"If you want to kick him, come kick me too”: Stars turn out to defend Charlie Teo
Famous friends of Dr Charlie Teo have defended his character and shown their support as the neurosurgeon faces a five-day disciplinary hearing by the Health Care Complaints Commission.
Steve Waugh and Anthony Mundine were among Dr Teo’s high profile mates who spoke to news.com.au outside the Health Professional Councils Authority building on Monday morning.
Mundine said he has known Dr Teo, who has divided critics for his work on brain tumours deemed inoperable by other neurosurgeons, “for some time”.
“I just know the character the man is… We’ve built a good relationship over the years, and got closer and closer,” he said.
“He’s been blessed with unbelievable skills in the neurosurgeon game and is one of the best in the world”.
Mundine was then quizzed on his thoughts about the criticism Dr Teo has faced in recent months, saying, “There will be people that hate it… it’s a 50/50 game, you’re gonna win some, you lose some.”
“But I’m here. If you want to kick him, come kick me too”.
Also showing his support for the controversial doctor was cricketing legend Steve Waugh, who claims Dr Teo saved his wife Lynette’s life when he removed a large blood clot from her brain.
“I’ve referred him to a number of friends as well,” Waugh said.
“He’s done an amazing job – over 11,000 operations. He takes some of the tough cases no one else wants to”.
He said it was “hard for me to know why people don’t like him” but thought it could be a “little bit of tall poppy syndrome”.
“I guess it makes him a target with some people,” Waugh said.
“I just hope he gets a fair go.”
The support from famous friends comes after Teo lashed out against the recent allegations made against him of unprofessional conduct, saying that such claims are driven by professional jealousy, and are largely designed to take him down and to prevent the rise of any good, young “aggressive” neurosurgeons.
Appearing on a podcast with businessman and former TV host Mark Bouris, Teo said,“It’s got nothing to do with fairness, what’s right or wrong. It’s all got to do with people’s agendas. And the agenda is to destroy Charlie Teo.”
“I know that I’ve got this skill … I take out tumours that no one else can take out. And all the surgeons around the world that watch me are just absolutely amazed by it. So when I operate in other countries, I get four or five or 10 or 20 neurosurgeons watching it, and they just are blown away by it.”
Image credits: Instagram