ABC star Charlie Pickering has moved to distance himself from comments he made about Grace Tame's podcast, saying they were misrepresented and taken out of context.
The ABC star said he was "very disappointed" by suggestions that he opposed Tame's appointment, insisting she was an appropriate host for the series.
The controversy emerged after Pickering was approached by YouTuber Avi Yemini outside the ABC's Melbourne headquarters this week following the launch of Tame's new podcast, Autistic AF with Grace Tame. During the exchange, he described the broadcaster's decision as "problematic".
Speaking on drivetime radio on Thursday, Pickering said the encounter had been misrepresented and that his comments had been interpreted in a way that did not reflect his views on Tame.
"I was ambushed by a known provocateur and pressed into a conversation that was not planned and that I definitely had no intention of being a part of," he said. "I would never have agreed or planned to be interviewed by that person, and to say so misrepresents me and the full context of the situation."
Pickering said suggestions that he was opposed to Tame hosting the podcast were incorrect.
"More importantly than that, I am very disappointed that there is a suggestion I am against Grace Tame, or that she is not an appropriate host of a podcast about autism. This is simply untrue," he said. "I've always been a big fan of Grace Tame. She's an outstanding advocate for those on the autism spectrum, for survivors, and for women, and for all of us."
The podcast is part of the ABC's We Need To Talk collection and focuses on autism in women and gender-diverse Australians, drawing on Tame's own experiences.
Addressing the fallout from his own comments, Pickering said people had projected views onto him that he did not hold.
"I spoke on this occasion on behalf of myself and no one else. From that, all manner of beliefs and positions have been projected onto me that are not true. But that's on me," he said.
He acknowledged he should have handled the situation differently.
"Context is in short supply these days and I should have known better," he said. "I was a little naive and I will learn from that… but whatever beliefs I may hold on any particular issue, it cannot be said I have a problem with or would in any way have gone after Grace Tame."
Tame's new podcast with the ABC comes months after her involvement in a pro-Palestine protest where she led a "globalise the intifada" chant. At the time, Tame faced calls to be stripped of her Australian of the Year award.
Speaking to Yemini earlier this week, Pickering was asked by the YouTuber about the ABC's decision to hire Tame.
"I think, as a Jewish Australian, there's a complete misunderstanding of a lot of the words that are said and what the true meanings of them are," Pickering responded. "A lot of people are using words and phrases that have meaning well beyond what they think they do. I think you could argue that a lot of people who jump on protest bandwagons are ignorant a lot of the time."
In a statement to The Australian, an ABC spokesperson said Pickering's remarks did not breach the broadcaster's code of conduct.
The ABC has also defended the podcast.
"Grace Tame is a high-profile public figure and former Australian of the Year who has spoken openly about her experience as an autistic woman and has advocated on neurodivergent issues," a spokesperson told SkyNews.com.au. "The purpose of this series is to explore the diversity of lived experience among women and gender diverse people with autism in Australia and includes a range of contributors."
Tame has previously claimed her public stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict had affected her ability to secure work. Speaking at a No to Violence conference in Hobart earlier this year, she said the fallout had cost her future speaking engagements.
