Fauziah Ibrahim has come under fire for making a crude joke about the similarities between a robotic finger and a sex toy on her weekend breakfast show.
The embattled ABC host is no stranger to controversy and only returned to the air two weeks ago on May 28 after creating two audiences Twitter lists describing his supporters as “lobotomized assholes” and “labour trolls/thugs”.
She was removed from her on-air reporting duties on April 25, but returned a month later.
Now she is back in the crosshairs as her critics slam her for her ‘unprofessional’ and ‘juvenile’ remarks.
During Sunday morning’s segment, Ms Ibrahim said the robotic finger was “hot and sweaty… Looks like it needs AA batteries… It could do something else”.
The beleaguered ABC host is no stranger to controversy and is now back in the line of fire as her detractors slam her for her “unprofessional” and “juvenile” remarks.]
His co-host tried to ignore the joke, noting that the robotic finger – which has been coated in human skin cells to replicate the look of a real finger – needed “a little sunshine, maybe. be”.
When a second image of the robotic finger appeared on the screens, Ms Ibrahim started the joke again.
“I’m telling you it needs an AA battery and it’s probably vibrating.”
When her second attempt at a prank also elicited an exasperated response from her colleague, Ms Ibrahim tried to ignore it, asking, “Too soon?”
‘Too early for a breakfast show? Welcome to weekend breakfast, everyone.”
The lighthearted comment drew a series of criticisms online, with some even calling for his resignation after two years in his role.
His co-host tried to ignore the joke, noting that the robotic finger — which has been coated in human skin cells to replicate the look of a real finger — needed “a little sunshine, maybe. be”
The Weekend Breakfast anchor (pictured during her previous role on Al Jazeera) disappeared from the screens after creating two public lists on Twitter grouping her followers into groups titled ‘lobotomized sh**heads’ and ‘Work trolls/thugs’
“I’m no prude, but is it okay for an ABC presenter to ridicule a robotic finger with a juvenile reference to a vibrator and a dildo,” one reviewer asked.
‘Why do we have this nasty rubbish on our screens?’
Another said: ‘I thought his remarks were totally off the mark. She really needs to go – for good this time!
It comes after Ms Ibrahim was cleared following an investigation into offensive comments made on her Twitter account in April this year.
Social media users who found themselves lumped into the two lists – which were made public on Ms Ibrahim’s account – accused her of displaying anti-Labour bias
Ms Ibrahim had grouped a handful of Twitter followers into two lists on her personal account, ‘lobotomized s**theads’ and ‘labour trolls/thugs’, which were left open to the public.
When she learned that these groups were public and warned users, the mentions were quickly removed.
Ms Ibrahim later deleted mentions of the ABC from her Twitter bio, before deleting her account altogether.
When Ms Ibrahim came under fire for a live TV interview with Anthony Albanese in January, ABC executives strongly backed her “impartiality”.
At the time, Ms Ibrahim was accused of being ‘arrogant and extremely biased’ against Labor and speaking above Mr Albanese.
Ms Ibrahim later deleted mentions of the ABC from her Twitter bio, before deleting her account altogether.
But the ABC offered him unwavering support. So much so that some viewers now think she’s “untouchable.”
Ms Ibrahim’s interview with Mr Albanese centered on rapid Covid tests and vaccination figures and the presenter was accused on social media of rarely giving Mr Albanese the chance to finish a sentence.
At one point he tried six times to respond to a statement she made about Labor ‘joining’ the Coalition’s plan to boost vaccination rates.
‘If you would just wait a minute,’ Mr Albanese said as Ms Ibrahim spoke over him.
The interview drew criticism and upset several viewers enough to file a complaint with the public broadcaster.
ABC Weekend Breakfast presenter Fauziah Ibrahim returned to the air on May 28 after abruptly disappearing from screens in April
Following the interview, Ms. Ibrahim was the subject of intense and persistent trolling and online bullying.
“Ms Ibrahim’s ‘interview was an absolute disgrace and should cost her her job,’ a viewer said after the segment aired.
In response to complaints about the interview, the ABC’s Head of Hearing and Consumers determined that Ms Ibrahim “conducted [herself] with due impartiality and in accordance with the editorial standards of the ABC”.
“Ms Ibrahim used the adversarial or ‘devil’s advocate’ approach to the interviews. We are satisfied that the interview with Mr. Albanese was sufficiently rigorous and informative, the questions posed by Ms. Ibrahim were to the point and based strictly on news value,’ the statement read.
“Mr. Albanese had ample opportunity to answer questions thoroughly and thoroughly. Although rigorous, Ms. Ibrahim demonstrated an approach that was always civil and objective.
Ms Ibrahim has locked her social media accounts following controversy amid trolling from critics who called her ‘trash’ and ‘disgusting’
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