‘Cowardly’: Seven slams video leak after stars rip into a***hole’ Novak Djokovic

Footage of the Melbourne-based Seven presenters talking about the tennis star’s fight to enter the country and compete in the Australian Open shows them blasting the world No. 1 as an “a***hole” and accusing him of faking his border entry forms.

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Seven Network Director of News and Public Affairs, Craig McPherson, said in a statement: “The illegal recording was of a private conversation between two colleagues. It was an underhanded, cowardly act in breach of the Victorian Listening Devices legislation the perpetrator of which will be accordingly dealt with when found.”

Channel 7 managing director Lewis Martin said Maddern had apologised and the network is investigating who was behind the leak.

“There has been an illegal recording of a private conversation,” he told 3AW radio. “It is something that is going to be looked at and is being looked at thoroughly.

“We are going to have an outcome. What has happened here is illegal.”

In the leaked video, Maddern told Amor: “Whatever way you look at it, Novak Djokovic is a lying, sneaky, a***hole.

“It’s unfortunate that everybody else stuffed up around him.

“To go out when you know you’re Covid-positive — well, I don’t think he was even Covid-positive …”

Amor also called Djokovic an “a***hole” and added: “You’ve got a bulls**t f***ing excuse and then he fell over his own f***ing lies, which is what happens right? That’s what’s happened.”

Maddern questioned whether Djokovic had lied about his recent travel movements on his Australian Travel Declaration form as Amor said “I think he’s going to get away with it”.

“I think most fair-minded people would say, ‘The bloke’s an a***hole’. Did they do the right thing by him? I don’t know. They f***ed it up. That’s the problem, isn’t it,” he added.

Maddern said she didn’t think “anything was gained from putting him in immigration hotels”.

“The fact is life is never fair. Some people fly first class … it’s never fair,” she added.

Maddern joined Seven from Channel 9 recently to partner Amor as a newsreader — this is her second week on air — and said returning to the network she started her career at was a dream.

“I walked into Channel 7 as a 24-year-old cadet and now I return to read the weekend news so it is a really lovely feeling,” she said recently.

“It is a job of a lifetime; these opportunities don’t come up very often.

“You only have to look at the main anchors and how long they have been in those roles, so it is not lost on me how lucky I am.”

Maddern quit Channel 9 late last year after holding a number of high-profile roles on The Footy Show, Ninja Warrior and Weekend Today. She also anchored parts of the broadcaster’s Australian Open tennis coverage.

Border Force officials are investigating whether Djokovic lied on his entry form to come to Australia, with some suggesting he incorrectly answered a question asking if he had travelled in the 14 days before flying to Australia.

Social media posts have led to accusations he was in Serbia for Christmas before jetting off to Spain to prepare for the year’s first grand slam.

The decision to cancel Djokovic’s visa was overturned in the Federal Circuit Court on Monday but even though Judge Anthony Kelly found in the tennis star’s favour, there is still the possibility Djokovic could be deported.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has confirmed he’s considering whether to use his personal power to cancel Djokovic’s visa again.

“In line with due process, Minister Hawke will thoroughly consider the matter,” Mr Hawke’s office said on Tuesday.

Originally published as ‘Cowardly’: Seven slams video leak after stars rip into a***hole’ Novak Djokovic