Kerri-Anne hits back at accusations she 'sl*t-shamed' fellow Studio 10 presenter
Kerri-Anne Kennerley, 66, has seemingly responded to accusations she ‘slut-shamed’ a fellow presenter on Friday morning’s episode of Studio 10, prompting widespread outrage from viewers.
The outspoken host appeared to address the controversy over the weekend by replying to a comment a disgruntled Instagram user left on her most recent post, a photo of model Kris Smith and herself from December 5.
In the comment, the user slams Kerri-Anne’s actions – she asked guest reporter Antoinette Lattouf if she’d ‘forgotten her pants’ – as ‘uncalled for’ and suggests she be more respectful.
“I don’t know what made you ‘slut-shame’ a reporter but it was uncalled for especially on live TV. Please be respectful otherwise people won’t be respectful to you,” they wrote.
Kerri-Anne, however, wouldn’t be drawn in and simply denied knowledge of the incident.
“No idea what u r talking about,” the Logie Hall of Fame inductee responded.
Kerri-Anne’s ‘uncalled for’ comment
10 Daily senior news reporter Antoinette appeared on Channel 10’s morning show on Friday to present a segment on slang words when Kerri-Anne made the not-so-subtle dig.
“Did you forget your pants?” she asked Antoinette who was sporting a white playsuit with lace detailing at the shoulders.
“It’s a playsuit,” a clearly uncomfortable Antoinette told the veteran TV personality.
As Kerri-Anne’s co-hosts Joe Hildebrand and Natarsha Belling looked on in horror, Angela Bishop jumped to rescue the mum of two with a compliment.
“And she looks unbelievable,” Ang quickly injected, but KAK wasn’t done, adding, “and she’s going to be thirsty,” in a nod to their earlier discussion of the meaning of the slang word.
‘Thirsty,’ according to Urban Dictionary, is a synonym for feeling horny or sexual arousal.
Sources told Yahoo Lifestyle Kerri-Anne’s controversial comments prompted immediate phone complaints from viewers at the time, and official complaints have since been made to the network.
According to Network 10, the pair have since cleared the air.
“Kerri-Anne called Antoinette over the weekend and apologised for her comment. She reiterated her comment was not intended to cause offence. They had a respectful conversation and Antoinette accepted her apology,” a spokesperson said in a statement to Yahoo Lifestyle.
Why is Kerri-Anne Kennerley slut shaming her colleague here on @Studio10au? @antoinette_news deserves an apology Kerri-Anne needs to finally be put in the bin where she belongs. pic.twitter.com/JQCfxwZtLh
— Clementine Ford 🧟♀️ (@clementine_ford) December 14, 2019
Backlash against KAK
Social media was soon flooded with angry responses from media personalities, commentators and viewers alike.
Writer, feminist and Yahoo Lifestyle columnist Clementine Ford weighed in on the controversy on Twitter, saying Antoinette deserves an apology.
“Was KaK (Keri-Anne) actively trying to embarrass (Antoinette) by asking if she forgot her pants and calling her 'thirsty' ...or ?” wondered SBS journalist Jan Fran.
“Asking your colleague if she “forgot her pants” on live television is disgraceful,” Pedestrian journalist Alex Bruce Smith wrote.
Antoinette is no stranger to the Studio 10 couch and even made headlines earlier this year when a viewer spotted a lump on her neck while she was on air that turned into a vital diagnosis.
Kerri-Anne, of course, has been at the centre of a number of scandals this year, not least around ‘violent’ comments on climate change protestors that sparked official complaints in October.
Network 10 has been contacted for comment.
Additional reporting by Penny Burfitt.
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