Sky News and Fox Sports presenter Greg Thomson has been stood down from his on-air duties pending an investigation into his behaviour at a charity lunch.
Thomson was hosting the lunch for disability support group Inala at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney on Friday, where he began swearing on stage at guests, who had each paid $270 for their ticket.
“Let’s be honest. I’m gonna say it and you can get offended, well I don’t give a s**t, ‘cause I’m gonna say it,” Thomson boomed in the microphone.
“You’re all f***ed off your heads.
“Can everyone shut up? Shut up! No, seriously, shut your mouth, put your manners back in and shut your mouth.”
“Your behaviour has been disgraceful. Pull your finger out, put your manners back in and shut the hell up. Are you adults, or not?”
Thomson’s offensive comments prompted a unified booing from guests, before the mic was taken off him by one of the event organisers.
A News Corp spokesperson told B&T that Thomson has been “taken off air and suspended immediately pending an investigation” into the incident.
However, Thomson told Fairfax Media that he had “nothing to be sorry about”.
“It was a difficult, noisy crowd who had no doubt enjoyed a long lunch prior to the event commencing,” he said.
“I’m a fun, popular, off-script MC and received positive feedback and a lot of sympathy from members of the 500-strong crowd, who agreed the behaviour of so many others was quite appalling.”
