Prue MacSween | |
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.jpg) MacSween in 2013 | |
| Born | Prudence Gay MacSween Australia |
| Education | Sydney Technical College |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Beauty and the Beast (TV show) |
| Notable work |
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| Title | Public relations director of Verve Communications |
Prudence Gay MacSween is an Australian television and radio presenter, reporter, social commentator, and public relations director. She has made a number of comments considered to be controversial.
MacSween's extensive career in the media began at Eastern Suburbs Newspapers, as a cadet journalist. during which time she studied at theSydney Technical College where she completed an Advertising Certificate in 1972.[1]
Her first foray into television was after she successfully applied for a job at the locally owned television stationTNQ-7 in theNorth Queensland city ofTownsville[when?] initially working as a reporter before also hosting achildren's program.[1] Also while at TNQ-7, MacSween created a weekly talk show at TNQ which she also presented.[1][2] While working in Townsville, MacSween was offered a job with theNine Network in theirSydney newsroom, before she became a reporter in 1976 on the network's daytime current affairs programNo Man's Land inMelbourne.[3]
Following a brief period with theNine Network in Perth, MacSween moved back to Sydney to work forAre Media (then named Southdown Press) publisher of magazine'sNew Idea andTV Week, eventually becoming the New South Wales editor forTV Week.[1][2][when?]
MacSween was a briefly judge onNetwork Ten's short-lived talent showYou're a Star, in 1982 hosted byTim Webster before being 'unceremoniously dumped'.[4] In 1986, MacSween founded her own public relations business, Prue MacSween & Associates (PMA), which focused on the promotion and marketing fortified wine products.[citation needed]
MacSween is arguably best known for being one of the "beauties" on aFoxtel revival of daytime panel discussion programBeauty and the Beast, which aired from 1996 until 2002, hosted byStan Zemanek and thenDoug Mulray.[1]
In 2003, MacSween wrote a biography for fellowBeauty and the Beast panellist,Carlotta entitledI'm Not That Kind of Girl.[5] MacSween's book was used for reference by the producers of theABC's 2014 telemovie about Carlotta's life.[6]
When Zemanek left his2UE radio program in December 2006, MacSween was appointed the show's replacement, but later decided to leave the program and was later replaced byStuart Bocking.[1][2][7] MacSween continued to work for 2UE in an occasional capacity and in 2012 was reportedly in negotiations with the station to become the co-host of 2UE's morning program withTracey Spicer.[8] Both MacSween and Spicer reportedly rejected the pay deal offered by 2UE to do the show.[9][10]
MacSween competed against fellow celebritiesJosh Thomas,Chloe Maxwell andKris Smith on the first episode ofCelebrity Come Dine With Me Australia onLifestyle in December 2012.[11] In 2013, MacSween competed with thirteen other celebrities on thethird series ofThe Celebrity Apprentice Australia on the Nine Network.[12][13] MacSween was the sixth-last person to be "fired" after having raised $50,000 for theVictor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.[citation needed]
MacSween is currently a director at her own public relations firm, Verve Communications.[14][2]
MacSween caused offence during an appearance on Seven Network'sWeekend Sunrise in 2010 for using the word "retard".[15] A fortnight later, MacSween and the program apologised for their use of the word.[16]
During an appearance on Seven Network'sSunrise in 2013, MacSween described Australian Prime MinisterKevin Rudd as a "psychopath", prompting complaints from viewers.[17]
In 2017, during an appearance on2GB'sDeplorables program hosted byChris Smith, MacSween said she would be tempted to run over television presenterYassmin Abdel-Magied.[18] This promptedMacquarie Media to issue a statement saying the station didn't condone MacSween's comments, while MacSween defended her comments as beingsatirical and said she believed it was 'tragic' that many Australians had lost theirsense of humour, and lamented about no longer being able to 'take the mickey out of people'.[19]
During the 13 March 2018 edition ofSunrise, MacSween appeared on the program'sHot Topics segment – a panel discussion with the show's presenterSamantha Armytage, and Brisbane radio presenterBen Davis. The trio discussed a newspaper article which had appeared inThe Courier-Mail quoting Federal Children's MinisterDavid Gillespie as saying he wanted to relax rules which required at-riskIndigenous children to be placed with other Aboriginal families.[20]
During the discussion, MacSween claimed a lot of children in theStolen Generation were removed for their own well-being, and perhaps Australia "need to do it again", as removing at-risk children from their homes was a "no brainer".[21] This prompted an investigation by theAustralian Communications and Media Authority which ruled the Seven Network had breached the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice as it provoked serious contempt on the basis of race and contained strong negative generalisations about Indigenous people.[22][23] The discussion also resulted in a number of protests outside Seven Network'sstudios inMartin Place and at an outside broadcast on theGold Coast.[24][25] In June 2020, Seven Network, and MacSween were sued as a result of this segment.[26]
MacSween has also attracted media attention for comments made on Nine's morning programToday Extra, including aboutAustralian Greens MPAdam Bandt, whom she described as a "little flea" and "a danger to the community and I suspect a danger to his wife" and about Australian tennis playerNick Kyrgios, whom she described as "a spoilt little Greek brat", "a little creep" who "should have been slapped as a child".[27][28]
Her parents were Watson MacSween and Laurette (née Isaacs). Her father died in 1970 when she was 18. During childhood, MacSween underwent hip operations and needed to use a wheelchair.[1] MacSween was diagnosed withbreast cancer in March 2014 and subsequently underwent alumpectomy andchemotherapy treatment.[29][30][31]
She is a step mother to three children.[32]
MacSween's charity work includes theVictor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Save Our Sons,Youth Off The Streets andCancer Australia.[1]
Authority control databases: People |
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