2GB owner, John Singleton, has taken to the airwaves in an attempt to ease the damage from the ongoing turmoil at his top rating station.

After describing some staff as having ‘grown fat and lazy’ and that ‘the axe is poised’, Singo went on air with Ray Hadley, trying to take some of the sting out of his comments.

The Daily Telegraph’s Sydney Confidential’ reports today that the comments did not go down well.

There have numerous resignations from 2GB in the past month, culminating most recently and dramatically in the departure of General Manager, Louise Barrett, and agency sales boss, Chris Thornton.

Singleton has told Hadley: “I know 90% of them are really hard workers.”

Earlier, he had told The Sunday Telegraph’s Tony Vermeer: “Will there be some cost cuts? Yes. People will pay the price? Yes.

“Some people still here have grown fat and lazy thinking it’s them, when it’s really Alan Jones and Ray Hadley.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that we’ve still got too many people who were sitting around when we were 18th. Now we’re number one, they suddenly think they’re responsible.

“They haven’t got any better. It’s because of Jones and Hadley. We should be making $15 million in profit, but everyone’s at lunch.

“There are people here drinking French champagne instead of water.”

Singleton said staff looking for security ahead of the float had to make themselves indispensable.

“Those people who do will get an opportunity to share in our success. Those people who know they’re about to be found out are s******g themselves.

“That’s where all this is com- ing from.”

He also backed CEO, Angela Clark, saying rumours that she was on the way out after a clash with him were wrong.

“She’s getting a hard time. It’s still harder for birds to make it, especially when they’re not ugly. If she was fat and ugly, it probably wouldn’t be a problem.

“If I wanted to sack her, she’d be sacked. She’s got the 100% support of shareholders and the board.”