An Australian sports reporter blushed with embarrassment after accidentally letting slip a NSFW word on the air, while his coworkers completely and totally lost their composure.
Tony Armstong, of Australia's ABC Breakfast, was, in most Australian manner, reviewing the Captain of the Australian Cricket team Tim Paine's most recent neck injury when a slip of the tongue caused hilarious chaos on set.
SCREAMINGpic.twitter.com/uw4Y6610S9— Matt Bevan (@Matt Bevan) 1631572778
I took me 3 days to realise "the real funny part" of this video. I thought they are laughing over rhyming "Paine said.... causing him pain" \n\nMy English is so bad...https://twitter.com/MatthewBevan/status/1437546542856998913\u00a0\u2026— Ranny* \ud83c\udfcf (@Ranny* \ud83c\udfcf) 1631675191
Howling https://twitter.com/MatthewBevan/status/1437546542856998913\u00a0\u2026— Siddhant (@Siddhant) 1631638503
Not bad https://twitter.com/MatthewBevan/status/1437546542856998913\u00a0\u2026— Dr K Mansell (@Dr K Mansell) 1631629011
Gold!https://twitter.com/MatthewBevan/status/1437546542856998913\u00a0\u2026— Nate (@Nate) 1631614287
"To cricket news, and Tim Paine is set to undergo neck surgery but medical staff remain confident he will be fit for the Ashes," Armstrong began innocently.
But the cause of Paine's injury, a bulging disc, is to blame for the notorious slip that happened next:
"Paine has a bulging d**k that has been, bulging disc that has been - that's a funny one - causing him pain in his neck and left arm and the injury hasn't responded to treatment."
WHOOPS. The word should be disc. DISC. Not....the other one.
My wife used to be an ABC radio journo - avoided using 'funding cuts' in stories to save newsreaders from embarassment.— \ud83d\udca7\ud83d\udc00Peter Neill (@\ud83d\udca7\ud83d\udc00Peter Neill) 1631575566
You just gotta love him - great recovery Tony. And so pleased Michael, Lisa and Nate made it even funnier. Not to mention Tim Paine who is probably feeling very chuffed with himself.— Bernadette Mallia (@Bernadette Mallia) 1631575775
Bulging dicks are an issue in Australia.https://twitter.com/MatthewBevan/status/1437546542856998913\u00a0\u2026— \ud835\ude3f\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude6d \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\u26a1 (@\ud835\ude3f\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude6d \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\u26a1) 1631611559
Blooper. Of. The. Year https://twitter.com/MatthewBevan/status/1437546542856998913\u00a0\u2026— Kate Collins (@Kate Collins) 1631611465
Funnily enough, this is not the first time this particular slip-up has happened.
In the USA, Steve Levy's segment on ESPN delivered a mild shock to viewers as he, too, referred to a sportsman's neck injury as a "bulging d**k" live on the air in 1995.
In Armstrong's case, luckily, his co-hosts laughed it off completely, with co-host Lisa Millar starting she was " just going to drink water" while fellow co-host Michael Rowland lightly mocked Armstrong.
"A bulging what? Disc?" -Rowland
"Disc, disc. I said disc," -Armstrong
"That's what I thought you said." -Rowland
Got to love LIVE TV Sounds painful #TimPainehttps://twitter.com/matthewbevan/status/1437546542856998913\u00a0\u2026— Tom Gaymor (@Tom Gaymor) 1631610215
Bulging what? Lmmfaohttps://twitter.com/MatthewBevan/status/1437546542856998913\u00a0\u2026— Ally's\ud83d\udcd6excellent\ud83d\udcd6Book\ud83d\udcd6Club (@Ally's\ud83d\udcd6excellent\ud83d\udcd6Book\ud83d\udcd6Club) 1631607480
\u201cThat\u2019s a funny one..\u201d https://twitter.com/MatthewBevan/status/1437546542856998913\u00a0\u2026— Julie Snook (@Julie Snook) 1631601223
Bulging what now? https://twitter.com/MatthewBevan/status/1437546542856998913\u00a0\u2026— Michael Snasdell (@Michael Snasdell) 1631636511
best tv blooper I've seen in ages https://twitter.com/MatthewBevan/status/1437546542856998913\u00a0\u2026— \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08Joan \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 a certain zest \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08Joan \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 a certain zest \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1631587446
This is why it's important to practice your material before you walk on stage--otherwise, you may inadvertently compliment someone's crotch area on Live TV and have to live down your co-hosts making fun of you forever.