Stan Grant announced on Monday that Patricia Karvelas will take over as the host of ABC program Q+A, while he is taking an indefinite break from journalism after experiencing racist abuse.
In the final minutes of last night’s Q&A program, Grant said he was stepping away to focus on his mental health after a torrent of hateful messages had taken a toll on him and his family.
“To those who have abused me and my family, I would just say — if your aim was to hurt me, well, you’ve succeeded,” he said. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I must have given you so much cause to hate me.”
Grant said that although he is down right now, he is only stepping away, not stepping down.
“I will get back up. And you can come at me again, and I will meet you with the love of my people. My people can teach the world to love,” he said.
Karvelas used Twitter to share the importance of Grant’s words in the final show.
“I urge you to listen to these words. You don’t have to react – respond. Just let them sit with you,” she said.
Grant’s final appearance on Q&A before stepping away comes after he accused the ABC of “institutional failure” in his weekly column last week.
He said the organisation did not publicly defend him amid a storm of racist abuse since appearing as a guest as part of the ABC’s coverage of the coronation of King Charles.
Source: ABC
