Shane Warne’s eldest daughter has spoken out against plans to dramatise her father’s life in a two-part miniseries, calling Channel Nine “beyond disrespectful”.
In a story posted to Instagram on Wednesday, Brooke Warne, 25, targeted the network, saying: “Do any of you have any respect for Dad? Or his family? Who did so much for Channel 9 and now you want to dramatise his life and our families (sic) life 6 months after he has passed away? You are beyond disrespectful.”
At a 2023 programming launch at Sydney’s Luna Park on Wednesday, Nine confirmed the miniseries, called Warnie, would screen over two nights next year.
It has described the show as a fitting tribute to one of the greatest Australians of all time and its must-see drama event of next year.
Casting details are yet to be announced. Screentime will produce the miniseries for Nine in association with VicScreen.
Brooke’s comments followed what would have been her father’s 53rd birthday on Tuesday. She shared on Instagram: “Today will always be Your day.”
His second-eldest daughter Summer Warne, 20, said she would do anything to see his big smile one last time.
“Thank you for the 20 years of memories we shared together. I will cherish them always,” she posted on Instagram.
On Thursday a Nine spokesperson told Guardian Australia: “Our Warnie mini-series we know will be a celebration of the life of an extraordinary Australian - a man who lived life large and loved passionately. We have enormous respect for Shane and all his achievements, and our hope is all Australians including Warnie’s family will feel the program honours his legacy and life.”
Warne’s longtime manager, James Erskine, has previously spoken out against plans to dramatise the cricketer’s life, telling News Corp earlier this year he would write to chairman Peter Costello about the matter.
Nine’s head of drama, Andy Ryan, said the program would not be a “cradle to the grave biopic”.
“His life was so intriguing, and a work in progress,” Ryan told TV Tonight in April. “It became more intriguing and interesting with every passing year and it’s a tragedy that Shane died so young. But the outpouring of grief adds an extra dimension. He’s definitely flawed, but a genius, a rogue and a rascal.
“Our relationship with him at the time, and now, has ebbed and flowed … we’ve seen the best and worst of ourselves in him. At the core, he was a genius cricketer but we don’t want to tell just a story about a genius cricketer. He was also a cultural icon but we don’t just want to tell a story about a cultural icon.”
The former cricketer died on the Thai resort island of Koh Samui on 4 March. A televised state memorial was held at the MCG later that month.
