Ranked: The top 5 Aussie news bloopers, fails and faux pas

Rebecca Maddern and her team at 7 News can take comfort in the fact they are not alone in their small screen scandal. We rank Aussie TV’s top 5 mishaps, oopsies and flat out fails.

There is something incredibly entertaining about witnessing bloopers, gaffes and faux pas occur on live TV.

Sure, things go wrong all the time and everybody has bad days at work, but the pressure and high stakes environments of broadcast news can turn a simple human error into an all out fiasco.

In light of the leaked footage showing 7 News’s Rebecca Maddern and and Mike Amor mouthing off about a certain tennis player, we’ve delved deep into the archives to prepare a re-cap of Australia’s top five news fails that have become defining moments in our country’s rich television history.

Channel 7 newsreaders Mike Amor and Rebecca Maddern were caught out slamming Novak Djokovic in an off-air studio exchange that was leaked online.

5. NATASHA EXELBY ZONES OUT WHILE ON-AIR FOR ABC

It happens to the best of us, we all get caught out not paying attention when we really should be, so this is probably the most relatable blooper on the list.

Following a live cross back to the studio, ABC newsreader Natasha Exelby can be seen fiddling with a pen and not paying the slightest bit of attention to the program she was meant to be presenting.

A gaffe made ten times more obvious by the look of horror on her face paired with a very audible gasp when the penny finally dropped that she was now live on air.

It’s bad enough when that happens during a Friday afternoon meeting, let alone when lounge rooms across the country have tuned in only to watch you tune out.

4. KARL STEFANOVIC KEEPS THE PARTY GOING ON TODAY SHOW AFTER THE 2009 LOGIES

This one is not so much a blooper as much as an error in judgment made by Karl Stefanovic who rocked up to work only hours after the 2009 Logies after parties.

It’s generally frowned up to turn up to work a little worse for wear, especially so if your job involves presenting a beloved live breakfast television show enjoyed by families all over the country.

Viewers watched on as live from Melbourne’s Crowne Casino, Stefanovic slurred his words, collapsed into giggles and at one point paused during a weather update to say “You know what, who cares?”

Lisa Wilkinson was left to do damage control of the sinking ship and did a pretty good job of laughing the whole thing off.

It turns out the gaffe actually worked in Stefanovic’s favour, with viewers responding positively.

Stefanovic later described it as a ‘game changer’ for his career, but depending on what line of work you’re in, that may not be the best career advice to take on board.

3. TODAY EXTRA’S TRAINWRECK INTERVIEW WITH KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN

A very odd and excruciatingly awkward segment between the oldest Kardashian sister and the hosts of Today Extra makes the top three of our broadcast fails.

In 2016 during a live cross from Hollywood, Kardashian decided that rather than answering a question about her sister Kim’s recent traumatic robbery experience, she would completely blank her Australian interviewers and then blame her silence on a bad connection.

Unfortunately for Kourtney, her ruse was given away by the palm trees in her background blowing in the wind.

Upon realising that the connection was perfectly fine and his guest was just choosing to ignore him, host David Campbell became clearly offended, stating “I think she’s blanking me. I think she’s totally blanking me.”

His co-anchor Sonia Kruger scrambled to do damage control “Okay it looks like Kourtney doesn’t want to answer this question” to which Campbell incredulously shot back: “Well she could just say that her sisters fine!”

Moments later, after talking to somebody off screen Kourtney broke her silence to reveal that in fact, her sister was ‘not great’.

2. JACKETGATE ON NINE NEWS NOW

What happens off air should stay off air — this was certainly the case when footage was leaked showing a tense exchange of words taking place minutes before the show was due to go live.

The white hot drama between an all female panel on Channel 9 could be used as a case study on passive aggression.

Newsreader Amber Sherlock was preparing for a segment with colleague Julie Snook and guest psychologist Sandy Rae.

The spat started when it was revealed all three ladies were dressed in white, prompting Sherlock to demand her colleague to go put a jacket — not because she thought Snook looked a bit cold but rather she took serious issue with the fact all three were dressed the same.

Snook wasted no time being polite and stood her ground, clearly not impressed by Sherlock’s gripe, saying: “If it’s an issue I can go” to which Sherlock snapped back: “It is an issue. Go and get a jacket.”

The panel’s guest speaker, Sandy Rae, also deserves recognition for providing entertainment value through her visceral discomfort and consistent cringing throughout the whole debacle.

The segment also went viral on a global scale and was picked up by US comedian Jimmy Kimmel who included it in an opening monologue on his talk show saying: “I don’t know who decided to release this tape but whoever that was I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

It’s now water under the bridge for both Snook and Sherlock with no bad blood and Snook shrugging it off as a tough day at the office.

1. CHANNEL 10: A BURN SO IMPRESSIVE, IN SUCH A SHORT SEGMENT

Number one on the list is taken out by a blistering below-the-belt one-liner delivered live on air during a Ten News bulletin by Belinda Heggen aimed at co-host Mark Aiston.

What was supposed to be a pleasant, yet dull exchange about the Ashes was turned on its head when Heggen used it as a segue to make some cutting allusions to Aiston’s erm — manhood.

The sledge was executed with deadpan delivery, a straight face followed by a subtle head nod before turning back to the camera to break to the weather, leaving Aiston ashen faced.

However, there is no juicy backstory behind the jibe, as it’s understood the two colleagues regularly banter with each other.

Heggen later said she was just getting in first because Aiston was usually the one dropping clangers.

Heggen’s moment in the sun lasted longer than expected with the exchange earning global media attention and as well as 10 million views on YouTube — the first piece of video content uploaded by an Australian broadcaster to do so.