Radio star row as newsreader storms off air
CONTROVERSIAL radio host Alan Brazil was at the centre of a row yesterday after he asked a newsreader if she was ‘Jeremy Corbyn’s niece’, prompting her to storm off live on air.
The former footballer turned broadcaster accused Talksport copresenter Sandy Warr of political bias when she tried to defend the beleaguered Labour leader.
Miss Warr, who has appeared on the Talksport breakfast show for five years, claimed Mr Corbyn has more support outside Westminster than among Labour MPs.
Brazil, 57, who was capped 13 times by Scotland in the 1980s, rubbished her statement, saying: ‘The man is clueless,’ and suggesting that his colleague is biased.
She reacted with fury and walked out of the broadcast, accusing the host of trying to undermine her and insisting that she is politically impartial. Despite the row on yesterday’s edition of the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show, Miss Warr was back on air in time to read the 8am news bulletin.
The argument came during a discussion about who had experienced the worst week – Mr Corbyn, outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron or sacked England manager Roy Hodgson.
Brazil suggested the Labour leader had come off worse after he was trounced in a vote of confidence, coming under heavy pressure to quit, and described him as ‘not good enough’.
But Miss Warr suggested it was Labour MPs who had turned against their leader and activists in the wider party wanted him.
Brazil responded: ‘You’re Corbyn’s niece, are you?’, to which Miss Warr replied: ‘I take offence to that, because I’m a journalist on this station and I have a job to be neutral,’ adding that she was trying to provide balance.
When the host attempted to dismiss her protestations by saying: ‘Just get on with reading the news, then,’ Miss Warr replied: ‘OK, do you know what, I’m going,’ before leaving the studio.
After some listeners took to social media to demand that Brazil apologise for his ‘bullying’ and ‘chauvinistic’ behaviour, the ex-footballer tweeted: ‘I cannot believe the reaction from today’s show?! They can call me what they like but one thing I’m NOT is sexist, ask my 3 girls! I spoke to Sandy after the show, she’s great and we’re fine!’
It is not the first time Brazil has courted controversy on his daily radio show. Last year, he became embroiled in a race storm and was branded a ‘dinosaur’ after referring to ‘non-whites’ while expressing his opposition to the ‘Rooney Rule’ in football, which is designed to recruit more ethnic minorities to coaching.