Kay Burley flies home to UK after jetting off to South Africa following suspension from Sky News

499

View
comments

Kay Burley is flying back to the UK after jetting off to South Africa following the Covid rule-breaking party that saw her suspended from Sky News on full pay. 

The shamed star – ordered off-air for six months by furious bosses after flouting Covid rules for her 60th birthday party – was seen tonight at Johannesburg Airport, this time following the rules by carefully filling out documents to comply with anti-coronavirus measures. 

The presenter has spent the last seven days basking at a luxury £1,500 a night lodge on her South African safari, as London slipped into Tier 3 with infection rates rising fast.

But breezing through check-in, dressed in a white tee-shirt with matching facemask, feisty Kay looked unperturbed as she dealt with formalities before heading to the BA lounge to await her First Class flight home. 

It was a very different story ten days ago when the journalist was hauled over the coals for breaking lockdown rules by having a boozy 60th birthday party in a private restaurant — then inviting three colleagues back to her London home. 

Furious channel bosses told her she must stay off screen for six months while fellow revellers political editor Beth Rigby and correspondent Inzamam Rashid agreed to come off air for three months. 

Sources have told MailOnline that the journalist was flown 300 miles by light aircraft from the luxury game lodge where she was staying, at Richard Branson’s Ulusaba resort in Kruger National Park. 

Well-drilled staff mounted a military-style operation to keep their guest away from other patrons during her stay. 

To keep Kay’s presence a secret she was flown by female pilots into Ulusaba aboard a private charter. 

Unlike other guests who shared game drive vehicles, Kay had her own Land Rover Defender driven by a dedicated guide who kept her well away from other guests on safari. 

It is believed Kay and a female friend were in the most exclusive £1,500-a-night Rock Lodge, where she has stayed on previous occasions. 

The lodge offered her total privacy as the rest of Ulusaba’s guests were accommodated in Safari Lodge located 500 metres below her along a river bed.

Although Rock Lodge has spectacular panoramic views Kay missed out on heart-stopping game viewing from the restaurant deck, where guests witnessed a leopard kill and daily visits from a breeding herd of elephants gathering at the water-hole below the bar. 

Lodge sources say Kay was so reluctant to leave her bushveld paradise on Friday, that she kept her private charter waiting on the runway for over an hour. 

Sources could not say how she celebrated her 60th birthday on Thursday but guests say it was probably low key as they heard no partying from the hillside lodge.

Ulusaba means ‘place of little fear’ and the hill, or koppie, was so named by local tribes for the tactical advantage it gave them in battle. 

It overlooks a dam and watering hole, giving guests tremendous opportunities to spy Africa’s ‘big five’ of lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo. 

When she set out for her holiday in Karrimor hiking boots, Burley looked prepared to rough it, but nothing could be further from the truth at Ulusaba. 

In 1994 Ulusaba was purchased by Sir Richard Branson and transformed into world-class lodges. 

Some of the suites have their own private plunge pools, and most have balconies. Sitting round the swimming pool, guests can see for miles across the plains below, and can order lunch as they bask in the sunshine. 

The high-end room rates include twice-daily game drives with armed wardens, all meals and drinks with a top quality wine list. 

Kay apologised to her Sky colleagues and branded herself an ‘idiot’ for hosting the party in Soho and inviting people back to her home afterwards. 

Following the incident, a leaked email from Kay, reportedly sent to her Sky News colleagues after her party was rumbled, saw her admit she had let her team down over her coronavirus rule break. 

The message seen by Mail Online read: ‘Dear all, I’m an idiot. ‘I’m really very sorry. I know I have let so many of you down. 

‘There’s really nothing else I can say to excuse my actions.’ 

Political editor Beth Rigby and Kay took to Twitter shortly after her suspension was announced, and wrote a lengthy apology, insisting her actions were accidental. 

She wrote: ‘I have agreed with Sky News to step back from my broadcasting role for a period of reflection. 

‘It’s clear to me that we are all in the fight against Covid-19 and that we all have a duty to stick firmly by the rules. 

‘It doesn’t matter that I thought I was Covid-compliant on a recent social event. The fact is I was wrong, I made a big mistake, and I am sorry.’ 

‘Some dear friends and colleagues – some of the most talented and committed professionals in our business – have been pulled into this episode and I regret this enormously. 

‘I was one of the founding presenters on Sky News. No one is prouder of our channel’s reputation, the professionals on our team, and the impact we make. 

‘I very much look forward to being able to continue my 32 year career with Sky when I return.’