Tonight | Australian Story on ABC: Bad Blood exposes Australia’s contaminated blood scandal – Australian Story airs Bad Blood tonight on ABC, following Tristan Stanley and other survivors of Australia’s contaminated blood disaster.
The episode lands as survivors continue to push for recognition and accountability, decades after infected blood products changed lives across Australia.
Watch The Australian Story Promo
Bad Blood
During the 1970s, 80s and 90s, up to 20,000 Australians, including children, contracted hepatitis C and/or HIV after transfusions or treatment with infected blood products.
Tristan Stanley, who lives with haemophilia, was infected with hepatitis C as a young boy and survived. He is now campaigning for recognition from the Federal Government for the damage caused.
The episode also features Tony David, a world-champion darts player whose career ended after he was infected with hepatitis C through a blood product, and Niel Lake, a former rising star in the AFP who was contaminated through a post-operative transfusion.
Australian Story has long used personal testimony to open up larger national issues, and Bad Blood places those individual accounts against a wider failure that survivors say Australia has not fully confronted.
Countries including Britain, Canada and Ireland have held inquiries and created compensation schemes. Australian survivors are still arguing for their experience to be recognised at a national level.
When To Watch Australian Story
Australian Story: Bad Blood airs tonight, Monday 10 August 2026, at 8.00pm on ABC and streams on ABC iview.
Don’t miss Australian Story: Bad Blood, tonight at 8.00pm on ABC and streaming on ABC iview.
For more ABC highlights, visit the TV Central ABC section. Watch programs on ABC iview.
