Kerri-Anne Kennerley takes aim at Nine, as more dirt emerges

The former Nine star has excoriated her old employer over its ­‘entrenched’ culture of bullying and intimidation, as fresh claims emerge against two senior male Nine managers.

Kerri-Anne Kennerley. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Kerri-Anne Kennerley, one of Channel 9’s most loved on-air ­personalities, has excoriated her former employer over its ­“entrenched” culture of bullying and intimidation, as further allegations emerge of serious misconduct by senior network executives.

Kennerley, who hosted the Midday show on Nine in the late 1990s, and later fronted her own morning show on the network from 2002-2011, told The Australian the recent allegations of inappropriate behaviour by senior figures at the media company had not surprised her.

“History has just repeated itself,” Kennerley said.

“I experienced the Nine culture, professionally and personally, over decades, and it is learned behaviour. Bad behaviour and bad management skills, or lack of them, was wrong, it always was wrong, but the perpetrators got away with it because they learned from senior management.

“It was entrenched by senior people (who had gone) before them.”

The 70-year-old, inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame in 2017 for her contribution to the Australian television industry, said “bullying, foul language, intimidation and extreme behaviour” were staples of management during her time at Nine.

“The management style was to pit people and shows against each other, in the assumption that would get the best out of them,” she said.

Kerri-Anne Kennerley dancing on-air with Peter Costello in 1996.

“That included bullying and foul language and intimidation and extreme behaviour.”

The TV doyenne’s recollection of Nine’s workplace culture mirrors several other accounts provided to The Australian in recent weeks by other current and former female Nine staff.

Kennerley’s scathing comments on the weekend came as The Australian became aware of fresh claims made against two senior male managers at Nine.

It’s understood the two men, whom The Australian has chosen not to name, have been the subject of a serious complaint to the network’s independent review into Nine’s workplace culture.

The claim relates to alleged instances of sexual harassment and bullying of a former female staffer.

It is understood the woman has claimed she endured “predatory behaviour” during her time at the network, with one such incident taking place during end-of-year celebrations among staff near Nine’s then headquarters at Willoughby, on Sydney’s north shore.

It is alleged one male executive was plying younger female staff with drinks at the function.

Afterwards, one of the males engaged in inappropriate conduct with the female staff member, it is alleged.

The alleged actions by the senior figures resulted in the woman leaving the company in early 2022.

Kerri-Anne Kennerley, host of TV show 'Mornings with Kerri-Anne', on the set at Channel Nine studios in Willoughby.

The female employee – who signed a deed of release – was given a five-figure payout by the network after she claimed she was managed out of the business by another senior male manager.

The two male managers who are the subject of the complaints are still at Nine. Neither works in the network’s news division.

After the former female employee, who remains distressed by her alleged mistreatment at the network, lodged the complaint via phone, she received confirmation from Nine that her report had been made, and she was offered support.

The written message from Nine told the complainant she had made a “courageous step” in reporting the allegations.

It also said Nine appreciated her “trusting us with sensitive information” and the “allegations would be taken seriously”.

Free counselling and psychological help have also been offered to those lodging complaints as part of the independent review.

The woman’s report to the review is among many claims of mistreatment understood to have been lodged by both past and present employees.

Nine CEO Mike Sneesby.

The review was announced late last month by Nine CEO Mike Sneesby, more than a week after The Australian first revealed the company’s former longstanding news and current affairs boss, Darren Wick, had departed after a complaint was made by a female staff member about his inappropriate conduct.

In the weeks leading up to Wick’s resignation on March 15, Nine communications boss Victoria Buchan repeatedly insisted the news chief was on a break and would be returning soon.

Late on March 15, the network issued a statement saying Wick had left the network “after many long beach walks”.

Nine declined to comment on the progress of the review.