An Olympic assignment took an unexpected turn this week after one of Australia’s biggest sports reporters admitted she’d had a drink before going live on air — and viewers definitely noticed.
Danika Mason, a familiar face on Channel Nine and a go-to voice for National Rugby League coverage, found herself at the center of social media chatter after a snowy cross from Italy didn’t exactly go to plan.
The 33-year-old journalist was reporting from northern Italy, where she’s covering the Winter Olympics, when her live segment on the Today breakfast show veered off course. Speaking from what looked like freezing conditions, Mason’s words began to blur together as she talked about the price of coffee overseas and reacted to a co-host joking that she resembled a “frozen iguana.”
“The price of coffee over here is actually fine… it’s actually the price of coffee in the U.S. we have to get used to… I’m not sure about the iguanas? Where are we going with that one?” she said, eyes glassy as she pivoted awkwardly back to sports headlines.
Things didn’t smooth out from there. At one point, she appeared to mix up the U.K. and the U.S., while host Karl Stefanovic laughed in the background.
“Look, the cold weather is a thing, right,” Stefanovic joked on air. “You can’t actually move your lips.”
Clips of the segment quickly made the rounds online, with viewers speculating about what had gone wrong. By Thursday morning, Mason addressed the moment head-on.
Appearing again on Today, she wrapped her regular sports update before asking for a moment to speak directly to viewers.
“I just want to apologise,” she said. “I’m OK — probably just a little embarrassed.”
Then she owned it.
“I totally misjudged the situation. I shouldn’t have had a drink, especially in these conditions. It’s cold, we’ve got altitude, and not having had dinner probably didn’t help as well. But I want to take full responsibility. It’s not the standard I set myself.”
She added that she was “genuinely really sorry” and thanked those who had reached out with supportive messages.
Her colleagues didn’t pile on. Co-host Jayne Azzopardi told her, “We know how hard you work, Danika,” while Stefanovic brushed it off by calling her a “legend.”
Even Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, weighed in, telling reporters he was “pro-Danika” and suggesting there was “nothing to see here.” He floated jet lag as a possible culprit behind the awkward broadcast.
For now, Mason appears to be moving forward with her Olympic coverage — and with some powerful supporters in her corner.
Still, in the age of viral clips and instant commentary, it’s a reminder that even seasoned TV pros aren’t immune to a live-TV slip that the internet won’t soon forget.
She can do CNN for next New Year’s ball drop in NYC.
It could happen to anyone….No news here