Natasha Exelby has paid a high price for her weekend blooper, after the humourless management at ABC24 banned the newsreader from playing any future on-air role.
Exelby, who only recently returned from a foreign correspondent and anchor role with Turkish broadcaster, TRT World, was today told she has been axed from newsreading duties, after being caught off guard during a live news shift on Sunday, according to news.com.au.
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In vision which has since gone viral, the former Wake Up! co-host is seen looking startled as she suddenly realises the cameras have returned to her after a prerecorded package has finished.
It's a slip-up almost every newsreader in the world has committed but rarely costs the TV presenter their on-air job.
SBS newsreader Janice Petersen tweeted a screen grab of herself caught putting lipstick on while live, writing in solidarity: "it happens".
Sky News political reporter Samantha Maiden celebrated the human error, telling her Twitter followers: "that's @NatashaExelby and she's awesome. She's too much for @ABCmediawatch. Too fabulous."
Exelby told News Corp "it would be inappropriate for me to comment".
The ABC had not responded to a request for comment by the time of publication.