SINGER MARY COUGHLAN cut short an interview on Newstalk this evening, citing comments made by George Hook about rape on air last week.
Appearing on the Hard Shoulder programme with Ivan Yates, Coughlan said she was unhappy with the comments made last week by Hook.
She claimed “it wasn’t the first time” he had made such negative comments against women.
Coughlan had been expected to speak about her upcoming tour, and apologised to Yates before leaving the studio.
In a Facebook post yesterday, the singer said that she’d been invited onto the show but expressed doubts about going in. She added she wasn’t sure that Hook’s and Newstalk’s apologies over his comments “[went] far enough”.
In a later post yesterday evening, she said: “Thank you for all the comments… I have a plan now X.”
Last week on High Noon, Hook asked “is there no blame now to the person who puts themselves in danger?”.
Today he opened his own show with an apology, saying he was wrong to suggest any blame could be attributed to victims and that everybody has the right to enjoy themselves without fear of being attacked.
It comes after campaigners and former abuse victims said Hook’s comments were ignorant and dangerous, and his Newstalk colleague Chris Donoghue described the remarks as “disgusting”.
Both Hook and Newstalk issued unreserved apologies for the comments over the weekend.
This morning it was reported that the Dalata Hotel Group, which owns the Clayton Hotels, has terminated its sponsorship deal with Newstalk following the controversy.
With reporting from Cliodhna Russell
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