Amor apologises for his ‘potty mouth’ in sensational leaked 7News footage

Mike Amor has taken to social media to apologise for his ‘potty mouth’ in leaked video of rant against Novak Djokovic with 7News co-host Rebecca Maddern.

Newsreader Mike Amor has broken his silence and apologised for his “potty mouth” over the leaked expletive-laden video which showed himself and his 7News co-host Rebecca Maddern slamming Novak Djokovic.

The video has been seen by millions around the world after going viral on Tuesday night.

An employee of Ai-Media, the company contracted to provide the captions for 7News, has since been found responsible for the leak and sacked.

Amor apologised on Instagram for his colourful language referring to his frank assessment of Djokovic and his excuses.

“Yikes … this one burned. Sorry Aunty Helen for my terrible potty mouth,” he wrote on social media underneath a screenshot of a message from a relative.

The message from ‘Aunty Helen’ read: “Good on you, Mike, you have just said what most people are thinking. I’ll have to come down and was (wash) your mouth out with soap and water though, xx.”

CULPRIT FOUND

The leaker of the expletive-laden video showing 7 News hosts Rebecca Maddern and Mike Amor slamming Novak Djokovic has been caught.

Ai-Media Technologies Limited, the company that provides the captioning service for Channel 7, has confirmed one of its employees was responsible for the leak of the sensational private conversation.

The company said “appropriate action” had been taken against the rogue employee.

Ai-Media also confirmed it had made changes to ensure such an embarrassing leak could not happen again.

In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange on Friday the company said it had now completed its investigation into the leak which has made headlines around the world.

“As a result of the investigation, Ai-Media has identified that an employee working remotely due to the COVID-19 outbreak was responsible for the unauthorised distribution of the content,” the statement read.

“Appropriate action has been taken with regard to the employee responsible.”

Ai-Media CEO Tony Abrahams said: “We are Australia’s leading provider of captioning services and we understand the importance of our work in making media accessible and inclusive to a wider audience, while safeguarding the confidential information of our customers.

“We have long standing and strong relationships within the media industry in Australia, and value our relationship with the Seven Network with whom we have been working with for over five years.

“This is the first such incident in Ai-Media’s 19-year history and enhanced controls have since been implemented to ensure it cannot be repeated.”

Mike Amor and Rebecca Maddern were filmed calling Novak Djokovic an ‘arsehole’ in a leaked video. Picture: Josie Hayden

SURPRISE RATINGS TWIST AFTER HOT MIC LEAK

An expletive-laden video leak of 7 News hosts Rebecca Maddern and Mike Amor slamming Novak Djokovic has seen an unexpected ratings boost.

Amor and Maddern fronted the 6pm bulletin again on Wednesday, but neither took the opportunity to address the controversy during the hour-long show.

Wednesday night’s evening bulletin lifted by 40,000 viewers compared to Tuesday evening’s ratings.

On Wednesday, the bulletin drew 301,000 viewers in Melbourne between 6-6.30pm, well up from 261,000 on Tuesday night.

Seven was still pipped by Channel 9 in Melbourne with Nine’s bulletin presented by Peter Hitchener pulling 322,000 viewers.

Meanwhile, a small detail on the leaked footage has led to the culprit.

After an exhaustive investigation, a TV captioning service has been identified as being behind the video of the private conversation being made public.

Employees within the network were cleared of being involved by a small timestamp on the footage which does not appear on video used internally at the network.

That captioning service is used by networks to provide content for the hearing-impaired.

The Australian reports that Seven executives are still considering reporting the video — described on Wednesday as an “illegal” recording — to police.

The network is hopeful of resolving the matter on Thursday.

SEVEN FURIOUS OVER LEAK

The studio feed in which Maddern describes Djokovic as being a “lying, sneaking, arsehole” to Amor went viral on social media on Tuesday night.

Seven Melbourne managing director Lewis Martin said on Wednesday morning the investigation was already well advanced.

“There has been an illegal recording of a private conversation,” Martin told 3AW.

“It is something that is going to be looked at and is being looked at thoroughly.

“We are going to have an outcome. What has happened here is illegal.”

“People’s motivation for why they have done this can vary from well-intended, (to) naive, to a more sinister outcome.

“We have got broadcast operations people that are looking into it from last night.

“So they are working out how the vision was recorded and how it was distributed.

The video emerged on social media.

“We have to be very careful here because this is a legal matter, there has been an (illegal) recording of a private conversation.

“We are going to have an outcome, I am absolutely determined to see that there is an outcome because what has happened here is illegal.”

Mr Martin said he had spoken with on air talent Rebecca Maddern and she had apologised.

He acknowledged while broadcasters must always assume their microphones are live, the pair were nonetheless “entitled to have a private conversation”.

Craig McPherson, Seven Network Director of News and Public Affairs, said the leaking of the video was “cowardly.”

“The illegal recording was of a private conversation between two colleagues. It was an underhanded, cowardly act in breach of the Victorian Listening Devices legislation the perpetrator of which will be accordingly dealt with when found,” Mr McPherson said.

Rebecca Maddern only recently joined the Channel 7 news team. Picture: Josie Hayden

HOW HOT MIC LEAK UNFOLDED

The leaked video shows Maddern saying: “Whatever way you look at it, Novak Djokovic is a lying, sneaking arsehole.”

Amor agreed that Djokovic was “an arsehole” who lied as a means of securing entry into Australia.

“You’ve got a bulls--- f--king excuse and then he fell over his own f--king lies. That’s what happens right?,” Amor said.

The news anchors conceded that despite the controversy surrounding Djokovic, he had been let down by authorities and those around him.

“It is unfortunate that everyone stuffed up around him,” Maddern said.

“I don’t think anything was gained by putting him in immigration hotels.”

Maddern said that while most “fair minded people would say the bloke is an arsehole”, the public would question whether authorities “had done the right thing” by him.

The pair believe that despite Immigration Minister Alex Hawke assuring the “matter and process remains ongoing”, the unvaccinated player will ultimately prevail and will be able to compete in the Australian Open.

“I think he is going to get away with it,” Amor said.

“Life is never fair, some people fly first class … it is never fair,” Maddern added.

Good form @mikeamor7 and @Rebecca7Maddern. But whoever leaked this from channel 7 deserves free beers! @7NewsMelbourne! #Djokovicpic.twitter.com/yNVrmuGtRF

— Sleevo#️⃣2️⃣ (@Mick_Roos3) January 11, 2022

Yesterday, I thought @mikeamor7 & @Rebecca7Maddern were professionals with integrity.

Today, I feel exactly the same, except I like them just that little bit more.

— Justin Smith (@justinsmithword) January 11, 2022

No issue... 🤷🏾‍♂️ @Rebecca7Maddern and @mikeamor7 only saying what we are all thinking @7NewsMelbourne

— Darren Purchese (@DarrenPurchese) January 11, 2022

That 7 News footage where the hosts call Novak Djokovic a lying sneaky arsehole is a delight and honestly I’d love a nightly news show where the hosts spoke so frankly

— Jess McGuire (@jessmcguire) January 11, 2022

Mike Amor & Rebecca Maddern should be crowned The King & Queen of Moomba after this 🙏🙏🙏

— Boston Tiger (@stephtigers) January 11, 2022

The “hot mic” video went viral with many on Twitter hailing Maddern and Amor for “telling it like it is.”

One called for the pair to be made this year’s Moomba Monarchs, another suggested they were saying what many others were thinking.

Others however blasted the pair saying the comments showed media bias towards Djokovic’s Australian Open border battles.

Maddern, who only joined Channel 7 last week as a newsreader, earlier described the role as the “job of a lifetime”.

“I walked into Channel 7 as a 24-year-old cadet and now I return to read the weekend news so it is a really lovely feeling,” she said.

“It is a job of a lifetime; these opportunities don’t come up very often.

“You only have to look at the main anchors and how long they have been in those roles, so it is not lost on me how lucky I am.

Maddern shocked TV observers by quitting 9 in November after five and a half years during which she had co-hosted The Footy Show, Ninja Warrior Australia and Weekend Today.

Her departure was put down to the parties not being able to agree on terms on a new deal.

It’s not the first time Australian newsreaders have landed in hot water after hot mic footage surfaced online.

In 2017, Channel 9 newsreader Amber Sherlock attracted global attention after a leaked video showed her blasting a colleague for wearing a similar outfit on air.