ABC Weekend Newsreader Natasha Exelby caused a stir when she was fiddling with her pen and realised she was on air.
ABC reportedly decided to ban her from being on air after the incident, however have since released a statement claiming that this was untrue following public backlash.
“Media reports that Natasha has been ‘banned’, ‘barred’ or ‘fired’ are untrue. Natasha is a freelance journalist who works as a contributor,” a statement by News Director Gaven Morris read.
“She has been rostered for various shifts and has been assured since yesterday that we want that to continue. While she is not currently doing any on-air shifts, this will be subject to normal performance management. I have spoken to Natasha and conveyed our regret that this has attracted such attention.”
In case you missed the relatable moment, watch it here:
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That feeling when you're caught daydreaming at work 🙂 (via @UmmRKSZ ) #mediawatch pic.twitter.com/lRkTbpygfo
— Media Watch (@ABCmediawatch) April 9, 2017
Many media figures came foward in defence of the moment, saying that everyone was human and all journalists have messed up at some point on air.
On Twitter, a hashtag named #PutYourBloopersOut revealed these moments in great detail. Here are just a few of the best ones…
I started eating a Tim Tam live on air during rolling coverage of a leadership spill #putyourbloopersout
— Ashleigh Gillon (@ash_gillon) April 10, 2017
When I captioned for the ABC, instead of:
— Patrick Lenton (@PatrickLenton) April 11, 2017
"Penny Wong's lesbian partner"
I wrote:
"Penny Wong's lesbian PANTHER" #putyourbloopersout
Chris Scott's press conferences are becoming increasingly abstract#PutYourBloopersOut pic.twitter.com/T49aKE51Io
— LR (@LRxword) April 11, 2017
I asked for an interview with someone who has been dead since 1962 #putyourbloopersout
— Sally Rawsthorne (@sallyrawsthorne) April 10, 2017
Nothing wrong with a bit of day dreaming at work @NatashaExelby . I fell asleep while on air. #putyourbloopersout pic.twitter.com/10CE3Cqkph
— Grant Denyer (@grantdenyer) April 10, 2017
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I fainted twice and said "fuck" once. To paraphrase @billybragg reading live news is an Accident Waiting To Happen. #putyourbloopersout
— Tracey Spicer AM GAICD (@TraceySpicer) April 10, 2017
In my radio days, reading a story on a squid with 5 meter long tentacles, saying testicles instead. The hosts lost it! #PutYourBloopersOut
— Tim Hatfield (@timhatfield87) April 10, 2017
#putyourbloopersout one time I was reading the news on @2ser & left the letter S out of "Sydney Roosters"… said the word Rooters didn't I
— Mitchell Coombs (@MitchellCoombs) April 10, 2017
Natasha Exelby has responded with good humour on Twitter, thanking everyone for their support and saying it wasn’t her ‘finest hour’.
Thank U all for ur generous support. Not my finest hour. Myself and my mesmerising pen honourably salute you!
— Natasha Exelby (@NatashaExelby) April 10, 2017
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