Pat Sharp was accused of still being “stuck in the 80s” after he made a lewd comment about an event company entrepreneur at an awards bash, leaving her feeling “belittled” and “violated”. The Greatest Hits Radio host had offered Lizzy Eaton a T-shirt with his face on it at the Conference News Agency Awards, before saying: “That’s the only way I’ll get on your t**s today.”
Pat has since announced that, although his contract was not due to expire until the end of March, he will “not be returning with immediate effect” to the station.
After the comment, the entrepreneur reportedly flung the T-shirt back to him, and stormed out of the room in tears.
She later took to social media to blast his conduct at the event, and has stated she is considering “taking action” against him.
“Yesterday I was publicly humiliated, in a sexual nature, by the celebrity host of an industry event, on stage in front of 400 of my colleagues and peers,” she exclaimed.
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“Afterwards I was in complete shock and hadn’t really processed what happened,” she began.
“Today I am struggling with it — I feel sad, dirty and, frankly, violated.
“I have worked incredibly hard to earn my reputation and hopefully be an inspiration to other young women in the events industry.”
She then reiterated: “Yesterday however, I was belittled, sexualised and objectified in front of hundreds of people I respect.”
“Last Friday, I made a joke on stage which was not well received. I upset one individual in particular and for that I am truly sorry,” Pat stated.
“I apologised at the event to anyone who was offended and I have apologised to the individual personally too.”
Pat, an ex-I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! contestant who has appeared regularly on Greatest Hits Radio since 2019, had handed the entrepreneur a T-shirt with his face on it.
In a reference to his former TV show, in which he had shown off a long mullet hairstyle, the image was captioned: “Pat Sharp – AS SEEN ON FUN HOUSE – LOOKING SHARP SINCE 1982.”
Although Lizzy Eaton has also received an apology from the event organisers, she stated the impact of the episode, and the “shame and embarrassment” she now feels “will be with me for quite some time”.
One of her peers took to Twitter to congratulate her on her handling of the situation, saying: “The message you sent walking off that stage, sent a message to so many of our peers and women; We neither have too and will not tolerate this.
“You stood with such grace and dignity and handled an awful bloody moment with such admirable strength.”