’s fame faded and the show’s run ended, he said he behaved liked a “bear with a bloody sore head ... and I do apologise for that”

Burke admitted he had affairs which had a “devastating” impact on his marriage.

He challenged viewers to pass judgement on whether he was guilty of the most serious allegations against him. “I want to say to the people of Australia that this is their chance to judge. This is my story, make up your mind if I am the most evil person who has ever lived that is your decision. If you can forgive me for stupidity, for that I am grateful. That is up to the people of Australia to decide, can they forgive me.”

Burke also denied claims he had made lewd comments about incest to another person. “That is ridiculous,” he said.

In one exchange, Grimshaw said to Burke: “Where there is smoke there is fire and that is a lot of fire”

Burke replied: “The rest of it is just smoke ... I think I deserve some of this. But not the sleazy sexual stuff.”

The claims were published today following a joint ABC-Fairfax Media investigation, which included claims from more than 50 women who worked with or under the personality.

In a statement issued by Burke’s lawyers, he denied the allegations and suggested they had been made by disgruntled former employees.

Nine said it is “simply not in a position to comment on these specific allegations or on how these sorts of matters may have been dealt with in the past”.

“The allegations are extremely serious; the behaviour described is completely unacceptable and would not be tolerated at Nine today,” the broadcaster said in a statement.