ABC comedian Charlie Pickering has walked back his criticism of the public broadcaster’s decision to commission Grace Tame to host a four-part podcast, saying he was “taken out of context” when he said earlier this week that the appointment had been “problematic”.
Pickering, who took over ABC Melbourne’s drivetime radio show only last month, told his audience he had been “misrepresented” on Tuesday when he was asked by YouTuber Avi Yemeni what he thought of his employer’s decision to hire Tame.
Pickering told Yemeni that in the wake of her comments in February about “globalising the intifada”, and her subsequent claim that reports of sexual violence by Hamas on October 7, 2023, had been “debunked”, it was “problematic” that the ABC had given her a podcast.
“I think, as a Jewish Australian, there’s a complete misunderstanding of a lot of the words that are said and what (the) true meanings of them are. A lot of people are using words and phrases that have meaning well beyond what they think they do,” Pickering said on Tuesday.
“I think you could argue that a lot of people who jump on protest bandwagons are ignorant a lot of the time.”
On Thursday, Pickering opened his drive show by declaring he was “a big fan of Grace Tame”.
“On Tuesday, there was a protest outside the ABC here in (Melbourne’s) Southbank by a group critical of the ABC and alleging editorial bias,” he said. “I headed out to hear what they had to say and interview people in the hope of listening to their concerns and perhaps airing their views on this program.
“Unfortunately, I was ambushed by a known provocateur (Yemeni) and pressed into a conversation that was not planned and that I definitely had no intention of being a part of.
“I would never have agreed or planned to be interviewed by that person, and to say so misrepresents me and the full context of the situation.
“More importantly than that, I am very disappointed there is a suggestion I am against Grace Tame, or that she is not an appropriate host of a podcast about autism. This is simply untrue.
“I’ve always been a big fan of Grace Tame. She’s an outstanding advocate for those on the autism spectrum, for survivors and for women and for all of us.
“I’ve also admired her contribution to public life in Australia and expressed that support on The Weekly many times.
“On this occasion, I was asked a specific question about an issue that personally affects myself and my family, an issue upon which reasonable minds will differ, and upon which I believe all views should be respectfully considered … a belief I took with me as I headed out to interview vocal critics of the ABC on Tuesday.
“I spoke on this occasion on behalf of myself and no one else. From that, all manner of beliefs and positions have been projected on to me that are not true. But that’s on me.
“Context is in short supply these days and I should have known better. I forgot the immortal words of Jay Z: ‘A wise man told me don’t argue with fools because people from a distance can’t tell who is who.’
“I was a little naive and I will learn from that … but whatever beliefs I may hold on any particular issue, it cannot be said I have a problem with or would in any way have gone after Grace Tame.”
In a statement, an ABC spokesperson said Pickering’s comments about Tame’s podcast had not breached the media organisation’s code of conduct.
“Mr Pickering made clear that the views he expressed were his personal views. They do not affect his ability to perform his role or the integrity of ABC content. The ABC does not consider this to be a breach of its code of conduct or public comment guidelines.”
Tame’s four-part podcast, Autistic AF with Grace Tame, launched this week.
