Australian presenter breaks silence on slurred Olympics report

19 Feb 2026 • 5:18 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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An Australian presenter has apologised after going viral for her slurred speech during a Winter Olympics report.

Channel Nine journalist Danika Mason stumbled over her words during a broadcast on Wednesday (18 February), discussing iguanas and the price of coffee during a sports update.

The next morning, Mason apologised for her previous segment and said she takes “full responsibility.”

“I shouldn’t have had a drink, and especially in these conditions, it’s cold, we’ve got altitude, and not having had dinner probably didn’t help as well.

“It’s not the standard that I set for myself… I’m really sorry.”

Prime minister Anthony Albanese defended Mason, telling Nova Melbourne: “Good on her, she’s over in Italy and she would have been tired.”