Basil Zempilas tries to explain mic moment announcing political move

Perth’s Lord Mayor has quickly tried to explain an apparent sledge of women’s tennis after it was caught on a microphone.

Journalist and political hopeful Basil Zempilas has quickly tried to clarify comments he made prior to a press conference getting underway in Perth.

As he prepared for the press conference to begin - arranged to announce his intention to seek preselection for a seat in state politics with the Liberal Party - Zempilas opted to engage in some chit chat with gathered journalists.

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“Tennis is on tonight, isn’t it?” Zempilas asks to a man that can’t be seen in the clip.

“Ah, yeah, the female final,” the man replies.

“It’s a reserves game, then,” Zempilas said.

Media personality Basil Zempilas during his 2020 campaign for Lord Mayor of Perth. Photo: Colin Murty/The Australian

Zempilas, who had a brief stint playing in the West Australian Football League and spent much of his career covering footy, has widely been interpreted as comparing the women’s final to a secondary match, opposed to the main event of men’s tennis.

He tries to clarify what he means by adding “I say that having been there obviously”.

As Zempilas is still talking, he is informed by a crew member that his microphone is on and he’s being heard.

“OK, all right,” he says quickly and confidently before it seems to dawn on him what’s happened.

The father of three, including two girls, is last seen apparently trying to understand what’s just transpired.

Zempilas has since put out a long tweet attempting to explain his side of the story stating the conversation “is being reported totally incorrectly”.

He goes on to stress the conversation was referring to reading the news as being the reserves game, not the women’s final in the tennis.

Basil Zempilas is informed about his microphone (left) and then his response to the news (right).

“I need to make absolutely clear the conversation I had with (Channel 9 reporter) Michael Genovese today is being reported totally incorrectly,” Zempilas wrote on X.

“Before today’s press conference Michael and I were talking about how presenting the news when a big sporting event is on at the same time means a small audience will watch the news.

“I then say to Michael words to the effect “are you reading the news tonight?”

“He says yes and I say “the tennis is on tonight isn’t it?”

“He then says “the women’s final”

“And I then say referring to reading the news against that broadcast “it’s like the reserves then”.

“Reading the news against the tennis was what I was referring to as “being the reserves”.

“Not the tennis.

I need to make absolutely clear the conversation I had with @9NewsPerth reporter @GenoveseMichael today is being reported totally incorrectly.

Before today's press conference Michael and I were talking about how presenting the news when a big sporting event is on at the same…

— Basil Zempilas (@BasilZempilas) January 27, 2024

This conversation has been taken completely out of context. @BasilZempilas was referring to the tennis and the news going head to head. https://t.co/Aagnu0WjaO

— Michael Genovese (@GenoveseMichael) January 27, 2024

“I can not make that any clearer or be any more emphatic.

“It is totally disingenuous and flat out wrong to suggest otherwise and I will not be accused of having said something I did not say.

“I am certain Michael will verify this.”

The responses to that have naturally been swift.

“You gotta own it,” is one reply.

“That’s more spin than Shane Warne,” wrote another.

The responses to the initial video clip were also quick towards the Lord Mayor.

Among the comments is a consistent suggestion his state political career might be lasting about as long as some other infamous sports identities, including Mal Meninga and Billy Brownless.

“Notice the immediate change of facial expression the minute he knew he was on the mic,” was one comment.

Zempilas with his wife Amy and their children Ava, Anthony and Chloe. Photo: Jackson Flindell / The West Australian

“Who was he trying to impress with a comment like that, it wasn’t even remotely funny and it showed his true feelings about women in sport,” questioned another.

“Just broke Mal Meninga’s record!” added another.

Rugby league legend Meninga didn’t get through a press conference to announce his move into politics before he walked out, while Brownless infamously didn’t even get that far.

For a man that has covered sports news for more than half his life, Zempilas is no stranger to making the odd headline himself.

Last month, a week after his city was criticised for not turning up for the first cricket Test match of the summer between Australia and Pakistan, Zempilas took aim at the Boxing Day Test crowd in Melbourne.

The official crowd figure for the opening day of the second Test at the MCG was 62,167, the second highest opening day crowd for a Test between Australia and Pakistan at the venue.

The fact he has 2 daughters as well. Hope they don't play tennis or any sport for that matter

— Sez (@sezlloydy) January 27, 2024

It’s also more than the combined attendance 59,125 across the four days of action in Perth.

But Zempilas thought it was a poor Boxing Day crowd, despite the standard of the opponent and wet weather affecting Melbourne.

He tweeted: “Hmmmm. What’s their excuse? Not like you can go to the beach?”

Zempilas’ tweet didn’t go down too well.

6News’ Leonardo Puglisi replied: “60K+ showed up when we all knew it would be raining - more than the entire 4 day Perth test.”

Another person said: “More people turned up to the MCG with heavy rain forecast than can fit in to Optus Stadium. Also more people at Day 1 than attended the entire four days of the Perth test.”

I’d pay to see Basil play the “reserve” women #AusOpen2024 finalists… In fact, I’d like to see him play any of the professional women tennis players 🙄

Attitudes matter and women are sick of this rubbish. #truecolourshttps://t.co/nAIUaBJniI

— Katy Gallagher (@SenKatyG) January 27, 2024

Another commented: “That Perth chip on your shoulder is really weighing you down Basil.”

Zempilas then doubled down on his criticism a couple of days later.

“Bugger the Vics I say. Bugger the rest of them as well,” he told 6PR Radio.

“All of this came out of a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun at the Victorians for all going home when it started raining. And I looked up at the MCG, virtually empty and said, ‘what’s their excuse? It’s not as if they can go to the beach’.

“That was of course relating to our own crowds at our own Test match.

“Yes, the Vics did have more on one day, the opening day of the Boxing Day Test than we had for our entire Test match, but then again … if our Test match started on Boxing Day, a public holiday, I reckon we’d get a fair crowd as well.”

Originally published as Basil Zempilas tries to explain mic moment announcing political move