Journalist who botched Adele interview after not listening to her new album apologises for ‘terrible mistake’

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.”

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.

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As a result there had been backlash from Adele fans, music lovers and fellow journalists over Doran’s error.

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.

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...”

But not everyone got the joke...

Indy100 has contacted Channel Seven, Sony and Adele for comment.