Lisa Wilkinson silences critics as calls grow for her to be stripped of Logie over Brittany Higgins

Lisa Wilkinson has embarked on a massive online blockade to silence her critics after calls for her Logie to be returned over her now-controversial Brittany Higgins interview.

The former Project presenter won the award in June 2022 for her interview with Ms Higgins, which first aired the February 2021 explosive rape allegations.

But on Sunday evening, Channel Seven broadcast part of a five-hour lunchtime meeting between Wilkinson and Ms Higgins, recorded in the days leading up to the 2021 TV interview.

The luncheon was part of the network’s Spotlight program, which aired the first interview with her accused rapist, Bruce Lehrmann, where he denied the allegations.

The allegations arising from the taped lunch meeting are that Wilkinson coached and exhorted Ms Higgins about the rape allegations in the office of then Secretary of State Linda Reynolds at Parliament House in the early hours of Saturday 23 March 2019 prior to her interview, after a night out.

Mrs. Higgins’ friend, David Sharaz, was also at the luncheon and asked Wilkinson what she expected from the interview.

“The inequality that exists there,” she replied. “Whether it’s white privilege, whether it’s male domination, whether you know that criminal activity is suppressed…

“I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but if you can explain that this place is about suppressing people’s natural sense of justice.

“Because you see around you how this place works.”

Furious viewers have reacted angrily online after the new details came to light, sparking an impromptu campaign to strip the star of the prestigious award.

“Had I been in her position I would certainly have offered to return the Logie,” Sky News Australia contributor Prue McSween told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Journalists must remain objective, not driven by their own agenda. Obviously, this became much more than a first for Lisa.

“No journalist should try to insert themselves or become the story.

But Lisa was “feeding the beast” with her involvement in the women’s protest outside Parliament House and the #metoo political theme that drove this whole storyline.

“I wouldn’t want my professional ethics to be questioned, as hers is now.”

Many now claim that Wilkinson hit back at her critics by blocking them online and effectively silencing them by censoring their comments from her timeline.

“She blocks ANYONE who she even thinks won’t support her!” posted one blocked follower.

Among those affected in the attack is former South Australia Senator Cory Bernardi, who tweeted: ‘Proud to be a member of the ‘blocked by Lisa Wilkinson’ club.’

He was inundated with examples of other followers who had also been blocked by the TV star, and the former politician called it “the real #MeToo movement.”

Scores have posted their own reports of being blocked by Wilkinson as well, adding, “Welcome – there are plenty of good people in this club.”

Another added that the TV star and her columnist husband Peter FitzSimons had both muted their detractors.

“She and her husband are very busy today limiting their Twitter audience to yes people,” they said.

“Where great leaders surround themselves with no people to promote debate to achieve high performance, poor leaders surround themselves with yes people to silence the debate.”

One posted: “Lisa Wilkinson has blocked me but I have never tweeted to her.

“Clearly she blocks anyone who says anything negative about Brittany Higgins or people who refuse to worship Anthony Albanese and Labour.”

The crackdown comes amid growing calls to strip Wilkinson of her Logie award over revelations about the process behind Ms Higgins’ rape allegations.

Veteran entertainment journalist Peter Ford claimed that Wilkinson crossed a line by giving Ms. Higgins politically charged sentences to say in the interview.

“It’s a thin line,” Ford told Sunrise host Natalie Barr.

“But I generally think if someone says, ‘I don’t want to put words in your mouth,’ that’s exactly what they want to do.

“Of course Walkley Awards can be revoked. I can’t think of an example where a Logie Award has been revoked, but time will tell.

“I think people are waiting to see how the current situation plays out.”

Wilkinson’s Logie acceptance speech sparked contempt of court concerns and forced Bruce Lehrmann’s rape trial last June to be postponed until later in the year.

The trial was later dropped in October due to juror misconduct and all charges were later dropped in full due to concerns about Ms. Higgins’ mental health.

New evidence has also emerged from the ACT Commission of Inquiry into the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Lehrmann, which has strongly denied all allegations.

A call on Twitter for Wilkinson to be stripped of the award was liked more than 5,000 times, with many comments demanding that she even be locked in front of the queue.

Australian columnist Janet Albrechtsen labeled Wilkinson’s interview with Ms Higgins as “sloppy journalism” in a opinion piece and told her to give her Logie back now.

“The right thing to do would be for Wilkinson to turn in her Logie for her Higgins interview,” she wrote.

“That interview has been nothing but misery for her, for justice, for good journalism and for people who deserved to be treated better.”

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Wilkinson for comment.