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Home / Sport / Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony slammed by fans, media

news.com.au
15 Apr, 2018 12:42 PM4 mins to read

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Australian athletes are pictured during the Closing Ceremony for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Photo /Getty

Australian athletes are pictured during the Closing Ceremony for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Photo /Getty

The Commonwealth Games have officially ended in a storm of controversy with Australian Channel 7 hosts Basil Zempilas and Jo Griggs savaging organisers of the Closing Ceremony in a heated live TV spray.

The pair slammed the lack of athletes involved in the production as over two hours of entertainment rang out through an increasingly empty Carrara Stadium.

Athletes were spotted leaving the venue in droves as the dismal celebration played out, disappointingly capping off the enthralling fortnight of Games in lacklustre fashion.

Zempilas and Griggs blasted Commonwealth Games organisers for a massive slip-up in not showing footage of athletes during the Closing Ceremony.

The furious pair said they had "never seen a stadium as empty as this".

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Zempilas and Griggs slammed Birmingham's lengthy section spruiking their turn to host the 2022 Games, an entertainment piece featuring slam poetry and English pop hits.

"They were way too long," Zempilas said. "And a little self-indulgent, it was not necessary."

Seven commentator Mel McLaughlin agreed with he colleagues' spray at the event.

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"One thing I love is that you're not always able to be as honest as you like on TV. Those two did not miss, and rightfully so," she said. "It's what the punters are thinking at home ... it's a huge celebration.

"The athletes want to relax, they want to party, they want to be on show ... Jo was filthy and she had every right to be."

#ClosingCeremony. All the athletes have left lol #afterparty?? pic.twitter.com/2AVl494rXE

— Dan Oliver (@danwaterski) April 15, 2018

In case you missed the #ClosingCeremony here’s what you missed pic.twitter.com/Bs04WEIjHf

— LadybossOz 💰💪 (@ladybossAU) April 15, 2018

\

#closingceremony #GC2018 fell asleep watching the closing ceremony did I miss anything? Dreamt I saw athletes, but that was just a dream

— Tim Steele (@tim_steele) April 15, 2018

There have been two marathons today. One by the athletes, the other by viewers who have made it to the end of #ClosingCeremony

— Peter Lloyd (@prlloyd63) April 15, 2018

"Look, we understand many people have been disappointed by tonight's Closing Ceremony," Zempilas told viewers. "To be perfectly honest Jo, so have we. It hasn't really lived up to expectations. I've got to say it's about the only thing they got wrong. They did get it wrong tonight."

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"I'm sorry, you're being way too polite," Griggs told her co-host. "People are thinking that Channel Seven has chosen not to show pictures of athletes or not to show the flag bearer, Kurt Fearnley ... We can only show the pictures that are provided by the actual host broadcasters. They made the decision not to have athletes enter the stadium. I'm furious. Actually wrecking a tradition that is so important ... You want to see the athletes come in. You want to see them jumping in front of camera. You want to see them celebrating 11 days of great sport. We missed out on all of that."

Illustrating just how lacklustre the ceremony was, Griggs told viewers most people — including athletes — had left the stadium midway through proceedings.

"There's no athletes in here. I've never seen the stadium so empty," she said.

Zempilas agreed — and slammed the formalities of the evening, which included a long presentation promoting 2022 host city Birmingham, as "self-indulgent".

"We've never seen a stadium as empty as this. So soon after the conclusion of a Closing Ceremony," he said. "To be brutally honest, most of the athletes left during the ceremony. The speeches — look, we understand the dignitaries need to get their messages out there, including the Birmingham presentation. [But] They were way too long tonight. Way too long. Dare I say, a little self-indulgent."

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