A Melbourne waxing salon owner is demanding an apology from ABC breakfast radio host Red Symons after she said he humiliated and mocked her staff and clients.
The owner of Brazilica in Smith Street, Collingwood, said the former Skyhooks lead guitarist stopped as he was walking down the bustling street just after 6.30pm on Wednesday and began firing inappropriate questions at the women working and waiting at the salon.
Georgia, who did not want her surname published, said Symons asked about what kinds of treatments they had done, how they dealt with giving men Brazilian waxes, and if any of them had "landing strips" left by waxes.
She said her staff had been shocked and did not know how to handle the situation until a client emerged from one of the rooms and asked Symons to leave because he was making everyone uncomfortable
The staff felt really angry afterwards because they didn't know what they should say. They've been trained to be nice to everyone," she said. "One of them thought maybe he had a hidden camera and she didn't want to be part of a set-up joke if she responded."
Georgia said one client receiving an eyebrow treatment had cut short her visit.
Georgia said she enjoyed working on the colourful shopping and entertainment strip but felt Symons behaviour had gone too far. "Why does a 50-year-plus man in a respected media job think he can come and pick on young girls and make sexist comments?" she asked.
"Why does he feel it's OK to humiliate and embarrass young girls in their workplace and heckle female clients about their choice of grooming?"
She said a client told the staff that Symons had been walking down the street taking chips from dining plates being delivered by waiters. She hoped he had been intoxicated and his judgment impaired.
Symons told Fairfax Media that if the owner wanted an apology he would speak to her about it, not to the media. Asked whether he had visited the salon he said he would "let her tell her story" and did not wish to discuss it.
Georgia said she did not feel it was much of a response. "It's the least he can do. I don't know why he can't publicly apologise if he can publicly humiliate them," she said.
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Poor old Red, he must be missing his old Red Faces days.
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