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Stan Grant's wife Tracey Holmes quits the ABC

<p>Veteran senior ABC journalist Tracey Holmes has announced her resignation from the public broadcaster, marking the end of an era for the network. This decision follows closely on the heels of her high-profile husband, Stan Grant, walking away from his role as host of the ABC's <em>Q&A</em> program, citing exhaustion due to persistent racial abuse.</p> <p>Holmes took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram to make her resignation public, leaving many to wonder about her future in the world of journalism.</p> <p>Holmes, a prominent figure in Australian journalism, has been a familiar face to ABC viewers for decades. With a career spanning over three decades, her contribution to the field of sports reporting has been nothing short of remarkable. However, as she shared her decision to part ways with the ABC, Holmes alluded to the exciting prospect of Paris 2024, which will mark her 14th Olympic Games as a journalist, reporter, and broadcaster. This time, though, it won't be under the ABC's banner since her resignation will take effect on November 30.</p> <p>In her heartfelt message to colleagues and listeners, Holmes expressed her gratitude and promised to continue her career in the future. "For now though, to channel a former governor of California in his former life as The Terminator, 'I'll be back,' that's a promise," she declared. Her departure from the ABC may be a farewell, but it's certainly not a permanent one.</p> <p>Holmes's career at the ABC began in 1989, and her groundbreaking role as Australia's first female host of the sports program, <em>Grandstand</em>, made her an icon in the world of sports journalism.</p> <p>Her trailblazing work has not only inspired countless aspiring journalists but also garnered the recognition she truly deserves. Earlier this year, she received the Australian Sports Commission's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, an accolade that cements her status as one of the most influential sports broadcasters in the country.</p> <p>Her decision to leave the ABC is undoubtedly a significant moment in Australian media. The circumstances surrounding her departure, coupled with her husband Stan Grant's recent exit, raise questions about the state of journalism and the challenges faced by those in the public eye. Grant cited exhaustion and racial abuse as reasons for his departure, highlighting the harsh realities that journalists and broadcasters often face.</p> <p>While Holmes may be bidding farewell to her long-standing role at the ABC, her departure by no means signifies the end of her illustrious career. As she prepares for her 14th Olympic Games, she's poised to continue making a significant impact in the world of sports journalism. Her resilience and determination, in the face of challenges that forced her and her husband to step away from high-profile positions, serve as a testament to her unwavering commitment to the craft.</p> <p>As we await her next move, the Australian media landscape is left with a void that will be hard to fill. Holmes leaves behind a legacy that future journalists can only aspire to match, and her impact on the industry will be felt for years to come.</p> <p>While the ABC bids her farewell, we can be certain that the world has not seen the last of this pioneering journalist. Paris 2024 beckons, and with it, a new chapter in the remarkable career of Tracey Holmes.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy7OVPzvUXF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy7OVPzvUXF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tracey Holmes (@traceyleeholmes)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

TV

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Kyle “confirms” new host of A Current Affair

<p dir="ltr">Kyle Sandilands could not hold his tongue any longer and has revealed that Ally Langdon will be replacing Tracey Grimshaw as host of <em>A Current Affair</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The radio shock jock was speaking to Grimshaw on his show just two days before she leaves the show after 17 years as the face of the news program.</p> <p dir="ltr">He told Grimshaw that he had a conversation with <em>Today Show</em> co-host Karl Stefanovic who all but confirmed that Langdon will be replacing Grimshaw.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I feel like I know, because I've been speaking to [Karl] Stefanovic,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Well, let me just tell everyone it is Ally. I don't mean to bust Channel Nine's bubble.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sandilands claims that Stefanovic didn’t ask him to keep quiet about it and that he thought it was okay to share the news.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Maybe that was a personal chat? I don't know... But he didn't ask me not to say anything.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Grimshaw however remained coy about who will be replacing her in the top chair but said everything could be out as early as next week.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I can't possibly give you a hint, but you'll know very soon,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I wouldn't be surprised if you know next week.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The news comes a week after Sandilands grilled Langdon about her new position about a noticeable disappearance from the breakfast show.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Are you doing A Current Affair or not?” Sandilands asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Well, I'm going to do the Today show, I'm going to do A Current Affair, I'm going to coach the Wallabies and I reckon Dan Andrews might offer me a ministry,” she responded.</p> <p dir="ltr">This did not stop Sandilands who told Langdon to answer the question.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Let's stop the speculation. Are you doing A Current Affair? Just tell us!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Langdon remained tightlipped and would not budge.</p> <p dir="ltr">Watch this space.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

TV

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Tracey Spicer's bedridden plea

<p dir="ltr">Media personality Tracey Spicer has shared an insight into life with long Covid, saying the condition has left her feeling like “a shadow of her former self”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Spicer, best known as a journalist, newsreader and #MeToo campaigner, caught COVID-19 while holidaying on the Gold Coast and was diagnosed in January.</p> <p dir="ltr">After being bedridden for two weeks as she recovered from symptoms including a severe cough, she told <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/long-covid-tracey-spicer-health-coronavirus-news-australia/0ba8cffa-7ed2-4f82-94dd-fab69b598b77" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nine.com.au</a></em> that she’s still so sick that she struggles to work.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve felt like a shadow of my former self. I’ve been swimming through mud every day,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Even cooking a meal can be absolutely crushing. I can hardly walk around the block.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve had the debilitating exhaustion, and I also had a very worrying four weeks where I was in and out of hospital with chest pain, I thought I was having a heart attack.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Sydneysider is triple vaccinated and, having received differing advice on how to look after herself, has called on Australia to improve its response to long Covid and how it helps patients like her.</p> <p dir="ltr">One GP told Ms Spicer to push through her fatigue, which a long Covid expert at St Vincent’s Hospital later advised against.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He said, ‘I’ve had so many people like you come in - you must stop exercising altogether immediately’,” she recalled.</p> <p dir="ltr">Previously, Ms Spicer would exercise for two hours a day and had been training to undertake a 30-kilometre walk.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since battling it out with the virus, Ms Spicer has been diagnosed with mild pericarditis, a swelling of tissue around the heart, which has been <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/10/1997" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in patients who have recovered from COVID-19. </p> <p dir="ltr">Although new long Covid clinics have started in Sydney and other areas, Ms Spicer is calling on the government to accelerate their efforts to care for the tens or hundreds of thousands who may be affected by this condition.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Australia is so far behind the rest of the world in its understanding of it - America has labelled it as a disability,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We need a government-led public information campaign to inform health care workers and doctors as well as the public about the symptoms, and what they should be doing about it.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Otherwise we're going to end up with this wave of disability like what they've seen in other countries, and the society and the workplace are just not ready for it."</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Spicer is one of a growing number of ‘long haulers’ sharing their experiences, including several people <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-60708123" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who spoke to the BBC</a> after having long Covid for two years and Australian journalist Felicity Nelson, who <a href="https://medium.com/@frogsandstars/life-on-a-timer-35495b485ecb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> long Covid as living “life on a timer”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d355fe78-7fff-694b-dd98-7dac132cab63"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @traceyspicer (Instagram)</em></p>

Caring

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Artist demands her work be removed from 10 Downing Street

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">British artist Tracey Emin has formally requested for her 2010 artwork to be removed from 10 Downing Street: the official residence of the UK Prime Minister. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The artist took to Instagram to share the request with her followers, posting a picture of the neon sign art that reads </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">More Passion</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I am now in the process of requesting that my artwork be removed from 10 Downing Street,” wrote Emin in her post. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I feel </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">More Passion</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is the last thing this present government needs. This current situation is shameful.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her request comes as recent revelations of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s flouting of the Covid-19 restrictions in May 2020, as he reportedly held a garden party at the residence when the country was in lockdown. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY6af0ooksi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY6af0ooksi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Tracey Emin CBE RA (@traceyeminstudio)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite overwhelming backlash, Boris Johnson maintains that the gathering was a work event instead of a party, and has apologised for his attendance. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an interview with the </span><a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/01/20/tracey-emin-demands-her-work-be-removed-from-10-downing-street-after-boris-johnsons-shameful-lying-over-lockdown-party"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Art Newspaper</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Tracey Emin said she finds the hypocrisy of the situation completely baffling. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think lying to people is shameful,” she said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“People have suffered so much through Covid. They’ve looked to the government for advice, and it turns out that the government has been telling us to do one thing and not doing it themselves.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tracey originally donated the work to the Government Art Collection in 2010 when then Prime Minister David Cameron commissioned the work from her. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tracey clarified that she would like the artwork to remain in the government collection, but for it to be relocated from the residence. </span></p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram @traceyeminstudio</em></p>

Art

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Family tragedy unites rivals Lisa Curry and Tracey Wickham

<p><span>After the loss of Lisa Curry’s daughter Jaimi Kenny on Monday, tributes have flown in to the family.</span><br /><br /><span>A joint statement from Lisa Curry and Grant Kenny revealed their beloved oldest daughter Jaimi had passed away in hospital that morning after a battle with a long-term illness.</span><br /><br /><span>While many across the nation shared their condolences to the family, there was one from a long-time rival that particularly stood out.</span><br /><br /><span>Tracey Wickham and Curry were both swimming stars the 1980s, and won more than 20 international gold medals combined.</span><br /><br /><span>Despite the Aussie duo dominating between the lanes, out of the pool their relationship was far from friendly.</span><br /><br /><span>This was obvious when media caught wind of a frosty moment the two shares ahead of the 1982 Commonwealth Games when Curry slow clapped her rival as she walked out to the pool.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837918/snake-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/e95e8d8a81734f4588f289f9d1211eff" /><em>Wickham (left) and Curry (middle)</em><br /><br /><span>But after the tragic announcement of Jaimi’s death, Wickham put their rivalry aside and reached out to Lisa.</span><br /><br /><span>“Lisa, my heart breaks for you and your family,” she wrote on Curry’s Instagram.</span><br /><br /><span>“It’s a tragic time when losing a child. I can’t believe we both have lost our beloved daughters.</span><br /><br /><span>“God bless you and hoping everyone holds you tight. Big hugs … much love. Tracey.”</span><br /><br /><span>Wickham lost her daughter Hannah Ciobo in 2009 after a five-year battle with the rare disease, synovial cancer.</span><br /><br /><span>Hannah, 19, was first diagnosed with synovial sarcoma — a rare and aggressive cancer — in 2004.</span><br /><br /><span>While she did beat it after several operations and rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, it sadly returned for the final time in early 2009.</span></p> <p><span>She died three hours after achieving her final wish — marrying Tom O’Driscoll in a hospital wedding.</span><br /><br /><span>The pair met two years earlier in a cancer ward.</span><br /><br /><span>Wickham said her daughter was in a hospital gown and on oxygen, but was aware of the ceremony.</span><br /><br /><span>The heartbreaking nuptials were attended by 20 family and friends including Hannah’s dad and brother Daniel.</span><br /><br /><span>“There was love in her eyes,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>“Tom was alone with her, and he saw her slip away.</span><br /><br /><span>“She was too young to die. Hannah was a fighter until the end, just like her mother.</span><br /><br /><span>“She passed away peacefully with family and friends.”</span><br /><br /><span>Curry thanked the outpouring of love after she made the heartbreaking announcement of her daughter’s death.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFLUI5KDRgA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFLUI5KDRgA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Lisa Curry AO (@lisacurry)</a> on Sep 15, 2020 at 5:10pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>She also issued advice to fellow parents in an Instagram post.</span><br /><br /><span>“Right now, go and give your children the biggest hug and tell them how much you love them, and do that everyday because you’ll never know if it’s the last day,” she wrote.</span><br /><br /><span>Sadly Curry was forced to hit out on social media when a fundraiser was set up by internet scammers.</span><br /><br /><span>“SOME PEOPLE !!! Someone has started a go fund me page on Mark Andrew Tabone FB page … this is NOT US,” Ms Curry wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.</span><br /><br /><span>“It’s also sending friend requests. PLEASE DO NOT OPEN ANYTHING FROM THIS FAKE ACCOUNT.”</span></p>

Family & Pets

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"Game changer": Erin Brockovich throws her support behind Tracey Spicer's campaign

<p>Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has shown her solidarity with Tracey Spicer’s women’s organisation, NOW Australia, an initiative that was created in the wake of the #metoo movement.</p> <p>Brockovich has applauded the former Network Ten newsreader for spreading awareness of the Time’s Up campaign – a movement that fights for women’s safety in the workplace, throughout Australia.</p> <p>Brockovich, who has a Hollywood movie named after her starring Julia Roberts, called the initiative a “game changer” in Australian society.</p> <p>“I think there’s going to be a whole lot to go around on this NOW movement,” she said to Lisa Wilkinson while appearing on <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/the-project/2018/8/19" target="_blank">The Sunday Project</a></em>, “It’s a game changer for [Australian women].”</p> <p>“It is a moment where so many of us have been labelled and judged and suppressed where we can actually within ourselves speak up and speak out and rise.</p> <p>“We have always been the one that changes the game.”</p> <p>After gaining inspiration from the Time’s Up movement in America, NOW Australia was established in March to provide survivors of harassment with legal and counselling resources.</p> <p>Lisa Wilkinson has also applauded the movement and Spicer’s determination to get people talking, saying she was doing “fabulous work".</p> <p>“The power that has come as women realise that they’re not alone and that their combined voice is going to see change,” said Lisa as she highlighted how quickly organisations such as Time’s Up and NOW Australia lifted from the ground.</p> <p>The movement was created after many Australian musicians raised their voice against sexual harassment and abuse of power in the industry.</p> <p>In December 2017, hundreds of women took a stance and released an open letter to the Australian music industry titled #MeNOmore. Some of these names include The Veronicas’ Jessica Origliasso, Tina Arena, Missy Higgins and Sarah Blasko.</p> <p>Saying: “We all have our own stories or know someone who does. We are not whingers or vibe-killers. We are passionate people dedicating our lives to music.</p> <p>“In the face of uncountable discrimination, harassment, violence and the general menace of sexist jargon, we have gritted our teeth and gotten on with the job.</p> <p>“But today we say, no more.”</p>

Caring

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Jo Griggs hits back at Tracey Holmes over Commonwealth Games criticism

<p>Channel Seven commentator and former athlete Johanna Griggs has hit back at critics that claimed Seven had a “minute by minute” rundown of the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony.</p> <p>ABC journalist Tracey Holmes wrote a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-16/commonwealth-games-closing-ceremony-footage-channel-seven/9663266">piece</a></strong> </span>yesterday stating the network was briefed on the closing ceremony and the fact athletes would be “largely snubbed from the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony despite claiming to have been as shocked by the decision as the millions who watched.”</p> <p>Holmes wrote: “Prior to the Gold Coast closing ceremony all rights holders, including Channel Seven, were given a minute-by-minute briefing on Saturday morning detailing how the closing ceremony would unfold — complete with a 34-page media guide.</p> <p>“The guide makes no mention of athletes marching in as part of the ceremony. Organisers confirmed Channel Seven had a number of representatives at that briefing.”</p> <p>In a lengthy statement released on Twitter, Griggs hit back saying she wanted to “clarify and correct” several claims made by Holmes.</p> <p>“I still have the guide,” Griggs said. “At no point in the guide does it mention that there wouldn’t be one single shot shown of athletes watching the performances. We assumed, like every other Closing Ceremony ever shown, that the host’s vision would feature athletes non-stop, celebrating, letting their hair down… like we all expect at the Closing Ceremony.</p> <p>“If we’d left that briefing room with any indication given to us that no athletes would feature, then of course we would have made other arrangements to capture those moments. But instead we thought we were going to broadcast an innovative and exciting show.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Firstly, thank u to everyone for your overwhelming support around this issue. I’m still sad that a wonderful Commonwealth Games has been tarnished with such a sad ending. But when someone has a crack at your integrity, u have to respond. I hope this answers some of your questions <a href="https://t.co/BHY1mTvsSO">pic.twitter.com/BHY1mTvsSO</a></p> — Johanna Griggs (@JohGriggs7) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohGriggs7/status/985821438052454403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>Griggs went onto say that those who were in the meeting knew the organisers were “going to try something different” by having athletes in the stadium already when it began at 8.30pm.</p> <p>“There was no TV rehearsal of the Closing Ceremony as there is for the Opening Ceremony. That isn’t necessarily unique, but clearly a rehearsal would have rung alarm bells,” she wrote.</p> <p>“As rights holders, we were allowed one camera in the stadium, a news camera, on the condition we wouldn’t show the vision for 24 hours. We made the decision to show it anyway at the back of the ceremony when we realised what a farce the Closing Ceremony was turning out to be.</p> <p>“I stand by the fact that we could only show the vision supplied to us on the night, and that whoever made the decision to not cut away to the athletes made a bad call. And the athletes left because they didn’t feel at all included in the show, which is such a shame as they were the real stars who should have been celebrated.”</p> <p>The conditions applied to Channel Seven for the Commonwealth Games, Griggs said, were “very different to anything we’ve experienced before”.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2018/04/furious-jo-griggs-blasts-commonwealth-games-closing-ceremony/">Griggs made headlines</a></span></strong> when she told viewers live on air she was “furious” with the closing ceremony organisers for “wrecking a tradition” by choosing not to show pictures of athletes or the flagbearer, Kurt Fearnley.</p> <p> </p>

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