Tim Ferguson, Paul McDermott and Richard Fidler apologise for ‘vile and obscene’ 1990s harassment campaign
The trio behind 1990s comedy trio The Doug Anthony All Stars have apologised to a News Corp journalist today for a campaign of bullying and harassment carried out by cast member Tim Ferguson during the group’s heyday.
In a story published on news.com.au this morning, Candace Sutton described how she received a series of “vile and obscene” letters from Ferguson following her review of the ABC comedy show, The Big Gig for Fairfax’s Sun-Herald in March 1990.
Ferguson apologised for the series of ‘vile and obscene’ letters he sent a journalist in 1990
Sutton stated that over a period of several months Ferguson sent her a series of obscene drawings and letters that were signed off with insults including “love and breast cancer” and “love and leukemia”, and “cunnilingus”.
At the time Sutton was working for the Sydney Sun-Herald, she claims she reported Ferguson’s behaviour to Fairfax and ABC management, but the abuse continued.
Two of the Doug Anthony All Stars trio are still employed by the ABC with Paul McDermott hosting ABC TV’s Think Tank, billed by the broadcaster as ‘a quiz show with a difference’, while Richard Fidler hosts a daily radio interview program.
In 2016, the now-wheelchair-bound Ferguson discussed his struggle with multiple sclerosis on Fidler’s program.
In a statement released by the group’s management in response to Sutton’s story, the trio apologised for Ferguson’s actions saying: “Tim Ferguson, Paul McDermott and their former colleague Richard Fidler, express an unreserved apology to journalist Candace Sutton for behaviour towards her when they were performing together as the Doug Anthony Allstars that was both offensive and unprofessional.
“Tim, who was responsible for the letter and drawing sent in 1990, says he deeply regrets sending them in response to a television review written by Candace, and acknowledges the hurt and offence caused by his actions. He apologises unreservedly.
“Paul and Richard were only made aware of the letter and drawings after Tim had sent them, and they expressed their dismay and disgust to him at the time. It was an appalling and stupid thing to do.
“However both Richard and Paul acknowledge that, having been made aware of their existence, they both should have urged Tim to retract these infantile messages and apologise for their content. They’re sincerely sorry for their failure to do so at the time.”
Bit late for an apology. Some might question its sincerity.
The ABC should hang its head in shame. What kind of person writes such vile, hurtful and utterly abhorrent garbage?
Puts a whole new light on this unfunny loser.
User ID not verified.
[Edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy]
Disappointed this story has garnered more coverage elsewhere.
User ID not verified.
Unfortunately, being part of the ABC tends to breed this attitude of superiority and contempt for lesser mortals who actually live in the real world. Sad.
User ID not verified.
Agree. Remove McDermott and Filler from the ABC. Ferguson’s actions are shameful. He should be formally charged.
User ID not verified.
Only an apology now as the story comes out! The fact he wrote the Faxes shows the kind of man Tim Ferguson IS. [Edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy]. And the ABC equally to blame for doing nothing about it!! That is extremely disappointing as I was a huge fan of the ABC up until now.
User ID not verified.
Well, one now has to apologise for not getting someone else to apologise and 28 years later?
But it is amusing to see the sanctimonious ABC copping it.
User ID not verified.
Interesting that she’s waited until now to say something.
User ID not verified.
Anyone who knows anything about DAAS and their comedy, would know that this is the kind of non-PC slant they were famous for. Who cares if some drama queen kept some faxes for a few years which are frankly bloody funny. Love and leukaemia???? Hilarious black comedy.
Amazing they have only surfaced now when it’s the trend be the victim.
What next? DAAS promoted bestiality because they performed a song called “I fuck dogs”? Grow up…..this is the comedy and brash behaviour they were celebrated for.
Comedy is reflective of the times. Just listen to some Derek and Clive albums produced by Richard Branson in the 70’s. Constant references to poofs, niggers and referencing women as stupid cunts.
Grow up people and leave poor Tim alone. Well done Candace on demonizing a comedy great whilst he is confined to a wheelchair. Revenge is a dish best served cold?
Love and leprosy
Michael
User ID not verified.
It is never ever too late to apologise.
User ID not verified.
Why must you use “wheelchair bound” rather than “uses a wheelchair”?
User ID not verified.
Never too late for an apology. But why bring up a letter sent 28 years ago..?
User ID not verified.
Because he is forced to use a wheelchair and can’t function without it? Every little word is not a tool of oppression. Looks like you did time in a critical theory course at university, and you’re now stuck in a mentality of perpetual victimhood. Money well spent, huh?
User ID not verified.
The irony that she is a News Corp journalist
User ID not verified.
Hands off the ABC.imagine television without it.All those strident American voices …help.
User ID not verified.
Back in the day I used to love watching DAAS on the ABC. This is not about demonizing a man confined to a wheelchair . . . the article is about a young man’s vile and relentless haranguing of another person who was just doing their job. Whilst I feel very sorry that Tim now has MS it doesn’t really excuse his appalling and despicable past behaviour.
User ID not verified.
Imagine news corp apologizing
User ID not verified.
Yep. Nothing stinks more of a sincere apology thank saying sorry only after getting outed. You’ve had a long time to offer an apology before now, Tim. Behaviour like this is not ok and will never, ever be ok.
User ID not verified.
No, it isn’t.
User ID not verified.
Charged with what exactly?
User ID not verified.
Nothing is straightforward about this story and it’s certainly not as simple as most of the above comments suggest. The faxes are infantile, gross and dumb. But this is also the humour of DAAS then and now. It’s the same humour that sells out shows.
It’s clearly not a good thing they were sent, but it becomes very problematic judging behaviour in 1990 with the standards that are set in 2018. The world has changed and to not recognise this is simply ignorant. Picasso was awful to women, but no one is boycotting his art.
Every performer, sportsperson, critic or anyone in the public domain gets hate mail (or Tweets). This has only got worse in the era of social media, so it is not clear how valid it is for a journalist to complain about being on the receiving end of this. You only need to read the comments on articles in Mumbrella and see how hateful we all are (and they’re the ones that get through the moderators).
The biggest issue is in the article as it appeared on news.com.au is linking the faxes with the #metoo movement. Is this really where this has landed? That anything that a man has ever done that is in any way hurtful to a woman is now in this domain? Do women being hurtful to each other qualify as #meetoo or is there a new hashtag for that?
I don’t have the answers, but I’m sure glad that I never faxed Candace Sutton three decades ago. She stores her paperwork.
User ID not verified.
Thanks for your sanity.
User ID not verified.
So Candace Sutton is so traumatised by Tim’s letters, that she hangs onto them for twenty eight years! Yeah right! I’ll bet they came out at dinner parties to titillate and amuse.
What a cowardly act, Ms, Sutton, to wait until the man is in his wheelchair with a dreadful progressive illness, to overcome relevance deprivation and attach your caboose to the #metoo train. And at a time to sabotage his most recent efforts to generate an income with all his limitations.
DAAS were a punk act. Of course they were offensive and juvenile. That was the idea! And Tim persued a reply. His letters were inflammatory, comedic and bombastic. But Ms. Sutton [edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy], so she waits twenty eight years when she can safely play ‘victim’. [edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy]
User ID not verified.
Yes it was the humour of the time.
So credit to Tim and DAAS for their unreserved and contrite apology some 28 years later.
It is also a credit to all the readers of Mumbrella. If the majority of commenters are a representative cross-section of readers, and based on their outraged shock and horror, then we can safely say that they must have never erred in their judgment, or been coarse or rude to anyone in their lives.
They also must have been apoplectic when the Murdoch press skewered Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Or is that why they like to call themselves ‘the silent majority’.
User ID not verified.
If you don’t realise they are taking the piss with this apology, you are a moron.
User ID not verified.
Where does #meto go from here? It seems to have become a constant stream of aggrieved women posting their grievances against a man, no matter how old or how trivial, and some are undoubtedly trivial, diminishing the serious occurrences. It will be swamped into irrelevance and is in danger of not being taken seriously.
In those days the ABC, or Fairfax, would never have dreamt of sanctioning performers’ behaviour; times were very different then.
User ID not verified.
This is a big fuss over nothing. A person in the arts decided to get his own back against a critic. He used the same sort of crude humour that brought him success. He did not threaten to physically harm the critic. No crime was committed. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along to Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby for actual criminal behavior.
User ID not verified.
…crimes against humour.
User ID not verified.
Get over it! 28 years later FFS.
Live life, every says & does stupid things we cant take back. 28 years is a long time to be still whinging about it!!
User ID not verified.