60 Minutes star Liz Hayes reveals how she’s been targeted by the same deranged stalker for decades: ‘He’s still pursuing me’
- Liz Hayes said the stalker is still following her
- Feels deprived of ‘sense of security’
- READ MORE: Hayes provoked by PM
Veteran TV journalist Liz Hayes has revealed she is still being stalked by a man who first contacted her when she was a Today presenter between 1986 and 1996.
She said her experience was a factor in her decision to join 60 Minutes as a correspondent, a role she has held since 1996.
Hayes, 67, said in an interview with fellow reporter Tara Brown on Sunday night that she is “still” being stalked by the man.
Channel Nine TV journalist Liz Hayes has revealed she has been chased by a stalker for decades
During Sunday night’s episode, Brown asks her, “Let’s talk about that for a minute.” How long has he been stalking you?’ To which Hayes says, “Still.”
“What they’re doing is robbing you of your sense of security,” Hayes said.
“That’s it, and that taking of life I hate.”
Hayes said she wanted to move from a daily breakfast show to a weekly program to “not be so visible anymore.”
About the decision, she said: “I now have someone pursuing me.”
“This is going to sound wrong, but I decided it was time to stop being on television every day,” she added.
The Sydney journalist too wrote about the experience in her upcoming memoir I’m Liz Hayes.
She said the stalking led to guards attending outside broadcasts and even her home.
Haye revealed that her stalker convinced her to do weekly television to be less visible
The stalker also once visited her parents, and Hayes once even received a call from a private investigator hired by the stalker to find her.
“The joy disappeared from my life and it would take years before I regained the confidence to travel safely,” Hayes wrote.
“I try not to think about it anymore so I can move on with my life, but in reality it’s still not the same.”
Hayes first joined Channel 9 as a newsreader in 1981 as a reporter.
She also hosts Channel 9’s current affairs programme, Under Investigation.
British comedian Russell Brand kisses Hayes during her time as a reporter for 60 Minutes