Channel 7 reportedly suspended journalist Matt Doran for two weeks after he messed up an exclusive interview with singer Adele.
On November 4, Matt Doran travelled to London to conduct a sit-down interview with British superstar Adele. It was meant to serve as promo for the singer’s new album, 30, as well as give fans insight into the creative process behind it.
Despite having ample time on the long haul flight to study up on his (incredibly famous) subject, Doran somehow managed to forget to actually listen to the album he was supposed to be discussing.
Doran’s interview was a part of a $1 million package deal the network made with Adele’s label, Sony. The deal encompassed the exclusive interview in addition to the broadcast rights to air media queen Oprah Winfrey’s sit-down interview and concert, Adele – One Night Only.
For a seasoned reporter like Doran, this should’ve just been another assignment, right?
Not quite. Reports have surfaced claiming it took Doran less than half an hour to offend one of the biggest names in music. According to The Daily Telegraph (by way of News.com.au), when Adele asked for his thoughts on her latest body of work, Doran replied, “I haven’t listened to it”.
Adele knew Matt Doran hadn’t listened to her album when he said his favourite thing about it was the “ripping guitar solos”. #Adele30
— Peter Helliar (@pjhelliar) November 21, 2021
As one can expect, Adele wasn’t too happy about hearing this.
Reportedly, the Grammy award-winning musician walked off set and her label has barred Channel 7 from airing any of the footage.
When speaking to The Australian, Doran explained that he is “mortified and unequivocally apologetic”. The regular weekend breakfast television host said he was unaware that he had received an early e-copy of 30 prior to the failed sit-down.
“When I sat down to interview Adele, I was totally unaware that I’d been emailed a preview of her unreleased album,” said Doran as quoted by News.com.au.
“I have since discovered it was sent to me as an ‘e card’ link, which I somehow missed upon landing in London. It was an oversight but NOT a deliberate snub. This is the most important email I have ever missed.”
While much of the media is reporting that the fallout was disastrous, Doran claims the reality was the “polar opposite”.
“What was meant to be 20 minutes was extended to 29 minutes. The majority of the chat was about the album,” Doran said.
As for those suspension rumours, Doran claims that “he was never ‘formally’ suspended despite being off the air for one weekend” Yahoo lifestyle reports.
The blunder has seen Australia’s media landscape criticise Doran for his lack of preparation.
Re: Adele/Ch7. I’ve spent over a decade interviewing major actors, musicians around the world. Negotiating access, researching for genuinely interesting convo? That’s the hard part. Literally the *easiest* part is listening to the album on a 14hr (likely biz class) flight.
— Marc Fennell (@MarcFennell) November 21, 2021
Whether the suspension is formal or not it seems as if Doran really is Rolling in the Deep.
As of now, neither Channel 7 nor Adele/her team have spoken about the incident.
