Glenn McGrath has broken his week-long silence after a Sunrise presenter made an awkward joke on-air about the cricketing legend being dead.
Just before McGrath was due to appear on Sunrise last week, newly appointed host Mylee Hogan was heard saying “Glenn McGrath died” as her co-hosts were introducing the upcoming interview.
McGrath was asked during the annual Jane McGrath High Tea at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium on Friday about the debacle.
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The cricketing great appeared to have taken the joke in his stride, and confirmed he had been in contact with Hogan.
“We’ve spoken, everything’s good,” he said.
McGrath was appearing on the breakfast program to discuss the Boxing Day test and the McGrath Foundation’s Pink Test, which is dedicated to the memory of the cricketer’s late wife Jane.
The hosts had just wrapped up a segment covering a viral TikTok prank, where users video their parents’ reaction to being told their favourite celebrity had died.
Stand in hosts Mark Beretta and Edwina Bartholomew were visibly shocked at Hogan’s joke about McGrath and quickly attempted to move on from the awkward moment.
“Don’t even…that’s not funny,” Bartholomew said.
“I don’t get that at all. That’s so not funny… it’s crazy,” Beretta added.
Hogan has not reappeared on the hosting desk since the incident, which prompted huge viewer backlash.
Fans of the show took to Facebook to slam Hogan’s “immature and insensitive” comments in droves.
“We will not be watching Sunrise anymore, if that girl with the black hair is reading the news again,” one user wrote on their Facebook page.
Others pointed out it was particularly insensitive as McGrath’s wife had died from breast cancer in 2008.
“She made a comment about Glen McGrath dying and laughed. Doesn’t she know that Glen’s first wife Jane died tragically from breast cancer,” the post continued.
“I agree totally, that was awful,” another commented.
“You’re not wrong…that is sickening. This is what I call offensive. I stopped watching 7 some time ago because I disagreed with their lead host’s treatment of a woman,” a third added.
Source: Sky News
