Susie Burrell, Chris Smith’s second wife, moves out 13 years after his first wife did.
Chris Smith, who was fired from Sky News, seems to be going through the same thing all over again. This week, his wife and kids reportedly left him.
Chris Smith, a disgraced TV and radio host, is getting a lot of heat for his lewd behavior at the Sky News Christmas party over the weekend.
It has happened before.
Details about the former Sky News and 2GB host’s alleged behavior at the event came out on Tuesday night. Witnesses told The Daily Telegraph that he allegedly touched a woman and made sexually charged comments to other guests, which led to several complaints.
The fallout happened quickly, and Smith was fired from both jobs yesterday. He was also taken off the airwaves right away. In their statements, both places of work said that there had been a “severe breach of contract.”
Behind the scenes, his 15-years-younger wife, nutritionist Susie Burrell, and their twin sons are said to have packed up and left the family home on Monday.
Smith’s problems with alcohol and claims that he behaved badly at public events in the past have been well-reported over the years.
In a repeat of the past, Smith’s wife and two kids also left a 2GB staff Christmas party with him 13 years ago. Soon after, he and his wife got a divorce.
The incident happened in 2009, and at the time, The Daily Telegraph wrote about it. Smith said he didn’t remember what happened that night, but he was told he was “inappropriate” with the women and even tried to kiss one of them.
Details of the 2022 Christmas party
Late on Tuesday, sources at the party told the Daily Telegraph what they saw.
The event took place from noon to 5 p.m. at The Ivy Sunroom on George Street in the Sydney CBD. Guests then moved to The Establishment to continue the party.
One person said that Smith came in “like a dinosaur with a big head.”
They told the Telegraph, “He really thought that these women would be interested in him.”
“It smells bad.”
Then, as the party was coming to an end, Smith allegedly grabbed one of his female colleagues by the buttocks. When she turned around, she punched him twice in the shoulder and told him to “f**k off,” according to a Sky News employee who did not want to be named.
Someone is said to have said rude things about another woman’s recent vacation photos on social media.
One woman who was there said that Smith used the words “sexy” and “side boob” more than once.
Sky News and 2GB had their contracts end.
2GB was the first to confirm that Smith had been fired. They said in a statement that his actions “did not align” with the station’s values.
“2GB has fired Chris Smith as a broadcaster as of today,” it said.
“The firing came after the Sky News Christmas party over the weekend, where Chris admitted that his behavior was wrong and “sincerely apologized” for how he treated women when he was drunk.
Tom Malone, who is the managing director of radio at Nine, added to the statement.
“Chris’s behavior is a serious violation of his contract and goes against what 2GB stands for.”
2GB said that Nine has helped Chris in the last few days.
Sky News Australia then made their own statement.
Sky News Australia CEO Paul Whittaker said, “After an investigation into allegations of serious misconduct, we have told Chris Smith that his contract with Sky News Australia has been terminated due to inappropriate behavior that goes against his contract and company policy.”
“We continue to help affected staff members, whose well-being is still our top priority.
“I am committed to making sure that everyone always lives in a safe and healthy place where they are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect.”
People at work fight back
This week, coworkers from both places of work have spoken out against Smith’s behavior at the event.
Andrew Bolt and Rita Panahi talked about the scandal during their show on Sky News on Monday night.
Bolt said on his show on Monday, “Now, we’re all good people here at Sky, and we have a culture of looking out for each other. If you break that trust, hurt our good name, or offend women here, you’re out.”
“Chris, I wish you the best of luck with getting over what you say is your addiction and your bipolar disorder, but your recovery must happen somewhere else, not here,” he said.
“Good luck and farewell.”
Panahi agreed: “What he did on Saturday night and how he made a number of women feel means he can never be on this network again. “The women at this station know we have their backs, we stand with them, and we will never tolerate this kind of behavior.
Journalist Laura Jayes posted on Instagram, “Good riddance,” linking to Bolt and Panahi’s comments to show that she agreed with them.
It is thought that Jayes complained to Sky News management about Smith’s behavior on the night in question, in support of the women involved.
On Tuesday, Ray Hadley, who hosts the morning show on 2GB, told Mark Levy that Smith should be taken off the air because he is a “disgraceful person.”
Hadley said, “I’m embarrassed to have worked with him before, and I hope I never have to work with him again. I know I won’t, so good riddance to bad garbage.”
“I don’t feel sorry for him because I’ve heard all of this before: ‘I’m bipolar, I drink too much, and when I drink, I’m a monster.’ We’ve heard that four or five times over the years.
History being repeated
Back in 2009, when he was 45, he said he was so drunk at the 2GB Christmas party from drinking champagne and red wine and taking “the wrong antidepressants” that he became a “runaway train.”
“I was drinking so much for so long that it was crazy,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“That has happened to me a few times in the last ten years. I just blacked out, and that’s what happened. I’m not at all saying that’s a good reason. It isn’t.”
The host of the talkback said that his wife at the time, Ali Smith, was embarrassed and had left with their two kids, Morgan and Ashley.
Even though he didn’t do anything wrong, Macquarie Radio Network, which owned 2GB at the time, put him on suspension.
Smith told the newspaper that he was determined to get help for his drinking problem and save his marriage.
“They’re probably going through it even worse than I am,” Smith said, fighting back tears. “Their husbands and dads are just humiliating and embarrassing them.”
“I’m not close with my family right now. I know exactly what you mean. It’s the right path. My wife has gone down the right path, and I plan to follow suit. “I’ve had a lot of trouble controlling my drinking,” he said.
This year, Smith, who is now 60 and has two more children, talked about the incident in an interview with The Daily Telegraph on Monday. He said he was getting help for his bipolar disorder and drinking problems again.
The father of four told the publication, “I am so upset and heartbroken to find out that I upset my coworkers at our Christmas party.”
“I’m very sorry to the women I’ve upset. That’s never who I am at work, as they can all tell you. They have helped me a lot and don’t deserve to be treated this way.”
In 2014, Smith and Burrell got married. In 2015, they had twin boys named Aengus and Henry.
Alcohol use and bipolar disorder
Health Direct says, “Bipolar disorder is a long-term (chronic) condition that causes extreme changes in mood that make it hard to go about daily life, from extreme highs to extreme lows.”
It happens to 1 in 50 Australians every year, and most people get it for the first time when they are in their teens or early 20s. Women are more likely than men to have bipolar disorder. It can also be called “manic depression.”
The Hader Rehabilitation Clinic in Queensland says that it is common for people with bipolar disorder to have problems with alcohol or drugs, and that more than 50% of people with bipolar disorder have addictions.
Better Health Victoria also says that about 20% of Australians who have a problem with drugs also have a mood disorder like depression or bipolar disorder.