Sky News Australia has cancelled the Sunday night programme Freya Fires Up after a guest appeared wearing a shirt covered in raw bacon and made highly offensive remarks about Islam. The presenter, Freya Leach, will remain as co-host of The Late Debate, which airs four nights a week.
The guest, Scottish national Ryan Williams, was introduced by Leach as a 'social media sensation'. During the live interview, he called Muslims terrorists and claimed he wore bacon to protect himself from alleged threats of beheading. Williams had earlier posted a video indicating his intention to 'inflict maximum damage on Islam'.
A Sky News spokesperson said the network conducted a thorough internal review and took 'appropriate action with everyone involved'. The spokesperson added that the broadcast was cut off during the live show, the host apologised, and the content was not published on digital platforms.
Sky News declined to comment on whether any staff lost their jobs over the incident. The network faced similar controversy in 2018 when it invited far-right extremist Blair Cottrell, who has expressed admiration for Hitler, for a studio interview.
