"Hey, we're Aussies": Bec Maddern's classic response to leaked Djokovic footage
7News anchor Rebecca Maddern has spoken out about her leaked comments about Novak Djokovic with co-host Mike Amor.
The pair of news reporters were captured speaking candidly about the Serbian tennis champion's recent deportation from Australia over his vaccination status, with Rebecca calling Novak an "a**hole".
The footage of the seemingly off-air comments was leaked by an external Channel Seven staffer, with both reporters staying quiet about the blunder until now.
Speaking with Stellar magazine, Rebecca said her and Mike had been friends "long before" their news program together, and were simply exchanging casual banter between mates.
"I'm 100 percent sure that the exact same conversation was actually happening in a pub. And lounge rooms. And workplaces," she said.
"Whether you agree with what I was saying or not is actually irrelevant. Everybody was talking about this and so were we. My language was questionable, but hey, we're Aussies."
The expletive-ridden rant about Novak quickly went viral on social media, with many Australians feeling divided over Mike and Rebecca's views.
Rebecca hit back at critics that called her and Mike "unprofessional" and "biased", as she said the idea of impartial journalists was "antiquated".
"We are human beings and part of the same community as everybody else. Just because I have an opinion on a topic doesn’t mean I can’t present or write about a topic without bias. It’s called training.
"When I’m on air, I’m a professional and I don’t use that language. I’ll be presenting the news straighty-180 from now on."
Image credits: 7News / Channel Nine