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Nine apology for NRL Footy Show

Channel Nine has issued an apology following comments on the NRL Footy Show after Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin referred to a disabled security guard as appearing to be blind drunk.

Bouncer Greg Stacey was on the door at Brisbane’s Caxton Hotel on State of Origin night when he was door-stopped by Allan ‘Robbo’ Robinson.

The 21-year-old from Manly West in Brisbane, who has benign epilepsy, suffers from slurred speech and learning difficulties.

After he was interviewed by Mr Robinson, the show cut to Vautin who said: “What about security at the Caxton? That bloke was blind. He could hardly talk”.

Caxton Hotel owner Steve Farquhar who saw the footage even said the bouncer was not one of their regular staff buthired from Nuforce Security, adding, “He won’t be back.”

He has since told a radio station that they would re-employ him.

Last night, Nine issued an unreserved apology to Mr Stacey and his family and confirmed it will also be issuing an on-air apology.

Outraged father Peter Stacey, said the family may consider legal action saying his son felt like he had been “raped” by the media. “My son was portrayed as a drunk and a person who was drinking on the job and we want Channel 9 to issue an on-air apology,” Mr Stacey, 47, said.

“Greg had definitely not been drinking and he hardly ever drinks because of his disability. His condition means he does come across as slow, but they’ve just assumed he’s pissed.

“He was startled and his eyes rolled back because he was startled, but they’ve made a laughing stock of him on national TV. Greg is handling it OK but since then he has been trying to wear dark sunglasses to disguise himself when he leaves the house.”

Nine Head of Sport Gary Burns apologised unreservedly to Mr Stacey and his family.

As Eddie would say, ‘Fellas you got it wrong.’

Source: news.com.au

7 Responses

  1. I have little time for The Footy Show and its general idiocy, and did not see the incident that’s been reported here but I have to agree with knoxoverstreet and thomas, from all I’ve read I think it was an innocent enough mistake to have made. It’s not like the security guard was carrying a badge labelled “epileptic” and to Vautin (and no doubt many viewers) to have assumed otherwise I think would be understandable, but in this case just unfortunate. Calls for counselling on mental health issues I think is going a bit far!

  2. In all fairness, how could Paul Vautin reasonably expect that a *hotel bouncer* could suffer from a such a condition ? You expect bouncers to be strong and tough and mentally alert. They have to be able to handle themselves in all confrontations, whether they be verbal or physical. This is likely what Paul Vautin thought too, which is why he gave the reaction that he did.

  3. I saw the incident in question and it was a natural mistake anyone could make. He did look like he was out of it. Paul & the boys are great guys and would never have made fun of him had they known his condition. Some people really are getting hysterical over nothing.The phrase mountain out of a molehill comes to mind. Nice to see Nine apologise though.

  4. Just another case of the generic Politically correct elitists trying to stick it to any form of masculinity on TV.
    They wont stop till every male is represented in the form of a personality thats sexual preference is un-identifiable, has no leadership or masculinity and is so sterile and submissive you’d wonder how they got the job.
    I spent three years in the UK and 1 in the US during 2000-04 and coming back here was a culture shock, we have the most “aggressive” and stand-overish equal rights movements in the world.
    I hate to use the word robot as its so tacky and lame, but seriously our country is heading to the point where its be perfect or be removed.

  5. Sorry Gary Burns,”unwitting mistakes” seem to be the norm at Channel Nine.I hope the sponsors of the Footy Show get a barrage of notices about intention to withdraw patronage after this incident. Greg Stacey is not handicapped. he is a young man who lives with epilepsy. Paul Vautin and his team are handicapped by prejudice, arrogance and the delusion of fame. They should be made to attend a community health program about mental health issues before they are permitted on air again

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