Current and former staff allege the former head of news and current affairs engaged in “alcohol-fuelled grope sessions” and his drunken, lecherous behaviour was an “open secret”.
Darren Wick, the recently departed head of Channel Nine’s news and current affairs division, has been accused of engaging in drunken, lecherous behaviour in what furious staff say was “an open secret” for more than a decade.
A second woman alleged Wick’s “alcohol-fuelled grope sessions” occurred at public functions such as staff Christmas parties, the Logies and functions to celebrate TV ratings. His battle with alcohol saw Wick narrowly escape jail in 2021 after being caught drink-driving following a staff function. His blood-alcohol reading was more than four times the legal limit. After a stint in rehab, Wick returned to work. Staff say Wick stayed sober, and there have been no reported incidents of inappropriate behaviour since.
The woman said it was difficult to know how to handle the situation because Wick, as her boss, was the person who “holds the key to your future.” She said she didn’t feel as though she could complain as he wasn’t just her boss; “he’s the head of news and current affairs in the entire country.”A senior figure in the network said Wick’s behaviour was an “open secret”, and there was a feeling among female colleagues “that a complaint would have been weaponised against them”.
In January, the network received a formal complaint about Wick relating to a historical incident. It is understood that only three executives were aware of the complaint, one of which was chief executive Mike Sneesby.
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