“Lying, sneaky a**hole”: In leaked video, TV anchors caught badmouthing Novak Djokovic

Team Udayavani, Jan 12, 2022, 1:54 PM IST

A leaked video, showing two Australian TV anchors badmouthing Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic during a private meeting has gone viral online. Seven News Melbourne’s Mike Amor and Rebecca Maddern were overheard calling Djokovic a “lying, sneaky a**hole” off-air, presumably in reference to Novak making a false disclosure about his travel history before arriving in Australia.

The exchange took occurred immediately before the station’s 6 p.m. news broadcast, according to Sky News.

“Whatever way you look at it, Novak Djokovic is a lying sneaky a***hole,” Ms. Maddern said.

To which her colleague Mike Amor responded, “He got a bullshit f***ing excuse and then fell over his own f***ing lies. It’s just what happens, right, that’s what happened,” further adding, “And then, he now then ticking he didn’t go to Spain,”

Mike Amor and Bec Maddern forgetting the camera/mic is always on ??? #Djokovic pic.twitter.com/shre3hZpH8

— #OkBoomers? (@MelbTigerTalk) January 11, 2022

On social media, reactions to the leaked footage have been mixed, with the TV hosts and others pointing out that a private chat between two people should never have been made public.

According to the Daily Mail, Craig McPherson, the Director of News and Public Affairs for the Seven Network, said that an inquiry has been initiated to discover the person responsible for the video’s online release. Meanwhile, Rebecca Maddern has apologised to her superiors.

Novak Djokovic, a Serbian tennis player, sparked outrage when he arrived in Australia on January 5 with a medical exemption from vaccination due to a positive coronavirus test on December 16 of last year. Border officials decided the exemption was not legitimate after interviewing him overnight at Melbourne airport, terminated his visa, and transported him to a detention centre pending deportation. On Monday, the visa cancellation was overturned in court.