NOT O-KAY
BETH Rigby has been hauled off air following Kay Burley's lockdown-breaking 60th birthday bender.
It comes as Sky stalwart Adam Boulton retweeted a furious message from a viewer branding them "morons".
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The Sky political editor, 44, has been taken off air along with Kay Burley, 59, north of England correspondent Inzaman Rashid and presenter Sam Washington while the company launches an internal investigation.
All Sky staff attended a meeting this afternoon where they were told the four faces had been taken off air.
The group partied in a group of around nine at Century Club in Soho, London, against the rule of six.
A group then carried onto a private restaurant, Folie, before four went back to Kay’s west London home.
The identities of other attendees have not been revealed, although it is rumoured ex-royal correspondent Paul Harrison could have been at the dinner, according to the Daily Mail.
'MORONS'
Two members of the party are also said to have signed non-disclosure agreements.
Sky News bosses appear to have strengthened punishments after a source claimed yesterday Beth had only been subjected to a "ticking off".
And Adam Boulton, who has worked with Kay since 1989, retweeted a message from a viewer that read: "Look at the state of Sky News. The morons spent all summer preaching to us and now look at them! After illegally going on a bender, they were going to go to a hospital to put lives at risk!"
Sky News colleagues are said to be furious at the group's behaviour, too.
One insider told The Guardian furious colleagues questioned "what the shuddering f***" the group of nine were thinking.
And tongue-in-cheek political site Guido Fawkes pointed out Inzamam Rashid possibly made a 206 mile journey from his Manchester home to party with pals in London.
The Sun exclusively revealed yesterday how host Kay Burley had been axed after she was supposed to be fronting the channel’s coverage of the first Covid-19 vaccination in Coventry but was stood down at the eleventh hour.
Sarah Hewson was drafted in to replace her for the momentous event.
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She will now be off air for the rest of the week, and has been told to take annual leave while bosses mull over her future.
It’s thought she is now unlikely to be back on air until 2021.
A Sky source said: “The Sky News bosses were absolutely furious at Kay.
“She should know better and they told her as such. They’ve told her she’s off-air for the foreseeable. It looks like it will be 2021 before she’s back.
“The others involved have also been warned about their behaviour. Beth, Inzy and Sam have all had tickings off too but none more so than Kay.”
'ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS'
Sky declined to comment but the presenter herself tweeted that she was on a planned trip to Africa.
"Lovely people, whatever else you read be safe in the knowledge I was always heading to my beloved Africa on Friday to sit with lions," she said.
"They kill for food not sport."
On Monday night Kay tried to play down the rule breach, and claimed she only entered Folie to use the toilet.
She said: “I want to apologise to you all for an error of judgment.
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"On Saturday night I was enjoying my 60th birthday at a Covid compliant restaurant. I am embarrassed to say that later in the evening I inadvertently broke the rules. I had been waiting for a taxi at 11pm to get home.
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"Desperate for the loo I briefly popped into another restaurant to spend a penny. I can only apologise.”
But now the journalist - who in May grilled Michael Gove over Dominic Cummings' trip to Durham - is fighting for her career.
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Sarah Hewson replaces Kay Burley as Sky News host after presenter broke Tier 2 Covid rules on 60th birthday