Hook is back on air despite outrage over rape comment
GEORGE HOOK is returning to Newstalk this weekend as the presenter of a new Saturday morning programme.
The controversial radio host stepped down from his lunchtime show, High Noon, in September following comments he made on air about an alleged rape victim.
After describing the alleged crime as ‘awful’ and saying the alleged attacker was a ‘scumbag’ who should go to jail, the 76-yearold presenter added: ‘But is there no blame now to the person who puts themselves in danger?’
He will return to the station with his show Hook’s Saturday Sit-in, between 8am and 10am. It will include interviews, reviews and regular items on travel, music and US politics.
Hook was suspended from his previous show when sponsorship was withdrawn by Tesco and Ireland’s largest hotel group, Dalata, due to the comments.
At the time, Leo Varadkar told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that he ‘abhorred’ the remarks. The Taoiseach added: ‘I strongly disagree with the comments… Nobody who is raped or sexually assaulted is ever responsible for that in any way.’
Newstalk launched an investigation following the outrage.
A spokesperson for the station said yesterday that the review had been ‘completely internal’, and the spokesperson was unable to confirm the outcome of the investigation or whether it had concluded.
The station was criticised last August after a reshuffle left no female presenters on air between 7am and 7pm. The hosts of its drivetime show, Sarah McInerney and Chris Donoghue, were replaced by Ivan Yates. Dr Ciara Kelly replaced Hook in October, with a new lunchtime show.
The station’s new weekend schedule, announced yesterday, included new shows for tech correspondent, Jess Kelly, who will present Tech Talk, and news presenter Andrea Gilligan, who will host a current affairs- and politics-focused show, Between The Lines. Reporter and regular Newstalk cover presenter, Kieran Cuddihy, will present current affairs show On The Record.