Fiery moment Peta Credlin erupts at colleague Andrew Clennell on live television: ‘Hijack my show’
Political commentator Peta Credlin unleashed a heated mid-broadcast rant at her colleague after he discussed a topic on air that she hadn’t agreed to.
Credlin accused her guest, News24 political editor Andrew Clennell, of attempting to ‘hijack’ her show on Tuesday night when he brought up an insult he claimed was thrown at him by One Nation national director James Ashby.
The drama all originally kicked off when One Nation leader Pauline Hanson cancelled an appearance on Clennell’s own show after he criticised one of her controversial ‘Please Explain’ cartoons.
Clennell then went on air and claimed he’d received a personal text from Ashby in which he suggested Clennell should tell viewers Hanson wouldn’t do the show because she thought he was a ‘d***head’.
The subject was discussed when Ashby appeared on Credlin’s show on Monday.
Then, during his appearance on her show on Tuesday night, Clennell blindsided Credlin by ignoring a question she asked and instead reading out a statement.
‘Multiple people have asked why you didn’t back me up,’ he told Credlin.
‘I appreciate your apology last night after the show, things happen quick on live TV.’
Peta Credlin (left) lectured fellow News24 host Andrew Clennell after he derailed her segment
Clennell claimed to have received a text from One Nation national director James Ashby (left) in which Ashby said Pauline Hanson (right) had a low opinion of him
He then said he wanted to thank the many viewers who reached out to him over the last 26 hours offering support for his journalism.
‘I’ll repeat that Pauline Hanson is welcome on my show anytime and I believe sometime in the future she will come on my show.
‘I’ve stood up to Prime Ministers and there’s no way that I’m being stood over by James Ashby … If I don’t talk about this people are gonna go ”Why isn’t he talking about this?” You know?’
Credlin immediately appeared frustrated at the interruption to the show and called out Clennell for derailing her segment.
She pointed to the named at her show at the bottom of screen and said: ‘Have a look down there, Andrew, the show’s called Credlin, right?’
‘I will decide what we discuss on the show and the order in which we discuss it,’ she continued.
‘I said to you last night and I said to you today, we would put it in the rundown.
‘We’ve got a whole lot of issues that I want to talk about first – what’s impacting real people in the parliament today.’
Andrew Clennell read out a statement at the top of Credlin’s show after she told him they’d get to the subject later
Clennell sat with folded arms throughout the spray.
Credlin said that she knew Clennell was ‘upset’ but appeared to take issue with him opening the show with it and discussing the dispute with Ashby ‘in an orderly way’.
‘As I said to you last night it was at the back end of the show.
‘If I didn’t like you if I didn’t respect you mate you wouldn’t be on this show for nine years. I do respect you. I’ve got people in my ear, as you know, constantly. I didn’t hear him (Ashby) and if I did I would have jumped in.’
‘I call a spade a spade. I’m straight up and down.’
‘You’re not gonna hijack my show at the top when I said I would get to this.’
Viewers were enthralled by the confrontation.
‘She doesn’t take crap,’ one said.
‘Whoa, did Clennell just have a tantrum live on air?’ a second asked.
‘He’s been getting terse with people he interviews and even with his own colleagues seeking his opinion. He needs to be pulled back into line, because when he’s on point, he’s a blinding brilliant journalist,’ another added.
Daily Mail has contacted Ashby, Credlin and Clennell for comment.
– READ MORE: Inside the civil war at News24 over Ben Roberts-Smith
