Veteran newsreader Hugh Riminton has found himself at the centre of a major broadcasting storm following a serious on-air gaffe during Channel Ten's coverage of the AFL finals.
The incident occurred during the heated final-round clash between the Adelaide Crows and Collingwood Magpies on Saturday. While discussing Magpies defender Isaac Quaynor, Riminton severely mispronounced the player's name, resulting in what sounded to many viewers like a homophobic slur.
Social media immediately erupted, with viewers expressing their shock and anger at the commentator's unfortunate slip of the tongue. Many took to platform X (formerly Twitter) to demand an immediate apology from both the presenter and the network.
Channel Ten moved quickly to contain the fallout, issuing a formal statement clarifying the situation. The network attributed the incident to a simple mispronunciation, stating that Riminton had inadvertently combined the player's surname, 'Quaynor', with the word 'gay'.
The statement read: "It was a mispronunciation. He combined Quaynor and gay. It was a slip of the tongue and nothing more. We apologise for any offence caused."
Riminton, a highly experienced and respected journalist with a career spanning decades, is understood to be deeply embarrassed by the unintentional error. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the immense pressure and split-second precision required in live sports broadcasting, where any slip can be amplified across social media within moments.
