9News Melbourne anchor Tom Steinfort was caught in a live TV blunder with a floor manager during a newsroom update on Wednesday night.
Steinfort, 41, was heard having a casual hot mic conversation with a crew member about going on a Queensland holiday in the middle of a live cross.
The staff member said he would be travelling to the sunshine state where he would be ‘watching’ Gold Coast News anchor Paul Taylor, in a moment which has now been misconstrued as ‘negative’.
The gaffe occurred when Tipping Point host Todd Woodbridge threw to Steinfort and co-anchor Alicia Loxley in the middle of the game show’s evening episode.
Instead of headlines, viewers got to hear newsroom chatter between two colleagues as they watched headlines flicker across the screen.
‘And then to the Gold Coast, where I can really shine,’ the floor manager could be heard saying as brief footage showed Steinfort adjusting his microphone.
9News Melbourne anchor Tom Steinfort was caught in a live TV blunder with a floor manager during a newsroom update on Wednesday night. Pictured with co-host Alicia Loxley
The evening headlines appeared on screen, but with the casual conversation playing over the audio.
Steinfort appeared to be unaware he was live as he asked the floor manager: ‘How long have you got there?’
‘I’ll be there until Saturday,’ his colleague said, to which Steinfort responded: ‘Lovely.’
‘I’ll be watching Gold Coast News with Paul Taylor,’ the floor manager then joked in his best impression of a news anchor voice.
While the moment appeared to be an innocent exchange between co-workers during a live TV blunder, it appears things were quickly misconstrued.
Taylor was played the audio clip of the blooper for the first time on The Kyle & Jackie O Show on Thursday morning, and mistook the floor manager’s impression for a ‘negative’ comment from Steinfort.
‘Us news readers, we know nuance and we know the little bits and pieces that go on—that sounds pretty damn negative,’ Taylor replied when host Kyle Sandilands asked if he thought Steinfort was speaking poorly of him.
When Daily Mail approached Nine for comment on the matter, a spokesperson revealed the entire situation had been ‘misreported’.
Steinfort, 41, was heard having a casual hot mic conversation with a crew member about going on a Queensland holiday. The crew member said he would be ‘watching’ Gold Coast News anchor Paul Taylor, in a moment which has now been misconstrued as ‘negative’
Steinfort, along with co-anchor Loxley, took over the hot seat at 9News Melbourne early last year when Peter Hitchener signed off following 50 years at the network.
It is the fourth presenting line-up in the history of the bulletin.
Loxley had been the weekend presenter for 9News Melbourne for 12 years when she landed the position.
Meanwhile, Steinfort is an award-winning journalist and was previously a reporter for 60 Minutes.
He joined 9News Melbourne in 2007 and was recognised by the Melbourne Press Club for his coverage of the Black Saturday bushfires.
