New report claims Matt Doran was ‘fifth choice’ to interview Adele

A new report claims Matt Doran was Seven’s “fifth choice” to interview Adele – and chemistry between the two quickly fizzled.

Weekend Sunrise host Matt Doran was Seven’s “fifth choice” to interview music superstar Adele but was chosen in the hopes he’d “create chemistry” with the singer, according to a new report.

The Daily Mail Australia reports sources within Seven are “fuming” over the botched opportunity, which saw Doran travel to London to interview the singer, only to admit during the chat that he hadn’t listened to her new album.

Adele’s record company Sony exercised their right to nix the interview, leaving Seven with no footage from an interview that was organised as part of a reported $1 million deal which included local rights to air the singer’s recent One Night Only concert special.

Weekend Sunrise host Matt Doran.

Adele’s team nixed the interview. Picture: Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty

The Mail reports that Sonia Kruger had been the first choice to take on the coveted interview, which was to be Adele’s only Australian TV appearance to promote her new album 30. However, Kruger’s hosting duties on Big Brother VIP, which finished airing last night, reportedly meant she couldn’t make the journey.

Nat Barr, Mel Doyle and Michael Usher were all also reportedly considered for the assignment before Doran was sent – but Adele reportedly “didn’t click” with him from the start.

“There were concerns about Matt from the beginning … that he didn’t have the experience to handle something of this scale,” a Seven source told the Mail.

“There were also a few of us who thought Matt was chosen purely as a tactic to create some chemistry with Adele … which obviously backfired.”

Doran was met with a fierce public backlash after The Daily Telegraph broke the news of the interview stuff-up on Sunday, with fans fuming that he hadn’t bothered to listen to Adele’s new album – which details her divorce from husband Simon Konecki over 12 songs – during the long journey to London.

Doran and crew in London before the interview.

Adele was reportedly offended by the admission, and her record company nixed the footage of the half-hour chat, leaving Seven with nothing.

But Doran defended himself in an interview with The Australian, claiming it was an unfortunate mistake, rather than arrogance, that meant he didn’t listen to Adele’s new music before the interview.

He said he had been sent an e-copy of the new album but “somehow missed” it while flying to London. He called it “the most important email I have ever missed,” and said he was “mortified and unequivocally apologetic”.

“When I sat down to interview Adele, I was totally unaware that I’d been emailed a preview of her unreleased album,” Doran said.

He also refuted reports he was suspended by Seven over the incident, telling The Australian’s Nick Tabakoff he was never “formally” suspended despite being off the air for one weekend.

News.com.au has today approached the Seven network for comment.