Doug Ford (open Doug Ford's policard) called a Toronto Star reporter a “little bitch” as he left a mayoral debate on Wednesday night.

Ford made the remark after expressing irritation with city hall reporter Jennifer Pagliaro during a post-debate media scrum.

Ford repeated Pagliaro’s name and media affiliation several times during the scrum, using his preferred recent tactic for evading questions he does not like. As he walked out of the CTV debate studio with his wife and daughter, he said, “I can’t stand that little bitch.”

The comment was heard by Star photojournalist Lucas Oleniuk and a CTV producer.

“I can confirm that a CTV producer heard this,” said Joanne MacDonald, vice-president at CTV News and general manager of CP24.

Oleniuk photographed Ford spokesman Amin Massoudi as Massoudi immediately interjected to try to calm Ford. When Pagliaro approached Ford in a hallway to ask for an explanation, Massoudi said, “Questions are over.” Massoudi did not respond to a request for comment later in the night.

Rival Olivia Chow denounced the remark when she was informed of it by an aide. She said Ford should “immediately” apologize.

“It’s a sexist statement. It’s directed to females. And it’s just not fair. It’s gross. It’s disgusting. It should be condemned,” Chow said in her own scrum.

Candidate John Tory also called for an immediate apology from Ford.

“Doug Ford’s comment tonight to (Pagliaro) is completely unacceptable, particularly from someone seeking to be mayor of this city,” Tory posted on Twitter.

In a written statement three hours after the remark, Ford did not deny saying “little bitch” but claimed he was talking about someone other than Pagliaro. He did not identify that other person.

“The fact is, I had a private conversation with two of my staff members as I was walking out of the debate, and that private conversation was completely unrelated to anyone in the room,” he said.

“I never said anything about the Toronto Star reporter. This reporter heard something second-hand and based on this inferred I was talking about her, when the Toronto Star reporter’s name didn’t even come up once.”

Pagliaro had asked Ford when he plans to release his list of campaign donors, why he is holding a fundraising dinner only two days before voting day, and, after he mentioned threats he has received, about Mayor Rob Ford (open Rob Ford's policard)’s decision to violate city protocol by publicizing an August bomb threat.

Doug Ford, a vocal critic of the local media in general, has singled out at least three other female city hall reporters for personal attacks. He has publicly suggested another Star reporter is mentally unstable, publicly urged a Globe and Mail reporter to get off her “lazy ass,” and publicly said a CP24 reporter is a “vicious” person who wants to “kill” Rob Ford.

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Near the beginning of the election campaign, in February, Doug Ford called Tory “chauvinistic” for advising women to learn to play golf to improve their career prospects.

The final debate of the campaign is Thursday night on Citytv. Election Day is Monday.

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