14 DAY TRIAL // Amanda Ware won the latest issue of Australia’s Next Top Model but, in what must be the biggest televised blunder of recent years, it wasn’t her name that was first called out.
For some reason or another, host Sarah Murdoch announced Kelsey Martinovich as the winner – and only minutes later realized what she’s done.
As ABC News informs and the video below can confirm, while Kelsey acted very graciously about the mistake, both Sarah and Amanda couldn’t stop apologizing.
Audiences, on the other hand, were so stunned they didn’t even know how to react at first, when they finally realized that Sarah was telling them she’d announced the wrong winner.
“Murdoch, the model turned television host, originally named Kelsey Martinovich as the winner but minutes later she was told via her microphone feed that the actual winner was Amanda Ware,” ABC News informs.
Sadly, by that time, Kelsey had already started her speech and was clearly overjoyed at the thought, which explains why the host had such a hard time telling her she’d been wrong in her announcement.
“Martinovich had already thanked her fans and the hosts for their support before Murdoch cut short her victory speech,” ABC News notes.
“Oh my God, I don’t know what to say right now. I’m feeling a bit sick about this. I’m so sorry about this,” the host said before announcing the right winner.
“This was a complete accident. I’m so sorry. It’s Amanda. I’m so sorry,” Murdoch said. She then explained that the mix-up wasn’t her fault.
The name had been fed wrong to her, she said. However, it wasn’t the fault of production staff either because the competition between the two girls had been so tight the difference between them was of only a couple of votes.
“This is what happens when you have live TV folks,” Murdoch also said by means of an explanation.
“The winner of the show, which is broadcast on FOX8, receives a modeling contract, a $20,000 cash prize, a car and a trip to New York,” ABC News says.
Below is the video of the televised blunder – one can’t help but note how gracious Kelsey was about the whole thing.