Journalist ‘mortified’ by reaction to Inspired Unemployed prank at feminist event

A month after crowd members reacted angrily to being tricked by a hidden camera show, a prominent Aussie journalist has opened up on the incident.

Journalist Antoinette Lattouf has said she was “mortified” by the response to a prank gone wrong at speaking event that left audience members outraged over “misogynistic” comments.

Ms Lattouf was among three prominent feminist authors to feature at the Love Unboxed event held in Sydney last month, which was billed as a “thought provoking” discussion of love and marriage.

What the crowd did not know was the free Q&A style panel talk was a vehicle for comedy group The Inspired Unemployed’s hidden camera television show (Impractical) Jokers.

The “special guest” advertised to potential attendees ended up being Jack Steele, one half of the Inspired Unemployed who was fed answers to crowd questions through an earpiece.

Antoinette Lattouf (left) with cast members of (Impractical) Jokers. Picture: Supplied

Some of his contributions reportedly included “I think chicks dig consent” and “I really like girl writers”.

His remarks sparked backlash in the crowd of about 100, some of whom were unaware who Mr Steele was, and the fallout continued online against Ms Lattouf and her fellow speakers Clementine Ford and Yumi Stynes.

One witness said some of Mr Steele’s comments could have “triggered” audience members.

“We limped through 50 minutes of feminist hell for a social experiment,” she said.

A month later, Ms Lattouf provided behind-the-scenes context on a podcast she co-hosts, The Antoinettes, released on Thursday.

The former Channel 10 reporter, who was controversially let go from a role at the ABC last year, said she was “mortified” to realise that the audience felt “duped”, conceding she and the other panellists “misread the situation”.

She revealed producers approached her to host the event, and that Ms Ford and Ms Styles answered the questions posed to them seriously.

Mr Steele’s appearance was a “punishment” from his cast mates, she said, adding “he didn’t know what he was walking into”.

“We really thought that the joke would be on Jack and the audience would enjoy being annoyed at him,” Ms Lattouf said.

Jack Steele apologises to the crowd, with Ms Lattouf next to him. Picture: Supplied

“They were enraged, and by ‘they’ I say at least half the audience – but not everybody – were annoyed that he was even given airtime and space and that they weren’t in on the joke.

“They feared that they were the butt of the joke.”

Ms Lattouf said when things took a turn, the show’s producers did not come out as planned and the three women decided to send Mr Steele off the stage.

Footage of the show was posted to Instagram showing audience members saying they felt betrayed by the reveal.

“It comes down to consent,” one said, with murmurs of approval from the crowd.

“I still love you all,” another crowd member said. “But this was a shit show.”

Mr Steele ended up leaving the stage as the audience vented their frustration, pausing to apologise as he went.

“I’m very sorry guys. I look like a f***wit and you all hate me… from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry,” he said.

Ms Lattouf said the people who watch the Inspired Unemployed’s program would still find the prank “really entertaining and funny”.

“Because Jack is the butt of the joke, not the audience,” Ms Lattouf said.

She had not previously commented on the incident as she had signed a nondisclosure agreement, Ms Lattouf said, but added she and the other panellists stayed back for an hour to apologise and continue the event.

Antoinette Lattouf apologised to the audience.

The event was held at The Neilson at Walsh Bay.

(Impractical) Jokers, aired on Paramout+, features members of the Inspired Unemployed being put into awkward situations and told what to say by off-camera cast members.

Ms Lattouf said in her podcast things became “really tense” in the room, and acknowledged that she “took my audience for granted”.

“The great irony of it was the three women mopping up … we apologised profusely and apologised repeatedly and we listened and we heard,” she said.

“Then we realised, ‘damn, we all thought this was land differently’. We honestly did think it would land differently.

“The Venn diagram of those who like the Inspired Unemployed … and those who find me and the other two funny, probably wouldn’t be huge.

“When I realised we had upset our audience I was mortified, mortified that they felt duped – it was a free event so they didn't lose money, but they lost time.”

The Inspired Unemployed and the other speakers from the Walsh Bay event are yet to publicly address the fallout.

Originally published as Journalist ‘mortified’ by reaction to Inspired Unemployed prank at feminist event