The host of a popular Australian gardening programme has been accused of numerous incidents of assault, sexual harassment and bullying.
Don Burke was the host of Channel Nine's Burke's Backyard for 17 years until the show was cancelled in 2004.
A joint investigation between Fairfax Media and ABC News has uncovered more than 50 allegations against the host from colleagues who worked with Burke in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Burke's Backyard producer Bridget Ninness took legal action against Burke for psychological abuse, calling him "a vile human being".
She said he persistently talked about sex in a manner "designed to confront and demean".
"He's a high-grade, twisted abuser."
Researcher Louise Langdon alleged she faced on-going sexual harassment by Burke, including him trying to take her shirt off and putting his foot in her rear end.
A former male crew member called Burke "an absolute sexual predator".
"He was a bully. He was horrible to people in the office. He would often have women in tears. He used to take great delight in it. It was like a sport to him."
Former chief executive of Nine Network David Leckie compared Burke to the recently outed alleged abuser Harvey Weinstein.
"I've been trying to think of Harvey Weinstein-type people [in Australia] and the only one I can ever come up with is Burke. He was a horrible, horrible man."
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Burke denies allegations and says comparisons to Weinstein are a "bitter irony".
"I have had a life-long opposition to sexism and misogyny. Burke's Backyard was a lone bastion of anti-misogyny since its inception in 1987."
Burke has blamed the accusations on the "strong grudges" of those fired from the show.
He has reportedly contacted a top defamation lawyer as a result of the allegations.
Newshub.
