The apology was aired at the end of Saturday’s Weekend Sunrise program.
Journalist and Weekend Sunrise presenter Matt Doran has apologised for not listening to Adele’s newest album, 30, ahead of his scheduled interview with the pop star in London a few weeks ago.
Adele had asked Doran whether he liked the album at the end of their 30-minute chat, but Doran admitted he hadn’t listened to it.
This led to Adele’s management Sony Music using its veto powers to block Channel 7 from broadcasting the interview.
Seeming to get emotional while delivering his apology, Doran said this story had sparked a torrent of abuse from around the world, but admitted he deserved the bulk of the savaging.
“I flew to London to interview Adele, an unspeakable privilege, and what was to be one of the highlights of my career.
“I made the terrible mistake of assuming we weren’t to be given a preview copy of this album, because our interview was airing before it was released, and Adele’s album was the industry’s most prized secret.
“The day after, after, we landed in London, an email came through from Sony. It didn’t mention Adele, but it did contain a link to her album.
“The genuine, deadset, hand on heart truth is that I missed it. By an absurdly long margin the most important email I’ve ever missed in my life.”
Doran then addressed some of the rumours of the interview, stating that Adele did not walk out of the interview, and that it had in fact run longer than the 20-minutes scheduled
He then talked through some of the things the pair discussed in the interview, about the empowering message it could give to fans, the paradox of being the world’s most famous artist but hating fame, and the pure artistry of Adele’s voice.
Doran said:
“Throughout the 29 minutes Adele was profound, she was funny, she was raw, and then she was honest. Honest enough to describe her depression as ‘end of the world stuff’.
“But all that doesn’t matter because by missing the album link, however I might try to justify it, I’ve insulted Adele.
“To Adele I say, I’d never have knowingly disrespected you by deliberately not listening to your work, I am so sorry. I also apologise to Adele’s Australian fans, and to you, our viewers, who through my error have been denied this interview and the insight into her character.”
Watch Doran’s full apology at the end of this morning’s Weekend Sunrise, here:
Seven reportedly invested close to $1 million to secure Australian broadcast rights for the Adele package which included the Doran interview and the Adele One Night Only TV special which featured concert footage and a conversation with Oprah Winfrey that aired last Sunday.
The Sunday Telegraph reported Doran was subsequently suspended for two weeks and severely reprimanded by his employer.
