Tracey Spicer’s new book reveals her TV fainting fails plus sacking over sexism

VIDEO: TV star Tracey Spicer’s new book reveals how she fainted on her first AND second TV appearances — plus how she felt writing about her post-baby sacking.

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JOURNALIST Tracey Spicer might have become a household name but she actually failed on her first TV appearance.

The northern beaches mum-of-two reveals in her autobiography, The Good Girl Stripped Bare,

the embarrassing TV slip-up also happened on her SECOND screen appearance too.

Former news reader Tracey Spicer at her home in Curl Curl. Picture: Adam Yip/ Manly Daily

The gaffs came soon after Spicer starting work at Ten, when she was asked to stand in for a weather presenter.

But when she started feeling dizzy, she simply said to camera; “Excuse me I have to go now, Goodbye.”

The next night she fainted — but it actually helped her career she said.

Tracey Spicer in her commercial TV days.

Tracey Spicer reflects on her years in TV — including the sexism.

“It was a miracle. Three great things came out of that fainting,” laughed Spicer, 49.

“One, I learned I suffer from panic attacks and I know how to breathe through them, two I got an audition to read the Brisbane news full time, and the third great thing was a punk band started called The Fainting Weathergirls. It’s one of the few things the children are impressed about.”

Spicer, from Curl Curl, also recounts how she was sacked from her Ten job after having her second child, Grace with husband Jason, in 2006.

The network settled out of court — and she was immediately offered work on Sky.

And she said reliving the traumatic ordeal was cathartic — but difficult.

Tracey Spicer with husband Jason in 2011.

Tracey Spicer has released her book, The Good Girl Stripped Bare.

“Doing the audio book was incredibly emotional. I lost my voice and I think it was emotion.

“A couple of times I’d come to a bit and I’d say to the engineer ‘I don’t know whether I can say this out loud,” she said.

And while it’s been more than a decade since she left Ten, Spicer, who still works in the media including for abc’s The Drum, said she’s been inundated by people affected by similar sexism and bullying in the workplace.

“I’ve receive hundreds upon hundreds of emails and social media messages from women and from men who’ve gone through discrimination and bullying in the workplace,” she said.

“I’ve replied to all of them. It makes me feel incredibly sad that it’s still a huge issue but it makes me feel heartened that people are willing to reach out rather than suffering in silence.”

Tracey Spicer with her family.

However, she’s also received some more unwelcome messages — from internet trolls.

“One is called @dildo something and he was having a go and I said ‘hmm, I think somebody with a handle like that really — it’s calling the pot calling the kettle black,” she said.