Gina Rinehart puts ABC on notice over Race Around the World episode

Posted Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 6:16pmFri 31 Jul 2026 at 6:16pmGina Rinehart has foreshadowed legal action against the ABC. (Supplied)In short:Gina Rinehart and her company, Hancock Prospecting, have demanded the removal of an episode of Race Around the World.Contestant Kate McGuinness, who portrayed the fictional scenario involving a violent attack on Mrs Rinehart, has apologised to anyone she offended.What's next?An ABC spokesperson said the ABC Ombudsman was independently reviewing audience complaints in relation to the episode and it would respond to legal correspondence in due time.Gina Rinehart has put the ABC and its board on notice for comments made about the mining magnate in an episode of Race Around the World, a show which follows six Australian filmmakers across 10 countries over 100 days.In the episode aired on July 12, contestant Kate McGuinness portrayed a fictional scenario that involved a violent attack on Mrs Rinehart, including using a stick to turn her into "a big sausage roll".Mrs Rinehart's company, Hancock Prospecting, wrote to the ABC Board on July 23 regarding the continued publication of the episode, a company statement said."Hancock called upon the ABC to immediately remove the material from all ABC platforms, publicly apologise to Mrs Rinehart, and undertake a comprehensive investigation into how the material came to be commissioned, approved and published, together with full accountability for those responsible," the statement said.The statement said that a week on, the ABC Board and senior management had provided "no substantive public response, nor any substantive response to Hancock or Mrs Rinehart"."Hancock has now formally placed ABC Chair Kim Williams AM, Deputy Chair Lisa Caffery and Managing Director Hugh Marks on notice of detailed allegations of serious contraventions of multiple Australian criminal and civil laws arising from the ABC's publication and continued publication of the material," the statement said.The episode aired on July 12. (ABC: Race Around The World)Ms McGuinness released a statement through the ABC on Thursday apologising to anyone she offended."The sense of humour featured in each of my films on the Race Around The World program is farcical," she said."In no way was it my intention to promote violence. My writing is cartoonish and always satirical."Unfortunately, jokes do not land with everyone. Its purpose was never to be taken literally."An ABC spokesperson confirmed it had received correspondence from lawyers acting for Mrs Rinehart and it would respond to it in due course."The ABC Ombudsman is independently reviewing audience complaints in relation to the 12 July Race Around the World episode in accordance with the ABC's complaints handling process," the spokesperson said.The episode has not been removed from ABC platforms.