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Kay Burley today jetted off to South Africa after being taken off air by Sky News for six months for breaching coronavirus rules during her 60th birthday party.
The embattled TV presenter marched through the first class lounge at Heathrow wearing a zebra print face covering, Karrimor walking boots and a green Volvo Ocean Race jacket while dragging a suitcase behind.
The journalist stopped to have her temperature taken by a member of staff with an infrared thermometer before catching her flight.
She was understood to be heading for Virgin founder Richard Branson’s exclusive Sabi Sand Game Reserve, which costs about £1,462 per night.
Sky News confirmed on Thursday she has been suspended for six months after she broke Covid-19 rules while celebrating her 60th birthday on Saturday.
Bosses are thought to believe that months off-screen represents a significant punishment for high-profile stars but sources claimed this was not a view accepted by some of their colleagues.
Political editor Beth Rigby and reporter Inzamam Rashid have both been taken off air for three months, while Ms Burley’s fellow presenter Samantha Washington, who also attended the party, is expected back on air next week.
Kay Burley was today seen jetting off to South Africa after being taken off air by Sky News for breaching coronavirus rules during her 60th birthday party
The embattled TV presenter marched through the first class lounge at Heathrow wearing walking boots and a green Volvo Ocean Race jacket
The journalist stopped to have her temperature taken by a member of staff with an infrared thermometer before catching her flightÂ
Ms Burley marched through Heathrow’s first class lounge on the way to her flight to South Africa today. It comes after a car crash week for the journalist
She was ready for the game reserve, wearing a zebra print face covering, Karrimor walking boots and a green Volvo Ocean Race jacket
Ms Burley has been taken off Sky News for six months for breaking coronavirus restrictions with her friends and colleagues during a birthday bash
Sky bosses are thought to believe that months off-screen represents a significant punishment for high-profile stars. But sources claimed this was not a view accepted by some of their colleagues. Pictured: Ms Burley this morning
Ms Burley cut a lonely figure as she checked her phone in the queue for the first class lounge while a family had their temperatures taken in front
Yesterday Ms Burley was seen walking around a neighbourhood eating a pie as she was pictured for the first time since being taken off air by Sky News.
The dressed down and make-up free presenter walked around South Harrow in North West London yesterday – a day after being banned for six months.
Miss Burley, who cut a somewhat less glamorous figure than normal while wearing a green Volvo Ocean Race jacket and dark trousers, is said to have left some colleagues furious at the perceived leniency of her ban.
One industry source described Thursday’s outcome following Saturday night’s event in London as a ‘mild rebuke’, while bosses refused to comment on reports Ms Burley would remain on full pay while she is off-screen.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told Times Radio yesterday: ‘I have great respect for Kay Burley and Beth Rigby as journalists. They’ve apologised, they’ve come off air. I think that is a suitable response.’
Sky News presenter Kay Burley was yesterday pictured walking around a neighbourhood in North West London eating a pie
Miss Burley was seen walking around South Harrow in North West London yesterday after she was taken off air for six months
Miss Burley, pictured yesterday, was taken off air by Sky News for breaching coronavirus rules during her 60th birthday party
Miss Burley is seen in North West London yesterday, one day after Sky News announced she would be taken off air for half a year
Sky News presenter Miss Burley was yesterday seen walking around the neighbourhood in North West London eating a pieÂ
Sky colleagues are said to be angry at the perceived leniency of punishment against presenter Miss Burley, pictured yesterday
Miss Burley is pictured walking around North West London yesterday after she was banned by the channel for six months
One industry source described Miss Burley being taken off air for six months following the event in London as a ‘mild rebuke’
Bosses refused to comment on reports that Miss Burley, pictured yesterday, would remain on full pay while she is off-screen
Miss Burley smiles as she walks along the street in South Harrow yesterday after Sky News took her off air for six months
Miss Burley walks along the high street in South Harrow yesterday, one day after she was taken off air for six months by Sky News
Miss Burley was seen in North West London yesterday following the fallout from her 60th birthday party on Saturday
Miss Burley walks around South Harrow as she is seen for the first time since being taken off air by Sky News
Miss Burley, who has been with Sky for 32 years, was due to fly to Africa yesterday for a pre-booked safari holiday
Sky bosses are thought to believe that months off-screen represents a significant punishment for high-profile stars
Miss Burley is photographed in North West London yesterday after she was taken off air by Sky News for breaching Covid rules
Miss Burley is photographed in South Harrow yesterday while walking along the high street after being taken off air by Sky News
It is understood that Miss Burley, pictured yesterday, will not be carrying out any work duties for Sky while she is off air
Sky bosses are thought to believe that months off-screen represents a significant punishment for high-profile stars. But sources claimed this was not a view accepted by some of their colleagues.
One senior executive said: ‘There is an awful lot of disquiet at what is seen as a gentle slap on the hand for Kay Burley. Giving her six months off doesn’t rescue the integrity of our news organisation.
‘We want to know if her salary is still going to flow into her account. If it is, her lawyers have done really well. She should have been sacked and sent packing along with the others.Â
‘They knew they were breaking the rules and were public faces of Sky News. A few of us have been saying that these feeble suspensions send out the wrong message and also indicate that Kay Burley is bigger than Sky News.’
It is understood that they will not be carrying out any work duties for Sky while they are off air.Â
Sky News presenter Kay Burley (pictured in October) has agreed to be off air for six months after breaching coronavirus rules
Sky News host Kay Burley (centre, in black) and Beth Rigby (right, in red) at the 60th birthday party in London on Saturday
Inzamam Rashid (centre), Sam Washington (right), and former royal correspondent Paul Harrison (left) also attended
Miss Burley (centre, hugging someone) and Miss Rigby (in red) are pictured after dinner at the Century Club on Saturday
Miss Rigby is pictured outside the Century Club in Soho on Saturday after a dinner with Miss Burley for the host’s birthday
Mr Harrison (left) and Mr Rashid (centre) also attended the dinner along with Miss Burley’s fellow presenter Miss Washington
It had initially been claimed Miss Rigby (in red) could avoid losing her job because she was only present for part of the evening
Sky News employees Miss Burley (centre in black) and Miss Rigby (right in red) at Miss Burley’s birthday party on Saturday
Miss Burley, who has been with Sky News for 32 years, said in a statement that she was ‘sorry’ and ‘made a big mistake’
Miss Rigby told all Sky staff in a statement that it was ‘wrong’ of her to attend the dinner and hug Miss Burley goodbye
Sky News announced live on air that an internal review into Ms Burley’s party found ‘Covid guidelines were breached’.
Presenter Adam Boulton appeared to reveal his stance on Wednesday after sharing, then deleting, one observer’s tweet which described those who attended the bash before a planned TV report from a hospital as ‘morons’.
Mr Boulton later told the Guardian his retweets did not necessarily constitute endorsements, but added: ‘That said, I retweet things because I think they’re of public interest, and certainly my feed has reflected a lot of people who are very concerned about the credibility of Sky News, and that I think is the important issue: the credibility of our journalism.’
Photographs also emerged this week of Ms Burley and her Sky colleagues on the night of the party. In one, a masked Ms Burley can be seen embracing Ms Rigby.Â
Miss Burley will be off air for six months after the party, attended by colleague and friend Miss Rigby (pictured together)
Miss Burley apologised following the party at private members’ club Century Club in London’s Soho (file picture)
Miss Burley muddied the waters by tweeting that she was always due to be on annual leave in Africa from the end of this week
Adam Boulton, who has worked with Miss Burley for 31 years, retweeted a post this week branding the partygoers ‘morons’
Miss Rigby and Miss Burley, pictured hugging outside 10 Downing Street in London, are known to be close friends
Inzamam Rashid (left) and Sam Washington (right) were taken off air while the internal inquiry was carried out this week
Miss Burley said that she spent Saturday night at a ‘Covid-compliant restaurant’ in London before flouting tier two restrictions
The group dined at The Century Club in Soho, with some reportedly later attending another nearby restaurant, Folie, after the 11pm curfew.
Some of Ms Burley’s colleagues were also reported to have carried on the party at her London home.
The controversy has prompted ‘real concern’ at Sky News over whether those involved can continue to hold ministers to account if they have broken the rules themselves.
Following the station’s internal review, a statement was read on air at 4.15pm on Thursday.
Revealing that ‘over the course of the evening, Covid guidelines were breached’, the statement continued: ‘Sky News expects all team members to fully comply with the Covid restrictions. All those involved regret the incident and have apologised.
‘Following our review of what took place on 5th December, we have agreed with Beth Rigby and Inzamam Rashid that they will not be on air for three months, and we have agreed with Kay Burley that she will not be on air for six months.’
Minutes later, Ms Burley – who turns 60 next Thursday – put her own statement on social media, confirming she would ‘step back from my broadcasting role for a period of reflection’.
She added: ‘It doesn’t matter that I thought I was Covid-compliant… the fact is I was wrong, I made a big mistake, and I am sorry.
‘Some dear friends and colleagues – some of the most talented and committed professionals in our business – have been pulled into this episode and I regret this enormously.
‘I was one of the founding presenters on Sky News. No one is prouder of our channel’s reputation, the professionals on our team, and the impact we make.
‘I very much look forward to being able to continue my 32-year career with Sky when I return.’
In a separate email to colleagues, she wrote: ‘I’m an idiot. I’m really very sorry. I know I have let so many of you down. There’s really nothing else I can say to excuse my actions.’
Ms Rigby told staff ‘how sorry’ she was for what she had done, adding that ‘it will never happen again’.
The journalist, who has regularly grilled ministers throughout the pandemic in televised press conferences, said: ‘It was wrong of me to attend the dinner event, and it was wrong of me to hug Kay Burley goodbye as I was leaving to go home.’
Adding she ‘should have known better’, Ms Rigby admitted to ‘a huge error of judgement’ and said she would use the coming months ‘reflect on all of this’.
Mr Rashid told colleagues he felt ‘awful’ about having ‘let you down’.
Amid the fall-out, there is known to have been ‘real concern’ at the broadcaster about how the presenters could continue to hold ministers to account if they had broken the rules themselves. Sky denied the trio had been suspended.
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