Michael Clarke was brutally confronted about his Noosa brawl during Tuesday’s episode of A Current Affair.
The former cricket captain, 42, faced tough questioning as he appeared on the program to promote a brand of lemon, lime and bitters from the Australian Bitters company.
He was drawn on the extraordinary footage which emerged earlier this year showing him in a heated exchange with girlfriend Jade Yarbrough.
But Clarke was not let off easily, with journalist Simon Bouda seeming to mock him for wanting to avoid the ‘elephant in the room’.
‘In a strange twist, Clarke is fronting our cameras because he wants to flog, would you believe, a new brand of bitters’ Bouda said in a voiceover.
Michael Clarke was brutally confronted about his Noosa brawl during Tuesday’s episode of A Current Affair (pictured)
While he made it clear he was not appearing on ACA to discuss the scandal, Clarke was defiant in his response.
‘This is a good example – as soon as I speak about this, the company that I’m here for’ he said.
‘All I can do is my best a number of times and there’s been that hasn’t been good enough’ Clarke continued.
‘Sometimes it’s out of control unless I stay in my house 24/7 – I keep control of it. That’s the only way.’
Clarke was not let off easily, with journalist Simon Bouda (pictured) seeming to mock him for wanting to avoid the ‘elephant in the room’. ‘In a strange twist, Clarke is fronting our cameras because he wants to flog, would you believe, a new brand of bitters’ Bouda said in a voiceover
Clarke went on to call the situation a ‘lesson’ and clearly hoped to move on from the topic.
‘Lessons, so many things in my time, I call lessons. Relationships are tough, behind closed doors and a lot of things happen that we all deal with a divorce, you know – Man, things I’ve been through so sad, so hard’ he said.
‘I think the one thing is you just gotta do your best, highs, lows, pros, cons, good times, tough times.
‘I’m like everyone else – still to this day I’m standing here trying my best and I hope that doesn’t change’.
Clarke was drawn on the extraordinary footage which emerged earlier this year showing him in a heated exchange with girlfriend Jade Yarbrough (right)
In the infamous footage, Michael was slapped across the face by the socialite, 30, in Noosa as she accused him of cheating on her with his ex Pip Edwards.
The shocking public fight roped in Yarbrough’s brother-in-law Karl Stefanovic.
‘Things hit you in life that are extremely unexpected,’ Clarke said in a preview of the interview.
‘Relationships are tough. When you’re in the spotlight, you’re in the spotlight. There’s no pick and choose,’ he said in the teaser.
In January, extraordinary footage emerged of a heated exchange between Clarke and Yarbrough while they were on holiday in Noosa.
The former cricket captain was slapped across the face by the socialite in Noosa as she accused him of cheating on her with his ex Pip Edwards
In the video, which was filmed by an onlooker and later sold to The Daily Telegraph for a reported $10,000, Yarbrough accused Clarke of cheating on her with his ex, fashion designer Pip Edwards, on December 17.
He was also accused of messaging the co-founder of activewear label P.E Nation and confessing she was the ‘love of his life’.
All hell broke loose after Clarke, Today show host Stefanovic and his wife Jasmine, the sister of Yarbrough, were having dinner at a beachside restaurant with accountant Anthony Bell.
The video begins with Yarbrough screaming at Clarke before she slaps him in the face and pushes him away after the cricketer insists he didn’t cheat on her.
While he made it clear he was not appearing on ACA to discuss the scandal, Clarke was defiant in his response. ‘This is a good example – as soon as I speak about this, the company that I’m here for’ he said
All I can do is my best a number of times and there’s been that hasn’t been good enough’ Clarke continued. ‘Sometimes it’s out of control unless I stay in my house 24/7 – I keep control of it. That’s the only way’
‘I’m wrong? I’m f**king wrong? You’re a f***ing liar. I can see everything. You called her,’ she screams, apparently referring to messages between Clarke and Edwards.
Clarke then tries to reassure Yarbrough he didn’t sleep with Edwards on December 17, saying he was with Bell that night.
‘Baby you’re wrong, you’re wrong,’ Clarke insists. ‘Baby, baby, Belly was at the house. I swear on my life, I swear on my life… That’s not true, it’s not true.’
He then swore on his daughter Kelsey Lee’s life he did not cheat on her.
But Yarbrough refused to believe Clarke’s desperate protests and claimed she spoke to Edwards.
‘You’re f**king lying to me. You are a piece of s**t. I just spoke to her. What is wrong with you?’ she’s heard saying.
Extraordinary footage emerged earlier this year showing Yarbrough accusing Clarke of cheating on her with his ex, fashion designer Pip Edwards (pictured), on December 17
Clarke again denies sleeping with Edwards and replies: ‘No I didn’t. You can hit me. That’s not true, that’s not true.’
He appeared to have injured his hamstring in the melee as he was seen hobbling across the public park.
Stefanovic’s wife Jasmine eventually steps in and grabs her distressed sister by the arm and drags her away.
Jasmine can be heard saying: ‘Get away with Karl, get away with Karl.’
As she is led away, Yarbrough can be heard crying as she turns to Clarke and howls: ‘I f**king hate you.’
Clarke then tries to follow Yarbrough before he unleashes a wave of fury at Stefanovic, seemingly because he is walking away with the two sisters.
‘Karlos, I can tell you now c**t, don’t you f**king walk away… she can punch me, but you, you c**t,’ Clarke says.
MICHAEL CLARKE’S SHIRTLESS MELTDOWN – LINE BY LINE
Ex-Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke was involved in a public fight with girlfriend Jade Yarbrough and TV host friend Karl Stefanovic – who is married to Jade’s sister Jasmine – after a night out with celebrity accountant Anthony Bell in Noosa on January 10.
This is how the spat unfolded:
Clarke: Baby…
Jade: I’m wrong? I’m f***ing wrong? You f***king liar. I saw everything, you called her
Clarke: I swear on my life. Baby, baby, Belly [Anthony Bell] was at my house. Do it to me, do it to me. Belly was at the house. Belly was at my house
Clarke: I swear on my life, I swear on my life. You can do it to me, you can do it to me
Jade: You told her… You f***king keep lying to me
Clarke: No, on my daughter’s life, on my daughter’s life
Jade: You keep lying. You are a piece of s**t
Jade: I just spoke to her. What is wrong with you?
Clarke: No I didn’t. Baby, you know what? You can hit me, you can hit me
Jade: You f***ed her on December 17
Clarke: That’s not true. That’s not true.
Jasmine: Get away with Karl, go with Karl
Jade: I f***ing hate you
Clarke: Jade, it’s not f***ing true
Clarke: Karlos [Stefanovic], I can tell you now c**t, don’t you f***ing walk away. She can punch me, but you, you c**t
Jade: You piece of s***
Clarke: Go on, hit me, hit me
Bell: Stop it, stop it.
Clarke: Do it again, do it again. You’re wrong, you’re f***ing wrong
Jade: Oh, am I f***ing wrong? You f***ed her [Clarke’s ex Pip Edwards] on December 17
Clarke: No I didn’t
Jade: You f***ed her. You banged her, you f***ing dog. I’m about to get every f***ing message that you ever f***ing sent her.
Jade: You want to send her to India? You want to f***ing send her to India with you?
Jade: [Quoting a message] “You’re the love of my life Pip, come to India
Clarke: Don’t ever talk to me again
Jasmine: Stop Jade, stop
Bell: Let it go Jade
Karl Stefanovic (left) and wife Jasmine Yarbrough (right) attempted to break up their fight which led to Michael threatening and cussing out the Today anchor
This comment sparks fury from Yarbrough, who defends her brother-in-law before slapping Clarke repeatedly in the face.
‘You piece of s**t, don’t you f**king speak to him,’ she yells.
Stefanovic and Bell can be heard telling the couple to stop, which falls on deaf ears.
‘Go, hit me hit me … do it again, you’re wrong, you’re f**king wrong,’ Clarke tells his girlfriend.
Yarbrough screams: ‘Oh am I wrong? You f**ked her on December 17, you f**ked her… you’re a f**king dog… I’m going to show her every f**king message you ever f**king sent me.’
Yarbrough then makes reference to a text she allegedly saw on Clarke’s phone inviting Edwards to come to India with him.
‘Oh yeah, ‘You’re the love of my life Pip, come to India,” Yarbrough says, to which Clarke replies: ‘Don’t ever talk to me again.’
The two-minute clip ends with Jasmine and Bell separating the feuding couple.
‘Stop, Jade, stop,’ Jasmine pleads. Bell adds: ‘Let it go, Jade.’
The ugly altercation unfolded in front of young children nearby, according to stunned witnesses.
READ MORE: Jade Yarbrough finally breaks her silence over infamous Noosa brawl – and reveals if she and Michael Clarke have reconciled
A remorseful Clarke has since taken full responsibility for what happened.
‘I’m absolutely gutted I’ve put people I hold in the highest regard in this position. My actions in the lead-up to this altercation were nothing short of shameful and regrettable,’ he told The Daily Telegraph.
‘I am shattered that because of my actions I’ve drawn women of class and integrity, and my mates, into this situation.’
Daily Mail Australia understands that Yarbrough and Clarke are still in a relationship.
