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Channel Ten’s letter of apology to a judge for Lisa Wilkinson’s ill-fated Logies speech may be revealed for the first time, with the network insisting the star did not “get” that she had been warned about the consequences of her televised speech.
The veteran journalist came under fire last year for thanking Ms Higgins in her acceptance speech for the Logie Award for Outstanding News Coverage, which she received for her personal interview with the former ministerial staffer.
His nationally televised speech forced the postponement of Bruce Lehrmann’s trial in the ACT Supreme Court from June to October, with defense lawyers arguing it could prejudice a jury.
During a hearing to discuss the potential repercussions of the speech on June 21, Chief Justice Lucy McCallum told the court that Ms Wilkinson sought advice on whether the speech was appropriate in a meeting with the director of public prosecution. from ACT, Shane Drumgold, the week before.
The chief justice said Wilkinson went ahead with his plans for the speech, despite Drumgold’s warning.
However, the carefully worded letter of apology sent to lawyers for Lehrmann, the DPP and Chief Justice McCallum on behalf of Channel 10 and Wilkinson was exclusively obtained by Daily Mail Australia the next day on June 22.
Lisa Wilkinson was criticized in June for thanking Brittany Higgins in her acceptance speech for the Logie Award for Outstanding News Coverage (pictured at the Logies)
Pictured: A letter of apology sent to lawyers for Mr Lehrmann, the DPP and Chief Justice McCallum on behalf of Channel 10 and Ms Wilkinson
In the letter, Channel 10 executive vice-president Beverley McGarvey claimed that neither the network’s chief legal counsel nor Ms Wilkinson realized they had been warned about the speech in the pre-Logies meeting with Mr. Drumgold.
‘Neither Ms Wilkinson nor Network Ten’s Chief Legal Counsel present at the conference with the DPP on June 15, 2022 understood that they had been warned that Ms Wilkinson giving an acceptance speech at the Logie Awards could result in an application to the court to set aside the trial date,’ the letter said.
“Had they understood that a specific warning had been given, Ms Wilkinson would not have given that speech.”
“We deeply regret that the trial had to be annulled.
“We did not anticipate the volume and damaging nature of the media and social media commentary that followed Ms. Wilkinson’s acceptance speech.
We apologize for this and will take steps to ensure these matters are addressed in the future.
Ms McGarvey said she had directed that all future commentary on the case by the network “be strictly limited to general news reporting on the proceedings, as they take place in open court.”
After that memo, the Wilkinson, The Project and Channel 10 programs did not comment on the case, except to provide brief news updates. Wilkinson was reportedly barred from talking about the case on air, at all.
Lisa Wilkinson (right) will not receive the award for her personal interview with Brittany Higgins (left)
The trial of Bruce Lehrmann (pictured outside court) was derailed by juror misconduct
Chief Justice McCallum delayed the trial by a month “unfortunately and through gritted teeth”. He finally moved on in October, but was sensationally aborted due to the misconduct of a juror.
It was then rescheduled for February 2023. However, Drumgold dropped the matter altogether in November due to concerns over Higgins’ mental health. Later that month, Wilkinson stepped down as host of The Project.
Ms Higgins had alleged that Mr Lehrmann, her former colleague, raped her inside Parliament after a night out in Canberra in 2019. He pleaded not guilty and has always maintained his innocence.
Mr Lehrmann moved to Tasmania late last year to pick grapes at a winery, while Ms Higgins plans to study at Sydney University and is engaged to her partner, David Sharaz.
Mrs Wilkinson and her husband Peter FitzSimons and canned their annual ‘Independence Day’ party after a tumultuous 2022
Meanwhile, reports emerged on Monday claiming Wilkinson and her husband Peter FitzSimons canceled their star-studded ‘Independence Day’ party after enduring the ‘worst year of their lives’ in 2022.
The high-profile couple’s annual cookout at their harborside mansion was one of the most anticipated events of the year for Sydney’s A-listers, with high-profile guests ranging from Prime Ministers and TV stars to chefs, comedians and journalists. .
Outspoken Republicans renamed the famous Australia Day holiday an ‘Independence Day’ party in 2020, but the holiday was shelved in 2021 due to the pandemic. The event returned last year, but was pushed back to February 26.
However, the couple won’t be throwing a party in 2023 after one hell of a year, with friends speculating if it’s been canceled for good. An anonymous friend said the couple was feeling “bruised” after a tumultuous year in the spotlight.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Paramount ANZ, the parent company of Channel 10, for comment on the leaked letter.