Leaked pitch reveals Seven urged Pauline Hanson to meet Nigel Farage for immigration special
A Seven producer’s email, posted by Pauline Hanson, shows the network pushed for a Spotlight special with Nigel Farage highlighting 'uncontrolled immigration', offering to cover some travel costs.
Pauline Hanson, leader of Australia's One Nation party, has shared a leaked email from a Seven Network producer urging her to travel to Britain to meet Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and film a Spotlight special on so-called "uncontrolled immigration".
The email, posted by Hanson on her Facebook page, was written by senior producer Luke Mortimer. It claims the program would illustrate the strain immigration places on infrastructure and warn about what Australia may face if it does not "take back control" of who enters the country. The phrase "uncontrolled immigration" appears seven times in the email.
Mortimer suggested Seven might cover some travel costs and wanted Farage to invite Hanson to Britain. The original plan was to film in Bournemouth, where Mortimer claimed foreign-born residents had surged over 50%, but the program eventually filmed in Luton.
The pitch strongly endorses an anti-immigration stance, but the actual broadcast included tough questions from reporter Liam Bartlett about Hanson's meeting with Tommy Robinson, a far-right activist with violent criminal convictions.
A Seven spokesperson said the email was one of hundreds exchanged over six months and defended the program as balanced journalism. Hanson asked followers whether the show reflected the original pitch.
Hanson and her colleagues have spent days clarifying or backtracking on controversial statements from her European trip, including comments on the White Australia policy, attendance at a Dolce & Gabbana fashion show, and leisure time with mining billionaire Gina Rinehart.
