 |
| IMAGE: ABC News, 18 July 2021 |
The Guardian, 18 July 2021:
British far-right figure Katie Hopkins has been dumped as a cast member of Seven’s Big Brother VIP and will leave the country after breaching her contract, Guardian Australia can reveal.
Hopkins, 46, broadcast a live video from what she claimed was a Sydney hotel room on Saturday morning, describing Covid-19 lockdowns as “the greatest hoax in human history” while joking about elaborate plans to breach quarantine rules.
On Saturday home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, ordered an urgent review of whether Hopkins has breached her visa conditions by publicly flouting quarantine rules.
But the review has been superseded by a decision to terminate her contract, Guardian Australia understands.
Talent contracts have an out-clause: don’t bring the network into disrepute.
It is also a requirement of any overseas personality to comply with visa conditions.
Seven confirmed the decision on Sunday afternoon.
“Seven Network and Endemol Shine Australia confirm that Katie Hopkins is not part of Big Brother VIP,” the network said. “Seven and Endemol Shine strongly condemn her irresponsible and reckless comments in hotel quarantine.”
Hopkins was contracted to Shine rather than Seven.
Last year, Hopkins had her Twitter account with 1.1m followers permanently suspended for violating the platform’s “hateful conduct” policy.
Hopkins, who was repeatedly retweeted by former US president Donald Trump, was removed to “keep Twitter safe”, according to the social media platform.
Hopkins previously compared migrants to cockroaches and claimed the photograph of a dead Syrian boy lying on a beach that sparked a wave of compassion across Europe was staged, as well as stating that people with dementia should not “block” hospital beds…..
UPDATE
Sounds like Ms. Hopkins is on her way back to the U.K. as I write.....
NSW Police, News, Monday, 19 July 2021 04:21:23 PM:
Police attached to the hotel quarantine operation were notified of an alleged breach of the Public Health Order (Covid-19 Air Transportation Quarantine) at a hotel on Sussex Street, Sydney, about 8.45pm on Friday (16 July 2021).
Following inquiries, a 46-year-old woman was issued a $1000 Penalty Infringement Notice for not wear face covering yesterday (Sunday 18 July 2021).
NSW Police assisted Australian Border Force with the transfer of the woman to Sydney International Airport this afternoon (Monday 19 July 2021), following the cancellation of her visa, departing to the United Kingdom.
