Indigenous presenter Stan Grant quits Q+A to take on a new role at the ABC
The Indigenous presenter will not return as host and will instead begin a new role at the ABC, with Patricia Karvelas to take over full time.
Television presenter Stan Grant will not be returning to ABC’s Q+A program two months after he took leave after citing relentless “racial abuse”.
Grant, a Wiradjuri, Gurrawin and Dharawal man, last appeared on the show in May and has been on paid leave since, but on Monday the ABC announced he would not return to the program and instead would “move on to new projects with the ABC”.
Grant will be replaced by ABC Radio National’s breakfast presenter Patricia Karvelas who will host the weekly Monday night program while also maintaining her radio duties from Tuesdays to Fridays.
An ABC spokeswoman confirmed Grant remains on leave – it is unclear when he will return to work.
Grant said in May that the fallout from the ABC’s heavily-criticised coverage of the coronation had taken its toll and left him “dispirited”.
He also criticised his employer and said at the time: “No one at the ABC — whose producers invited me onto their coronation coverage as a guest — has uttered one word of public support”.
Managing director David Anderson later apologised to Grant and announced a review into the way the public broadcaster deals with racism impacting its employees.
Grant took part in a 45-minute panel led by presenters Julia Baird and Jeremy Fernandez for King Charles III’s coronation and discussed colonisation and the damage the monarchy had inflicted on Indigenous Australians.
The panel was dominated by pro-republican voices including Indigenous activist Teela Reid, Australian Republic Movement chair Craig Foster – with Liberal MP Julian Leeser the only pro-monarchist panellist.
The coverage, overseen by executive producer Tim Ayliffe, resulted in the ABC receiving more than 1800 complaints.
Despite this Mr Anderson said the broadcaster was “justified, relevant and appropriate”.
“We will need to keep holding difficult and uncomfortable conversations on behalf of the Australian people; that’s what we do,” he told a Senate estimates hearing in May.
On Sunday The Australian revealed that ABC chair Ita Buttrose had apologised for the controversial coronation coverage and admitted lessons must be learned when the public broadcaster covers future events.
She received a letter of complaint from the Australian Monarchist League about the coverage with more than 10,000 signatures attached from people within Australia and abroad.
Q+A has had a revolving door of hosts since Hamish Macdonald quit in 2021 after experiencing abuse and trolling on social media.
This included a rotating roster between Grant, Virginia Trioli and David Speers until Grant took over permanently in August last year.
In 2022 the show returned back to Monday nights after suffering falling ratings when it aired on Thursday nights.
The ABC has not confirmed who will host RN breakfast on Mondays, however this week Macdonald presented the program on Monday morning ahead of Karvelas hosting Q+A on Monday night.
ABC news director Justin Stevens said in a released statement he respected Grant’s decision to leave Q+A.
“Stan Grant is one of the country’s finest journalists, storytellers and broadcasters and we will be delighted to have his contribution across a number of different ABC programs,” Stevens said.
“We want to do all we can to support Stan and ensure he continues to play a major role in Australian media.
“He has the ability to lead our media toward a kinder and more constructive conversation.
“In Wiradjuri ‘dyiraamalang’ means a teacher and leader. Stan Grant, a proud Wiradjuri man, is both of those things and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does into the future.”
The ABC’s voice correspondent and The Drum presenter, Dan Bourchier, will host a special episode of Q+A from the Garma Festival which is being held next month.
More Coverage
Our journos vow: we will be fearless
The Australian’s leading journalists have pledged to continue their fearless reporting into the issues that lie within the ‘grey’ as they looked back at the debates waging within society and forward to how best to cover it.
Nine’s big dogs gather at zoo to discuss elephants in the room
Departing in a chauffeur-driven Audi, Mike Sneesby declined to comment on his resignation after lecturing staff on a ‘values driven’ culture ahead of the release of the report probing the under-siege media company.