The Australian TV reporter who failed to listen to Adele’s new album before an interview with the singer has said sorry for the “terrible mistake” in a lengthy apology live on air.
Matt Doran said he had received “a torrent of abuse and mockery” for the error but said he “deserved” the “bulk of this savaging”. He added that he had “insulted” the singer and apologised to her fans who never saw the interview as a result of the blunder.
Doran, from Channel Seven, made the 10,000 mile trip from Sydney to London on November 4 to interview Adele about her album 30 , only to admit to the hitmaker that he hadn’t actually listened to the record. Despite the 30-minute interview being filmed, Adele’s label Sony denied Channel Seven permission to air it.
Speaking during a monologue on Seven’s Weekend Sunrise program on Saturday, Dolan said: “I want to address something that’s made headlines this week and something I’d like to apologise for.
“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.”
"I am so sorry"@MattDoran22 apologises to @Adele and her Australian fans over his recent interview with the music superstar. pic.twitter.com/0DeJtUe3gW
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) November 26, 2021
Doran said it had been an “unspeakable privilege” to interview Adele and that it was due to be “one of the highlights of his career” but that the blunder had come when he had missed an email containing a link to a pre-release version of the album.
“I made the terrible mistake of assuming we weren’t to be given a preview copy of this album because our interview was airing before it was released and Adele’s album was the industry’s most prized secret,” he continued.
“The day after we landed in London an email came through from Sony, it didn’t mention Adele but it did contain a link to her album.
“The genuine, deadset, 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.”
Doran went on to reject claims that Adele walked out of the interview upon learning he hadn’t listened to the album.
He described the singer as “profound” “funny” “honest” and “raw”, adding: “We spoke about of the paradox that is being the world’s most famous artist but hating fame, we also discussed at length the concept of pure artistry, the majesty of Adele’s voice, what it must be like to hear that sound come out of one’s own mouth.
“How go Easy On Me was conceived in part by singing acapella in the shower, and how the album helped repair her relationship towards the end with her now late father,”
But he added: “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.
“I also apologise to Adele’s Australian fans and to you, our viewers, who through my error have been denied this interview and the insight to her character.”
Channel Seven had been the only outlet in Australia to get a sit-down interview with the star and it was said to be part of a package deal costing £539,065 (nearly $1m AUD) which also gave the network right to CBC TV special Adele: One Night Only.
Back at it with the boys! This one is going to be pretty special … 🤫@7newsspotlight #london @ London, United Kingdom https://t.co/LZcgxZAV2A
— Matt Doran (@mattdoran22) November 3, 2021
Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter
As a result there had been backlash from Adele fans, music lovers and fellow journalists over Doran’s error.
Why would anyone do that? And to @adele?! #Adele30 #mattdoran https://t.co/wRgMKBChjp
— Nik (@nikroybal) November 21, 2021
I can’t stop reading tweets about the Matt Doran Adele interview colossal fail. pic.twitter.com/LmmQcEzIA6
— Meg Rayner (@megrayner) November 21, 2021
Only four songs deep into Adele’s 30 and no wonder she was so fucking furious at Matt Doran for not listening to the album. Besides the obvious and frankly mind-blowing unprofessionalism, when an artist is that vulnerable in a piece of work and pours their soul into a project,
— Michelle Law 羅敏儀 (@ms_michellelaw) November 22, 2021
I would have died for the chance to interview Adele. Matt Doran simply could not give a shit. The absolute disrespect. 😡 https://t.co/oR664xwMhn
— Triana Butler (@trianabutler) November 21, 2021
This is what happens when Channel 7 doesn't invest in good music journalism - and instead flies Matt Doran with zero care about the artistry and storytelling of music, having not even being bothered. His fancifical rationale of excuses is akin to "the dog ate my homework". https://t.co/TsyfffVbtZ
— Anth W. 🌏 (@anth0888) November 21, 2021
The state of arts journalism in Australia. On the one hand, many passionate writers and critics are working for free or for absurd rates like $40 a review. On the other hand, this…. https://t.co/hKDl4kqt5D
— Briony Kidd (@BrionyKidd) November 21, 2021
Re: Adele/Ch7. I’ve spent over a decade interviewing major actors, musicians around the world. Negotiating access, researching for genuinely interesting convo? That’s the hard part. Literally the *easiest* part is listening to the album on a 14hr (likely biz class) flight.
— Marc Fennell (@MarcFennell) November 21, 2021
Others saw the funny side to the situation, with some comparing Doran’s interview to the improvised press junket interview in rom-com film Notting Hill where Hugh Grant’s character William Thacker has to do to talk to actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), where he pretends to be from magazine The Horse and Hound and has no idea what Scott’s movie is about.
Hi Adele, I'm Matt Doran from Horse & Hound magazine. Any horses on the album? Or hounds for that matter; our readers are intrigued by both species.
— Sam Twyford-Moore (@samtwyfordmoore) November 21, 2021
Why does Matt Doran have an Apple computer?
— Byron Kaye (@byronkaye) November 21, 2021
BECAUSE HE’S NEVER HEARD OF ADELE 😬
I’ve always thought ‘our’ Matt Doran was more of a Taylor Swift fan anyway.. @MattDoran91 https://t.co/lMX00crwEo
— Michael Rowland (@mjrowland68) November 22, 2021
Adele knew Matt Doran hadn’t listened to her album when he said his favourite thing about it was the “ripping guitar solos”. #Adele30
— Peter Helliar (@pjhelliar) November 21, 2021
Footage from Matt Doran’s interview with Adele for Channel 7.
— Sanny Rudravajhala (@SannyR1985) November 22, 2021
The interview was canned after the Aussie journalist admitted to her that he hadn’t listened to her Album despite the channel spending $1m and flying him to London to secure it.#Adele #MattDoran pic.twitter.com/4VoTq2EJTr
On top of all this, Doran wasn’t the only Matt Doran who has been received flack over his inaction.
In an unfortunate coincidence, an ABC political reporter who goes by the same name has been flooded with critical tweets from people mistaking him for the Weekend Sunrise host.
Though he appeared to take the confusion all in good stride, and joking tweeted an apt Adele lyric: “Go easy on me...”
Go easy on me…
— Matthew Doran (@MattDoran91) November 21, 2021
But not everyone got the joke...
R u the goose who flew over to 🇬🇧 to interview Adele about #30 and didn’t listen to it?
— Jess O’Reilly 🦋💉💉 (@JessOreilly1997) November 21, 2021
Seriously disrespectful of the artist and your commitment to quality journalism
— AAP (@_AusAP) November 21, 2021
Isn't this just an example of the lack of professionalism in journalism today. Too many journalists ignoring the. expectation of being knowledgeable on their subject and skilled in the art. To be anything less, is a great disservice to the people you should be informing.
— Janey (@some_sense) November 21, 2021
Indy100 has contacted Channel Seven, Sony and Adele for comment.
