Julia Jacklin has truly gone the fuck off today, calling out ABC and Mushroom for booking Ziggy Alberts on the forthcoming episode of The Sound.
Taking to Instagram, Jacklin, who is also set to appear on The Sound this weekend, wrote, “this program has been really great in showcasing Australian talent over this difficult period and I’m happy to be a part of that, so many wonderful people contributing.
“It paid money. people were really nice, it was a positive experience.”
“But I was pretty disappointed to see yesterday that Ziggy Alberts is on the same line up as myself,” she continued, before going on to reference “bizarre and harmful” the anti-mask sentiments he shared earlier this year as Melbourne began to experience the second wave of the pandemic.
“There’s so many talented artists in this country right now and I wish someone else had been given that spot, that money,” she said.
“I’m not committing a cancel culture crime here, he’ll be fine, he’s got a lot of fans and followers, people are gonna keep picking up what he’s putting down. Just a real shame that during a deadly pandemic that has completely changed our lives, and required all of us to think outside our own wants and desires for the greater good…someone who has promoted doing the opposite of that, gets this kind of validation from the abc.”
“I guess I thought the spirit of this show was something born from the limits covid has placed on our lives…TV made for everyone stuck at home, putting in the work to get through this,” she continued.
“…Why validate and reward an anti-mask mandate, ‘freedom means I have the freedom to harm other people’ guy?”
Jacklin said she wouldn’t be pulling out of her appearance on the forthcoming episode, as her performance has already been filmed and it provided jobs to more people than just her.
“Just wish some of the gatekeepers in this industry had a bit more integrity with who they give these opportunities to,” she said.
She closed her statement by saying, “don’t forget we have freedom of speech!
“He can say whatever he wants. What we don’t have is the freedom to say whatever we want and expect no repercussions!”
She later clarified that by “gatekeepers” she meant Mushroom Group who make bookings for the show. It’s also important to note that Jacklin’s record label, Liberation Records, is a subsidiary of Mushroom.
Alberts, ABC and Mushroom have all yet to respond.
Check out Jacklin’s full statement below.
