ABC Adelaide host Ali Clarke reduced to tears on air

The text line at a radio station can be a source of support and validation, but it can also be the exact opposite, as ABC Adelaide Breakfast host Ali Clarke sadly found this morning.

Ali revealed on air that she’d received a text accusing her of messing up a recent interview, and the overly harsh tone of the text appeared to have taken a heavy toll on the presenter.

“We don’t always get things right here but we do always try our best, you know and we sit here with the text line in front of us and it just adds up you know,” she said, choking up.

“Sometimes we do interviews and it is handed to us last minute and we are trying our very best and when someone texts in that that was a pitiful interview, and what you just said was awful…

“I’ve embarrassed the interviewee and provided excruciating listening to the Adelaide audience, and maybe this is too, but it adds up.

“Sorry this has come out of left field, normally I’d be able to deal with it. Maybe I’m just having a bad day.”

“You don’t need to apologise,” responded co-host David Bevan.

“People do say dreadful things on the text line and all of us toughen up and ignore it but sometimes it does get through.

“To the person who sent that very hurtful text you are not alone, there is a community of people who give a running commentary.

“Ali is just the loveliest lady and it’s really, really upsetting when you see a dear, dear colleague hurt by a throwaway line.”

It wasn’t clear which interview the text referred to, with the host having chatted with ABC Journalist Matt Doran and radio host Andrew Costello this morning.