Jawdropping TV moments that shocked Australia
Australian TV viewers were in for a wild ride this year with reality TV and some of the biggest scandals to rock politics, sport and the entertainment industry.
Australian TV viewers were in for a wild ride this year with reality TV and some of the biggest scandals to rock politics, sport and the entertainment industry.
Today we re-live some of the incidents that left audiences stunned, with more questions than answers.
THE MOMENT THAT STOPPED MKR
Sonya Mefaddi and Hadil Faiza rocked Seven’s My Kitchen Rules this year when they blew up at one of the dinner parties and were asked to leave by judges Pete Evans and Manu Feildel. It was the first time a pair of contestants were booted from the show. After it happened, Sonya took to Instagram and Facebook to claim that there was another reason why she reacted at the table the way she did.
In referring to being in the “MKR bubble”, she claimed that she was subjected to insults ‘ugly fat b***h’ and ‘dumb c***’ while filming.
They took her back to her childhood, where she was regularly bullied for her race and weight.
She also suggested that editing of the show played a part in her negative portrayal. She wrote: “It’s been a really tough road seeing myself being portrayed in such a horrible light.”
She went on to say sorry for what viewers saw.
The contestants from NSW were “excused from the table” by Feildel after they launched an attack on fellow contestants Jess and Emma from NSW.
In the heat of the moment, Hadil called Emma a “blow fish” before she hit back saying: “You look like Bubba Gump.”
“Guys, a little bit of respect,” Evans said at the time.
The argument was sparked after Sonya and Hadil said the sisters were “definitely not the top eight we expected in this competition, but it’s going to make it easier to beat them.”
KARL GETS ROASTED AT THE LOGIES
Logies host Dave Hughes targeted Karl Stefanovic in his opening monologue where he touched on the Uber scandal, which in part has cost him his job at Nine.
“Be careful Stefanovics,” Hughes said when referencing him taking an Uber after the awards event.
“Whether it’s a cab or an Uber mate, leave a tip,” he told Karl. “
Then they don’t have to make any extra money selling the story to New Idea.”
Hughes went on to say: “If you don’t know the story … Karl was on loudspeaker in an Uber … you shouldn’t have been bitching about your work colleagues.”
“I’m sure Georgie’s very happy,” Hughes said in reference to his co-host, Georgie Gardner. “Still on the fence Georgie, or did you take a pail and hit him over the head with it?”
Hughes then added: “Imagine Karl and his brother in the bunk bed at home, as kids, talking smack about their mum. She’s outside the bedroom, saying: “I can hear you d**kheads …”
THE BACHELOR FINALE
Nick “Honey Badger” Cummins stunned millions of Australians when he left The Bachelor’s two finalists without a commitment to either of them.
In a TV first that left Aussies on the edge of their seats, Cummins rejected both Sophie Tieman and Brittany Hockley in the finale.
The women told News Corp that Cummins, who jetted overseas to trek the Kokoda Track after the finale aired, had a lot of explaining to do.
He was also hunted down by a camera crew from Nine’s A Current Affair and told them and their camera crew to give him some space.
Since then he has said he just wasn’t ready for anything serious and needed to clear his head.
MEGHAN MARKLE’S CRAZY BISHOP
It was the royal wedding of the year — but the moment Prince Harry married Meghan Markle did not go down without a spectacle at Windsor Castle.
The Most Reverend Bishop Michael Curry, who had been invited from Chicago, went into full-on preacher mode for a record 14 minutes.
His sermon sent social media into a spin, with people suggesting he may have gone off script.
He opened his speech with the words of Martin Luther King Jr: “We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love. And when we do that, we will be able to make of this old world a new world. Love is the only way.”
“There’s power in love. Don’t underestimate it. Don’t even over-sentimentalise. There is power, power in love.” Such power could be seen in the service, he continued, saying: “Two young people fell in love and we all showed up.”
Harry and Meghan mostly kept a straight face — although they did share a smile — whereas the Queen looked decidedly less amused.
BARNABY AND VIKKI’S INTERVIEW
The former Deputy Prime Minister and his partner broke their silence in a $150,000 interview with Seven’s Sunday Night, which made viewers cringe.
Ms Campion revealed she had purchased the medicine needed to have an abortion after she first discovered she was pregnant, after she was pressured to terminate the baby by “conservatives” within the National Party.
Ms Campion said the pair was “close for a long time” before things turned romantic in “late 2016”.
However, Mr Joyce became combative when asked about who made the first move.
“I don’t know, mate. When did it happen with your missus?” Mr Joyce said.
Mr Joyce said he and Ms Campion “didn’t stumble into this like we were kids”.
“You show me the person who has a perfect marriage and I’ll show you a liar,” Mr Joyce also said.
Ms Campion added: “I grew up in a small town. Everyone’s got their s**t. I apologise to every innocent party that was dragged through this, including Sebastian. I’m really sorry.
“But, you know, you can’t really … You can’t help who you fall in love with.”
SERENA LASHES OUT AT UMPIRE
Serena Williams declared she did not know her coach was giving her instructions and had “never cheated in her life” after her hopes of winning a 24th grand slam title ended in extraordinary scenes at the US Open.
The American received three code violations, including a game penalty for verbal abuse, from chair umpire Carlos Ramos in losing the final 6-2 6-4 to Naomi Osaka.
After Williams lost the first set to the Japanese 20th seed, Ramos gave Williams the first code violation in the form of a warning early in the second set for getting instructions from her coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
The French coach later admitted to ESPN he had been giving Williams instructions but added he did not think his player had looked in his direction.
He said Osaka’s coach Sascha Bajin had also been giving his player advice.
“If I’m honest I was coaching, I don’t think she looked at me,” Mouratoglou said.
THE BLOCK ARRESTS
It was the moment no one at The Gatwick Hotel in St Kilda saw coming. Two labourers were arrested for stealing Norm and Jess’ credit card and going on shopping spree of almost $1000.
“We were blindsided,” Jess said.
“We knew those guys and had invited them into our apartment, fed them, sang them happy birthday and gave them beers.”
CCTV footage showed the tradies bought charcoal chicken, petrol and fish hooks.
“When we found out it was them, no one on the entire worksite could believe it; they were the last people we’d have thought swiped our credit card,” Jess said.
“We felt tricked.”
One of the labourers was convicted of credit card fraud and deported. The other was released. Suncorp returned the money to Jess and Norm.
TOMIC LEAVES THE I’M A CELEB JUNGLE
Hot-headed tennis player Bernard Tomic made history on Ten’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! when he left the jungle after just three days. He told News Corp that he was “sorry” that he let the show’s fans down.
The 25-year-old said: “But this was for my best interests and something that is going to benefit my career.”
“I definitely don’t see myself as a quitter here,” he explained.
Tomic was meant to be competing for $100,000 for his chosen charity — Ronald McDonald House.
But he conceded he thought he should be back on the tennis court.
“I shouldn’t have probably came but I am happy I came because something clicked for me in those few days in camp, it is something I will never forget but I need to go back to doing what I do and doing what I do best. Now my main focus is continuing where I started about a month and a half ago,” he told News Corp.
ANTHONY MUNDINE’S TV CLANGERS
Anthony Mundine quit I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! less than two weeks in because he claimed he missed his family.
But the show’s host Chris Brown claimed the boxer had a row with his rival Danny Green.
“We thought he had taken it (the challenge) in his stride but they’ve gone back to camp, he’s had a disagreement with Danny Green and walked out of camp. In typical Mundine style he has stormed out,” he said, Mundine’s charity was the indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV).
While he was in the jungle he also raised eyebrows when he aired his controversial views on women. He said that they shouldn’t wear skirts above the knee.
“You want to protect your women,” Mundine said.
“You don’t want other men having prerogative thoughts about your girl or your daughter.”
Mundine has seven children to four different women.
“She can wear a dress … not a short skirt, not above the knees. That is just the way I am, it is the way I feel, the way I think.”
Mundine’s other clanger was when he went down to Jeff Horn who crushed him in just 96 seconds with a first-round KO at Suncorp Stadium on November 30.
Mundine said: “I’ve had a great career. Jeff proved tonight that he was the better man. That’s the next generation. So I pass it on.
“I prepared well but he was too good and got me with a great shot. Good luck to Jeff. He was too strong.
“All the smack talk, I had to build the fight. This is an entertainment business. But I’m all right.”
BERT NEWTON’S BIZARRE LOGIES SPEECH
Bert Newton’s surprising comments he made while presenting the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding Newcomer at the 60th Logie Awards left viewers stunned.
Speaking about his long-time collaborator, Graham Kennedy, Newton joked about how he worked with talent behind closed doors.
“Graham Kennedy was always the sort of man who nurtured young talent. He enjoyed giving young people a chance on television, he was a great mentor, he mentored a lot of young people,” the veteran Australian entertainer said.
“You knew if you went to his dressing room it was locked, he will be inside doing some mentoring. Don Lane was a mentor too.”
Newton was asked to clarify his remarks in the media room where he was pressed on what exactly he meant in the current climate, considering what has been exposed in the #metoo movement.
“I was just referring to the fact that it was totally innocent as far as I’m concerned. But in fairness these days everything is jumped on but I’m not that sort of person I don’t mean anything untoward,” he said.
BALL TAMPERING DRAMA FOR SMITH AND WARNER
Both Steve Smith and David Warner gave emotional press conferences when they addressed their role in the ball tampering saga once they arrived back in Australia.
In Smith’s case, he was interrupted by Intern Pete from the Kyle and Jackie O show.
As he fought back tears, Pete said: “I want to let you know from the perspective [of the] non-sports community of Australians, to see you upset tonight is very sad.”
“Mate I’ve got to tell you...hold your head high for what you have done because what’s actually been worse is what Davina and Dean did on Married At First Sight.”
Smith left shortly after Pete was cut off.
I’ve made a big mistake by allowing this to happen,” Smith said at the time. “It was a huge error of judgment on my part and I’m deeply sorry.”
In Warner’s case, he also apologised while in tears as he read a prepared statement.
He said his actions were “inexcusable and deeply regrettable”.
Warner apologised to teammates, support staff, Australian and South African fans and vowed to change.
“To the fans and the lovers of the game who have supported and inspired me on my journey as a cricketer, I want to sincerely apologise for betraying your trust in me,” he said.
“I have let you down badly. I hope in time I can find a way to repay you for all you’ve given me and possibly earn your respect again.”
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