Senior Seven journalist on leave amid investigation into ‘inappropriate behaviour’

Senior Channel Seven journalist and presenter Robert Ovadia is on leave from the network as it looks into an allegation of inappropriate behaviour by him towards a woman.

Ovadia, a veteran of the company, has engaged legal representation while an investigation is conducted.

Senior Seven Network journalist Robert Ovadia.

A Seven spokesperson confirmed Ovadia had been placed on leave.

“Robert Ovadia is on leave. Seven is conducting an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Robert Ovadia.”

Seven’s director of news and current affairs editor-in-chief Anthony De Ceglie declined to comment.

Ovadia on Friday told this masthead no complaint had been filed against him.

“Seven has told me no current or former colleague has made any complaint against me,” Ovadia said in a statement.

“As far as I am aware, I have not been stood down by the company. Any suggestion I have behaved inappropriately at any time is false, malicious and will be defended.”

This masthead is not suggesting that any allegation of inappropriate behaviour is true, only that Ovadia is on leave pending an investigation.

De Ceglie, who replaced Craig McPherson five weeks ago, recently told staff he was taking a “zero tolerance” approach to bad behaviour in the newsroom after a number of senior male employees, including McPherson, departed Seven amid the Bruce Lehrmann Spotlight scandal.

Spotlight’s efforts to secure an interview with Lehrmann came under intense scrutiny after the Federal Court was told company expenses had been spent on sex workers and drugs, alongside lavish meals, golf trips and a year’s worth of accommodation.

Lehrmann was later found to a civil standard by Justice Michael Lee to have raped Brittany Higgins. He is appealing against the decision.

Sources with direct knowledge of the matter said Ovadia had engaged employment lawyer John Laxon. Laxon declined to comment.

It is the latest in a string of reports of allegations of behavioural misconduct by senior men in the media industry. Nine, publisher of this masthead, has been embroiled in weeks of scandal following reports from The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Sydney Morning Herald and Sky News about former Nine News director Darren Wick, who was accused of drunken, lecherous behaviour.

This masthead reported that women alleged Wick had brazenly groped them, in public view of their colleagues, for years. One female former staff member said Wick’s “alcohol-fuelled grope sessions” had occurred at public Christmas parties.

Separate to the misconduct allegations involving women, on Thursday night, Nine Entertainment chairman and former federal treasurer Peter Costello allegedly pushed over a reporter from The Australian. Footage of the incident was published on the News Corp outlet’s website. Costello disputes the claim.

He and a Nine spokeswoman said the journalist tripped over an advertising board.

A second Seven staffer, Andrew Frampton, will depart after being told he was not part of the plans of the newsroom, a source with direct knowledge of the decision said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Frampton is not accused of any misconduct of any kind.

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