Aussie radio host sobs over taxi encounter

Aussie radio presenter Ali Clarke has posted an emotional late-night video to social media, detailing a “tough” clash with a taxi driver.

Australian radio host Ali Clarke has detailed an upsetting encounter with a taxi driver, in an emotional video posted to her Instagram account in the early hours of this morning.

The popular presenter, who stepped down as host of Adelaide’s Mix 102.3 breakfast show at the end of last year after three years, told her followers she’d been trying to get home from the Woman of the Year awards, where she was nominated in the Inspiration of the Year category, in the city’s CBD when the nasty incident happened.

“Everybody knows me that I don’t do this,” she said of posting the video, “but what has just happened has been horrible. I’ve just been with friends and needed to get home by myself – [my] husband came home earlier.”

Clarke said she got in a waiting taxi and asked to be taken home – and claimed that, as it was only a small fare, she even offered to pay the driver more.

She said the driver refused to take her, arguing that he had been waiting to find a passenger for 40 minutes so presumably wanted to wait for a larger fare. She said he instructed her to get out of the car and wait on the street for another taxi.

“I said, ‘but I just want to get home. He said [I] need to get out, but I said, well there’s no-one on the other side of the street. I said mate, you’ve got to take me home, don’t you?”

This, Clarke alleges, is when things turned ugly.

“He said, you need to get out, your p***y smells,” she said, breaking down in tears.

“I got out, and I was trying to be brave. I’m 48 years of age, and I have children, and I’m tough.

Aussie radio host Ali Clarke breaks down.

Clarke alleged that the driver then wound down his window and repeated the slur at her.

“What are we supposed to do with that? [I’m] pretty tough, but that was bad. I thought we were better than that,” she said.

Sharing the video to her Instagram account, Clarke said of the encounter: “I can honestly say I’ve never felt more alone and exposed as tonight. I have the 13CABS car number and have tried ringing them to report this guy and they haven’t answered. It was only after I took a photo of him and his number he started getting abusive. This is not OK and I know Melb and Syd have been dealing with non-metre gouging, but this was next level. Thanks to the security who helped me get home. On International Women’s Day I’ve never felt sadder.”

Ali Clarke during her final Mix 102.3 radio show late last year. Picture: Mix102.3

Clarke had announced her departure from Mix 102.3 breakfast show on-air in November last year, explaining that the events of the previous year had “really brought home to me that ultimately you have to follow your heart and you have to act with integrity and if I was to stay, I wouldn’t be doing that 100 per cent fully.”

Earlier in 2024, Clarke broke down on-air as she told listeners she’d been diagnosed with cancer.

“I’m genuinely not even sure how to say it so I’ll just blurt it out, a few weeks ago I was diagnosed with bloody breast cancer.”

The mum of three, who is married to AFLW coach Matthew Clarke, told listeners at the time she had been struggling with the thought of having a breast removed.

Ultimately, Clarke said she was aware the operation was “absolutely necessary”.

“The biggest part of my brain knows that this is really what needs to happen for me to be good,” she said.

Originally published as Aussie radio host sobs over taxi encounter