That time Tracy Grimshaw told viewers the Queen had abdicated
Big affairs of state bring out the best in the world’s media.
Like News Corp’s UK tabloid The Sun, who killed off Prince Philip last night, when the poor chap was merely retiring from public life at the age of 95.
If the Queen were to do the same thing, that would of course be abdication of the throne, and a far bigger deal. At which point, Nine’s A Current Affair stepped up with a cry of “Hold my beer…”
And then followed the most incoherent minute of Tracy Grimshaw’s career.
Or as Grimshaw told viewers during a live cross with Nine’s Europe correspondent Michael Best:
“I think I’m hearing something about a s…
“I’m hearing that, er, right. Sorry, what? I’m sorry.
‘Okay Michael I am hearing that there is a Royal announcement there has been an announcement that the Queen is stepping down from public life.
“Which. And that is very significant. Now, have we got… somebody’s in my ear. Have we got confirmation of that? Or is that speculation?
“We have confirmation.”
Poor old Best tried to prevent the trainwreck: “I think it’s Prince Philip.”
But Grimshaw – having been utterly stitched up by the production team in her ear – was having none of it. “We have confirmation of a statement from the Palace. Do you have…”
And as quickly as it had begun, the Queen’s abdication was over.
“Prince Philip is stepping down from public life,” a by now thoroughly anguished looking Grimshaw informed viewers.
It wasn’t quite up there with the time Richard Wilkins killed off Jeff Goldblum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgpTVfOE5rg
But it was close.
