In case you missed it, an online petition has been circulating calling for The Project to issue an apology to Steve Price after he was ‘bullied’ on-air over his comments about columnist Jamila Rizvi.
But tonight, the conservative commentator said he needs no such thing.
Appearing in his regular guest spot on the Channel 10 program’s panel, Price said he had nothing to do with the petition.
“A lot of people have been very outraged on my behalf today,” he said.
“I don’t feel that I was bullied at all. No one on The Project owes me an apology for anything. I’m a big boy – I can look after my myself.”
Price and Rizvi clashed on The Project over the US election. Image: Channel 10.
The petition was launched on change.org following a heated exchange with columnist Jamila Rizvi about the US Presidential election last Wednesday night.
After being given the breakdown of the number of women who voted for Trump, Price said, “What that shows you is that the people in real America, in small-town America, weren’t buying the bulldust that was coming out – ”
Rizvi interjected, "Sorry, can we cut through this bullsh*t about there being a 'real America'."
Visibly irritated that he'd been interrupted, Price responded: "This the reason why Donald Trump won because people like you lecture and hector people."
His comment earned groans from the studio audience and a warning from host Carrie Bickmore about his "tone."
Scroll through to see the response - good and bad - about the exchange. (Post continues after gallery.)
Reaction to Steve Price comments
But not everyone agreed Price was out of line. The online petition - which now has more than 31,000 signatures - claims the radio host was insulted and humiliated, despite having done nothing wrong.
"Nobody, no matter what side of politics they fall on, should have to experience the abuse and degradation of what Steve had to go through on that program," writes creator Thomas Nicholls.
"This is a petition is a call for a public apology, made on national tv by the presenters involved, to recognise that what happened on The Project is unacceptable and should be condemned."
Tonight's comments were the first from Price about the incident.
Top Comments
Price has a long history of derogatory and offensive comments to fellow panellists and panel guests. What he got was a dose of what he routinely dishes out to anyone he disagrees with. He's certainly not entitled to or deserving of an apology of any sort. As for the assertions by some that he was picked on because he's a right wing conservative, what utter rubbish! That's simply the standard excuse those on the right trot out when one of their own gets bested and observably put back in their place. I don't see the right wing cheer squad ever attacking any of their own when they do exactly the same to someone from the left.
I didn't see the episode however I find it interesting that people were offended on his behalf when he isn't offended at all. I'm tired of people being so easily and overly offended. I'm tired of people butting in where they don't belong. Stand up for people who need and want your support. But to be so presumptuous as to be offended on behalf of someone else who obviously has the mental capacity to know if they were being offended. What the? Are we taking the right to be offended a bit too far? Steve Price has always come across to me as the type of person that can speak up for himself.