Heart104.9fm radio presenter Phat Joe has apologised to Cape Times reporter Zara Nicholson for calling her a cockroach.
During an on-air interview with Cape Times executive editor Alide Dasnois on his morning show on Monday, Phat Joe said he apologised if he had caused offence. The station had contacted Dasnois early on Monday morning and invited her on to the show.
The Cape Times had asked for an apology after Phat Joe called Nicholson on her cellphone following publication of a news article last week about the commercial nature of the New Seven Wonders of Nature voting campaign.
He had not warned her she would be live on air and while dialling her number, he described her to colleagues in the studio as a cockroach.
On air on Monday, Dasnois said the newspaper had no objection to discussion and criticism of the article, but that it was unacceptable to refer to a reporter as a cockroach. - Cape Times