UPDATED 11/27, 11:47 p.m. ET: Australian reporter Matt Doran offered a lengthy, highly detailed apology and explanation on-air. “This is a story that has sparked a torrent of abuse and mockery from around the world and, if I’m being honest with you, the bulk of this savaging I deserve and I totally own,” Doran said.
The journalist explained he presumed he would not receive an early copy of Adele’s heavily guarded 30 album, then missed a listening link sent to him from the label late in the game. “The genuine, dead-set, hand on heart truth is that I missed it. By an absurdly long margin the most important email I’ve ever missed in my life. … But all that doesn’t matter because, by missing the album link, however I might try to justify it, I’ve insulted Adele. To Adele I say, I’ve never knowingly disrespected you by deliberately not listening to your work. I am so sorry,” Doran said in the clip embedded below.
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An Australian reporter who interviewed Adele about her new album has been catching heat after he went into the conversation with the star without having listened to her highly-anticipated 30 project.
According to the Guardian, Matthew Doran, host of Australia’s Weekend Surprise, was given the opportunity to fly over 10,000 miles from Sydney to London to speak to the Grammy Award winner.
During their conversation at the beginning of the month, Adele apparently asked Doran what he thought of 30. He then admitted that he hadn’t yet listened to her new record.
It seems that while he was emailed an advanced copy of 30, he was “totally unaware” he had received it. Doran’s interview was then reportedly nixed when Sony said it wouldn’t hand over the rights to the footage.
“I have since discovered it was sent to me as an ‘e-card’ link, which I somehow missed upon landing in London. It was an oversight but not a deliberate snub. This is the most important email I have ever missed,” he said.
Despite news of Doran being suspended over the mistake making the rounds online, the reporter said that he has not been officially reprimanded by his job. He also said that Adele wasn’t angry about him not having listened to her new project.
“Adele didn’t storm out,” Doran said. “In fact, it was the polar opposite. What was meant to be 20 minutes was extended to 29 minutes.
30 is anticipated to move 800-850K in equivalent album units in its first week. Since the album’s arrival, Spotify honored Adele’s request to turn off the shuffle feature for albums. “This was the only request I had in our ever-changing industry,” Adele tweeted. “We don’t create albums with so much care and thought into our track listing for no reason. Our art tells a story and our stories should be listened to as we intended. Thank you Spotify for listening.”
