The ABC presenter Leigh Sales has said she was offended and angered after a man who introduced her at a charity ball she was hosting on Saturday night kissed her on the lips in front of 200 people attending the black tie dinner.
She was introduced by a director of the multiple sclerosis charity, retired businessman Phil Newman, who offered his cheek for Sales to peck and then turned his head suddenly and planted an unwanted kiss on her lips.
Sales was so taken aback she screamed and then approached the microphone and said “hashtag me too”, before composing herself and continuing to host the $250-a-head dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney.
“The only reason I am commenting publicly is that given how many people witnessed the incident, I feel it would be gutless not to stand up and say that kind of behaviour is intolerable and the time for women being subject to it or having to tolerate it is long gone,” she told Guardian Australia.
It took place in front of the head of the Australian War Memorial, the former Liberal minister Brendan Nelson, and the former premier of New South Wales Barry O’Farrell, who are joint patrons of the Trish Multiple Sclerosis Research Foundation, as well as the Liberal member for Bennelong, John Alexander.
There was an audible gasp in the room.
Newman subsequently approached Sales’s table and offered his cheek to her again, at which she angrily told him off.
Newman claimed it was a joke and apologised.
“The Trish Foundation for MS Research is an amazing charity and my association goes back years,” Sales said.
“I could not have more respect for what they do. I was offended and angered by the incident on Saturday night. I had strong words to the man involved, he apologised and I accepted that apology. That should be the end of it as far as I’m concerned.”
Newman said he was “horrified” when he realised he had offended Sales.
“I apologised on the night profusely and she accepted,” he said. “It was an attempt at humour and light entertainment to start the night off.
“I am upset my judgment wasn’t better. I am embarrassed I brought any disrespect on the foundation and on Leigh.”
The chair of the Trish Foundation, Carol Langsford, also apologised to Sales.
“We are incredibly honoured that Leigh gives her valuable time and great professional skills to the Trish MS Research Foundation year after year,” Langsford told Guardian Australia.
“We are terribly upset that Leigh was embarrassed by one of our volunteers and of course, our volunteer and the Trish Foundation apologise sincerely and unreservedly.”
Sales has hosted the event for the past four years.