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Radio and TV broadcaster Chris Smith has again profusely apologised for being drunk and sleazy towards female colleagues, blaming his mental health and alcohol addiction for a disastrous Sky News Christmas party – as his wife breaks cover.
In a groveling statement on Monday, the staunchly conservative father-of-four, 60, said ‘that is not the man I am at work, ever’ – which was a big call, considering this was his third bout of drunken scandal.
While working as the chief of staff with A Current Affair in the 1990s, Smith unzipped his fly and exposed himself in the Channel 9 boardroom, to the shock of the several women in the room.
At the Radio 2GB Christmas party in 2009, he fondled the breasts of a senior news journalist while she was in conversation with another colleague, and behaved inappropriately towards four others – one of whom he tried to kiss.
He has twice issued apologies following his antics, blaming his bi-polar medication and alcohol addiction, while pledging to get sober and change his behaviour.
But on Saturday, history repeated itself for a third time. A close friend was one of many who repeated the same sentiment: ‘He should have quit the drink in 2009 after the last incident.’
Chris Smith is pictured with his dietician wife, Susie Burrell. They have twin boys together
On Monday afternoon, Susie Burrell was spotted picking her kids up from school – two days after her husband Chris Smith allegedly behaved inappropriately around female colleagues
‘His mates are supporting him but there’s no point sugarcoating it – he is a woeful drunk.
‘He can be an extremely charming person but beer and wine turn him into a lunatic.
‘He is in a very bad way. He must realise he has most probably destroyed his media career and his second marriage.
Smith was enjoying end-of-year celebrations with his Sky News co-workers at the Ivy Sunroom and Establishment bars in Sydney when he allegedly touched one female co-worker and behaved inappropriately towards several others.
One woman reportedly slapped him and another left the party in tears.
On Monday, he said he checked himself into a mental health facility due to his ‘recurring problem with alcohol’ -and only behaves inappropriately with women when he’s under its influence.
‘I am beyond gutted and devastated to know I have upset my colleagues after our Christmas party,’ he said.
‘I apologise profusely to the women I upset. That’s not the man I am at work, ever, as they will all attest. They have been so supportive to me and do not deserve such drunken treatment.’
For Smith, his career again hangs in the balance because of another night gone wrong.
Susie Burrell was still wearing her wedding ring on Monday, despite reportedly leaving the family home on Sunday – after Smith’s alleged behaviour was made public
Chris Smith has apologised for his drunken behaviour towards female colleagues at the Sky News Christmas party. Smith is pictured with wife Susie Burrell, who left the family home on Sunday
His first wife, Ally Bell, walked out on him with their two kids in 2009 following the incident at 2GB.
On Sunday, his high-profile dietician wife Susie Burrell reportedly left the family home with their twin boys.
However, on Monday afternoon, Ms Burrell was spotted wearing her wedding ring as she got out of her black 4WD in Sydney to pick her boys up from school.
She was dressed in activewear with two sports bags, a basketball and a drink bottle in tow. A Louis Vuitton handbag could be seen inside the vehicle.
Below, Daily Mail Australia takes a look at some of Smith’s troubles over the years.
A boozy lunch…
Smith was chief-of-staff of A Current Affair in the 1990s when he went to a farewell party for Michael Willesee Jr. – the now-husband of Today host Allison Langdon.
Following a long lunch, Smith unzipped his fly and showed his penis to several horrified women in one of Nine’s boardrooms.
It was reported that his male superiors laughed it off, until two of the women involved made formal complaints.
‘I am beyond gutted and devastated to know I have upset my colleagues after our Christmas party,’ Smith said on Monday afternoon. He pictured above at a previous function
Veteran broadcaster Chris Smith (pictured) has been suspended from his duties at Sky News and 2GB while an investigation takes place
He was fired two weeks later, and the women caught up in the incident left A Current Affair.
Smith left Australia in disgrace and worked for English language radio in China for a several years.
In an interview after returning to Australia, Smith referred to the incident as ‘some drama at Channel 9’ and said it triggered ‘severe alcohol addiction’.
Christmas party fondling
In December 2009, Smith was dubbed ‘Little Lord Fondle-roy’ by the Sydney Morning Herald after he touched a senior newspaper journalist’s breasts at 2GB’s Christmas party.
He was then inappropriate towards four other women at the same event, and tried to kiss one. Smith later said he had no recollection of the incidents, adding that he had mixed antidepressants with champagne and red wine.
‘I was in a crazy extended drinking mode,’ he told the Daily Telegraph at the time.
‘That has happened to me a few times over the last decade – I just black out and that’s what happened. I’m not saying by any means that that’s an excuse. It’s not.’
Smith later claimed the women accepted his apology.
On Monday, he said he checked himself into a mental health facility due to his ‘recurring problem with alcohol’
Chris Smith’s career is dotted with drunken corporate escapades that have gone wrong
No formal complaints were made, but he was stood down from his role at 2GB.
He had previously sought help for alcohol addiction, relapsed, and was eventually diagnosed with bipolar.
At the Christmas party in 2009, Smith said he was not medicated properly and drank too much.
In the following days, his ex-wife Ally Bell took their kids on a cruise without him. He moved out of the family home prior to their return.
A decade later – incident-free – he took aim at one newspaper columnist, writing on Twitter: ‘I have flaws like so many. But over the past decade I have nailed my alcohol and mental health problems and am I extremely proud of where I’m at, as are those who love me. Drop the grudge.’
In 2019, he wrote on Twitter: ‘I have flaws like so many. But over the past decade I have nailed my alcohol and mental health problems and am I extremely proud of where I’m at’
Smith strikes again
Smith was suspended by Sky and 2GB after the television network’s Christmas party on Saturday evening.
He allegedly made lewd comments while intoxicated at the work gathering and reduced a Sky colleague to tears. That colleague declined to comment.
Smith was pulled from the airwaves amid investigations into exactly what happened at Sky’s end-of-year celebrations.
Smith was due to host a 5pm nightly television show on Sky News Australia as part of the network’s 2023 line-up before he was pulled off-air on Sunday.
He has also been stripped off his duties filling in on top-rating 2GB breakfast’s show over the Christmas break in place of Ben Fordham.
He allegedly made lewd comments while intoxicated at the work gathering and reduced a Sky colleague to tears
A Sky News Australia spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘The person involved has been suspended while an investigation into the allegations is undertaken’
A Sky News Australia spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘The person involved has been suspended while an investigation into the allegations is undertaken.’
‘The welfare of our staff is our absolute priority. We have a zero-tolerance approach to inappropriate conduct and take these allegations very seriously.’
In his statement on Monday, Smith said he was ‘beyond gutted and devastated’ to learn he had upset his colleagues.
‘I apologise profusely to the women I upset. That’s not the man I am at work, ever, as they will all attest. They have been so supportive to me and do not deserve such drunken treatment.’
‘I have a recurring problem with alcohol … it sends me manic. I am in a facility receiving professional help to deal conclusively with my abuse of alcohol and solve this once and for all, without qualification … it can and will be done.’
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