Veteran ABC star Phillip Adams, who once tweeted that singer Kamahl was an “honorary white man,” is looking forward to speaking uncensored once he retires.
Adams, 84, said in February that he will end his tenure as host of his popular ABC Radio National program Late Night Live in June this year.
‘One of the good things about leaving the ABC is that I will soon be able to tweet without self-censorship. Watch this space,” Adams wrote to X on Wednesday.
Adams – a well-known writer, public intellectual and atheist – built a forty-year radio career as one of the ABC’s most outspoken left-wing personalities.
He was also a long-time supporter of the Labor Party before withdrawing his membership over the 2010 coup against former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
When former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard was asked during his term in office to describe what was wrong with the ABC, he replied: ‘Where is right-wing Phillip Adams?’
Outspoken ABC radio presenter Phillip Adams says he looks forward to tweeting ‘uncensored’ when he parts ways with the ABC mid-year (pictured with podcaster Helen Thomas)
In a widely shared tweet posted in 2022, Adams contrasted Bradman’s 13-year friendship with Kamahl with his reluctance to meet former South African President Nelson Mandela.
Adams found himself in hot water in 2022 when he alleged that singer and entertainer Kamahl was treated as an “honorary white” by legendary Australian cricketer Sir Don Bradman.
The story unfolded when Adams tweeted: ‘Bradman refused to meet Mandela?’ referring to former South African president and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela.
That never happened; Mandela visited Sydney in 2000, but Bradman, then 92, was unable to attend the meeting and instead sent a gift along with a letter calling him a “champion of humanity.”
Malaysian-born Kamahl was one of the first to call out Adams over the tweet, writing: “Why do you think Sir Donald Bradman refused to meet Mandela?”
‘Why do you think the greatest ‘sportsman’ ever welcomed me to his home every year from August 1998 until he left in 2001? He also left me letters that he wrote every year,” Kamahl said.
Adams then breathlessly responded, claiming the pair’s friendship was based on Bradman treating Kamahl like an “honorary white man.”
“Obviously Kamahl (Bradman) has made you an Honorary White. While one of the most prominent political figures of the twentieth century was deemed unworthy of Bradman’s approval,” he wrote in the since-deleted tweet.
Bradman, as chairman of the Australian Cricket Board, had canceled a 1971–72 tour of Australia by South Africa’s all-white cricket team.
“We will not play South Africa until they pick a team on a non-racist basis,” Bradman said at the time.
Kamahl said he felt “humiliated” by Adam’s response and demanded a public apology.
Kamahl said Phillip Adams is “nasty” and can’t accept his success. Kamahl with his ex-wife Sahodra, 82, pictured in 2009
Kamahl said he was proud of his 13-year friendship with Bradman, which began when the singer name-checked the cricket icon in a 1988 song, ‘What is Australia to Me?’
Adams was widely criticized for his comment, with Warren Mundine leading the charge, calling his comments ‘reprehensible’.
“Phillip Adams, you have disgraced yourself. You should be fired,” Mundine tweeted.
He later added, “Or does white privilege come in and Phillip Adams get away with it?”
ABC executive David Anderson later asked Kamahl to accept his “sincere apology” for the tweet and also asked Adams to apologize.
Adams sent an email apology to Kamahl, which the singer rejected, asking him to apologize publicly on his radio show instead.
Adams’ departure coincides with a renewal of ABC Radio, which has brought in commercial managers from Nova and Triple M.
Adams said he decided to “leave on his own.”
Adam’s already a prolific Twitter user and it looks like he’s looking forward to channeling some of that steam into even more tweets.
He’s taking his show on the road for a “farewell tour” before hanging up his headphones in July.
Adams, who once nominated Greta Thunberg for Australian of the Year, will look forward to spending more time on his writing, hobby farming and, of course, tweeting
The ABC released a statement about his departure.
“Adams joined the ABC in 1991 when he took over the Late Night Live mic for Radio National,” the broadcaster said.
‘Its characteristic humor and incisive commentary quickly made it the benchmark for sharp analyzes of current events and the hottest debates in politics, science, philosophy and art.
“Over the past 33 years, he has interviewed thousands of the world’s most influential politicians, historians, archaeologists, novelists, theologians, economists, philosophers and compelling conversationalists.”
