'Fire me!': Kerri-Anne Kennerley 'can't resist' making controversial comments

Kerri-Anne Kennerley has revealed the she "can't resist" making the politically incorrect statements that have previously landed her in hot water during her career in TV.

During an interview on Sky News' The Death of the Aussie Larrikin?, which dives into whether political correctness has killed comedy, the presenter was asked if she ever takes a step back before speaking her mind.

"They really pray I do. They really go, 'Now, you know, maybe, we don't want you to pull back, but you know, maybe' and I go, 'Oh what the, so fire me!'"

"If I'm on Studio 10 and I'm having a cheeky day, and something like [political correctness] comes up, I can't resist it," she said.

An example of a “cheeky day” includes one day last October when the Studio 10 panel was discussing whether the Queensland government should introduce tougher sentences on protestors. Kerri-Anne referred specifically to some who glued themselves to the road in Brisbane.

"Personally, I would leave them all super glued to wherever they do it,' Kerri-Anne said at the time.

In reference to a protester who attached a hammock to a Brisbane bridge she said: "The guy hanging from the Story Bridge. Why send emergency services to look after or get a moron down?"

"Leave him there until he gets himself out. No emergency services should help them, nobody should do anything, and you just put little witches hats around them, or use them as a speed bump.

"Is that wrong? Put them in jail and forget to feed them. Put them in some of the aged care homes around Australia, that would really sort them out."

On the SBS documentary, however, she said her comments were just a "joke" and made them because she “thought they were funny."

The presenter added that while it's fine when people disagree with her, it's another story when it becomes "vicious".

"There will always be an echelon of society who don't really know you and really want to play darts, and it would seem most of those people use social media."

"And it's very powerful, but it's also not as big as the silent majority. So silent majority, could you just speak up a little bit? Just a little bit more? Thanks. It'd be very helpful," she said.

Kerri-Anne regularly gets called out for her comments on TV with one of the more controversial arguments had in January 2019 when she was labelled a racist by Yumi Stynes.

The argument kicked off on Studio 10 as the panel discussed the protests against Australia Day with Kerri-Anne suggesting protesters and their supporters should instead be more concerned about what is happening in Indigenous communities.

She said: "The 5,000 people who went through the streets making their points known, saying how inappropriate the day is - has any single one of those people been out to the Outback, where children, babies, five-year-olds, are being raped?"

She continued: "Their mothers are being raped, their sisters are being raped. They get no education. What have you done?"

Yumi jumped in, saying: "That is not even faintly true, Kerri-Anne. You're sounding quite racist right now."

Kerri-Anne quickly told Yumi that she was "offended", but Yumi didn't step down, instead adding: "Well keep going then, because every time you open your mouth you’re sounding racist."

Sign up to our daily newsletter here to get all the latest news and hacks. Or get in touch at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com.