Mike Graham, a prominent presenter on Rupert Murdoch’s TalkTV, has been dismissed from the channel after the company concluded he “failed to cooperate” with an official investigation into a racist post that appeared on his Facebook account.
The 65-year-old broadcaster, a former editor of the Scottish Daily Mirror, was suspended last month following public outcry over the post. The message in question featured a picture of a Winston Churchill statue alongside an image of a crowded London Underground train. Its caption read: “Tell me we’re not fucked by multicultural bollocks. Why are we surrounded by non-white people?”
In the immediate aftermath, Graham vehemently denied authorship. He deleted the post and took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to assert that his Facebook had been compromised.
“On Sunday night my Facebook was accessed and a vile message was posted on my page without my knowledge,” he wrote. “It contained words that I would never write and an opinion I don’t share. As soon as I found out, I immediately deleted the post and have taken steps to ensure my cyber security is enhanced. Obviously I am mortified that such a post could have gone out in my name and am now attempting to find out how it could have happened. I am equally very sorry for any distress it has caused to anyone.”
Despite his public assurances, TalkTV’s parent company, News UK, launched an internal investigation, enlisting an independent forensic firm to look into the incident. According to a statement from the company, Graham’s subsequent conduct during this process led directly to his dismissal.
Staff were informed on Wednesday that he would not be returning. News UK stated that while Graham had initially agreed to cooperate, he later “reneged on several opportunities to cooperate with the company investigation.”
“We have been gravely concerned at his repeated failure to cooperate on such a serious matter and the decision has been taken that Mike Graham will not return to Talk,” the company’s statement concluded.
This is not the first time Graham has caused difficulties for TalkTV’s management. In 2022, the channel was forced to issue an on-air apology to the mental health charity Mind after Graham made false claims during his show.
He had incorrectly asserted that Mind was funding the legal fees of asylum seekers. The charity, which said the claims were “plain wrong”, complained that it had never been approached for comment prior to the broadcast.
In its apology, TalkTV admitted wrongdoing, stating: “We didn’t offer Mind an opportunity to respond at the time and are happy to do so now. We are sorry for any confusion caused by the discussion on the show.”
Graham, who also hosts the ‘Plank of the Week’ podcast, has been contacted for comment by news outlets regarding his sacking but has not yet issued a public statement. His dismissal underscores the heightened scrutiny media organisations face regarding the off-air conduct of their on-air talent, particularly concerning issues of racism and misinformation.
