An Australian Winter Olympics presenter has apologised for drinking ahead of an appearance on live television where she slurred her way through a report.
Channel Nine reporter Danika Mason said she had ‘misjudged the situation’ by drinking and blamed the altitude, cold weather and her failure to eat dinner.
Appearing on The Today show a day later, she said: ‘I want to take full responsibility, it’s not the standard I set myself,’ before adding that she felt ’embarrassed’.
A clip of Mason slurring her words has since gone viral on social media, with Australia’s Prime Minister even weighing in on the discussion.
PM Anthony Albanese said he was ‘pro-Danika’ and that there was ‘nothing to see here’, before suggesting she had been affected by jet lag.
Mason could be seen stumbling over her words as she spoke about the price of coffee and the day’s sports events.
During a segment on Channel Nine’s breakfast television show on Wednesday, she began by saying: ‘Literally like the price of coffee over here is actually fine, it’s more the price of coffee in the US that we’re gonna have to get used to.
‘I’m not sure about the iguanas, where are we going with that one?’
Stumbling her way through the rest of her sports report, she started to mix up her words between the US and UK as studio host Karl Stefanovic appeared to be laughing in the background.
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Reacting to her report on social media, many viewers found the funny side of her report, as @bowtiedstocks joked: ‘Just a bit of altitude sickness, nothing to see here…’
Sharron also wrote: ‘Obviously been enjoying the festivities of the Aussie medal celebrations.’
The sports presenter, who is best known for Rugby League coverage, appeared on Channel Nine on Thursday morning to apologise.
Thanking viewers for their messages of concern, she said: ‘I’m OK, probably just a little embarrassed.
‘Look, I totally misjudged the situation, I shouldn’t have had a drink, especially in these conditions, it’s cold, we’ve got altitude, and not having had dinner probably didn’t help as well. But I want to take full responsibility, it’s not the standard I set myself.
‘So in saying that, I’m genuinely really sorry and I’m thanking everyone for those messages I’ve received as well.’
The Today show host Jenny Azzopardi responded to Mason by saying ‘we know how hard you work’ before Stefanovic called her a ‘legend’.
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