When former ABC24 newsreader Natasha Exelby‘s on-air gaffe went viral earlier this year, almost everyone saw the funny side, with the unfortunate exception of her employer.
Exelby was caught daydreaming and looking at a pen, and momentarily jumped out of her chair when she realised she was back on air, before getting herself together and continuing with the news.
When word spread that the ever-inscrutable national broadcaster had removed the newsreader from her role, journalists all around the country began sharing their own on-air stuff-ups and accidental c-bombs in solidarity.
Public pressure grew so much that the ABC released a statement denying that it had fired Exelby, saying she had merely been rostered to off-air shifts and that “no-one would ever be punished for a blooper.”
That’s all fine, except that Exelby herself clearly doesn’t see it that way, and she slammed the broadcaster in an interview with today’s Sunday Telegraph. Asked why she remained silent when her story initially went viral, she simply said:
“Even though they (the ABC) didn’t do the right thing by me I wanted to do the right thing by them.”
While she didn’t go into any further detail, it’s clear that there is some degree of bad blood between her and her former employer. Exelby also denied rumours that her gaffe was staged or made-up for publicity, saying:
“If that was the case I think some people give me way too much credit … and I should have been an actor.”
Per the Telegraph, Exelby is now working in the field of “crisis management” and consulting with her company XLB Media. And now, in case you wanted to relive the moment that started all this, here it is:
Source: Sunday Telegraph.
Photo: Supplied
