Natalie Barr was embarrassed after a very awkward meeting with Venus Williams at the Oscars on Sunday.
The American tennis star, 41, brutally snubbed the Sunrise host as she tried to interview him on the red carpet.
After Venus arrived at the event, Natalie, 54, repeatedly called out her name and said she was from Australia in an effort to get her attention.
It’s strange! Venus Williams brutally snubbed Sunrise host Natalie Barr (pictured) live on the Oscars red carpet on Sunday
I can’t wait to see if we can talk to him. We’ll try,” Natalie said before calling out her name.
After several failed attempts, the TV presenter handed over a pack of Tim Tams and tried to offer him a chocolate chip cookie.
But Venus left before returning to chat with the hosts of Entertainment Tonight, who were standing right next to Natalie.
Cringeworthy: After Venus arrived at the event, Natalie repeatedly called out her name and said she was from Australia in an effort to get her attention
This is Natalie’s first time hosting Seven’s Oscars coverage.
She described herself on air as a “rookie”, but said covering the Oscars red carpet was something she had “always wanted to do”.
Last week, Natalie said she was thrilled to report on the star-studded event.
Try hard! After several failed attempts, the TV presenter held up a pack of Tim Tams and tried to offer him the chocolate cookie. (Left: The Morning Show hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies)
“I covered floods, fires, elections and terrorist attacks,” she said.
“So dressing up and heading to the biggest red carpet of them all is going to be different, exciting and a whole lot of fun!”
Natalie was criticized by media insiders for her Oscars coverage, with some calling her performance “clumsy”.
How embarrassing! Venus left before returning to chat with the hosts of Entertainment Tonight, who were standing right next to Natalie.
Comments on the online Media Spy forum, where TV pros like to share their unfiltered opinions on industry matters, have been generally negative, with several insiders saying the news veteran is out on the mat. Red.
However, others defended Natalie, saying she did her best under difficult circumstances and pointing out that red carpets can be notoriously tricky for foreign media.
One forum user said it was evident from her reporting for Sunrise and The Morning Show that “she’s not a die-hard movie fan”.
The same insider suggested Nelson Aspen, a New York-based Sunrise showbiz reporter, should have taken center stage with Natalie anchoring the show from Sydney.
“If they’re going to have her there, she should co-host with Nelson Aspen. Nelson has better celebrity connections,” they added.
Turning heads: Venus turned heads on the red carpet in a plunging gown
Another user added, “Her segments this morning really gave off the ‘fish out of water’ vibes. She just seemed really awkward and didn’t know how to handle presenting in a red carpet situation.
A reviewer questioned Seven’s management’s decision to send Natalie to the Oscars in the first place, asking, “Do we really need to have a show host in LA for the Oscars?”
Another added: “It’s just weird to have their main host (a journalist known for major media coverage) to cover mellow entertainment stuff.
‘Surely they could have left Ashlee Mullany [Seven’s U.S. bureau chief] cover it up or just let Nelson Aspen do it all? »
However, she also had plenty of supporters, with several noting how difficult red carpets can be, even for seasoned reporters like Barr.
“I have no doubt that she is a quality host and interviewer, but on this occasion, for some reason, it seemed like she wasn’t at her best,” one said. them.
“It may be his first time at the Oscars and they usually send Eddy [Edwina Bartholomew] so I guess it’s just that she wasn’t used to everything from the start.
Another agreed, writing: “Those red carpet slots would be a bloody nightmare I think – crushed and still early in the day on LA time too…”
Divided: Comments on Media Spy, a forum where TV professionals share their unfiltered opinions on industry issues, were generally negative. Some users have suggested Nelson Aspen (left), a New York-based showbiz journalist, should have taken center stage with Natalie anchoring the show from Sydney. (Right: Ashlee Mullany, Seven’s US Bureau Chief)
Ratings have steadily deteriorated for Oscar TV’s broadcast over the past 10 years, with 2021 hitting an all-time low of just 10.4 million viewers worldwide.
This isn’t the first time a Sunrise host has been ignored on the Oscars red carpet.
In March 2016, Edwina Bartholomew lost her temper when she spotted Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence at the 88th Annual Academy Awards.
She was heard yelling at the Oscar-winning actress as she made her way to the Dolby Theater ahead of the prestigious ceremony.
“Jennifer, wave to Australia!” she shouted off camera. “Wave Australia – PLEASE!” »
Although the American star offered a wave of good humor in the direction of those gathered in the press pit, she didn’t seem to be aiming at the unfortunate Edwina, who later admitted that Jennifer had “almost” looked in her direction.
Excited: This is Natalie’s first time hosting Oscar coverage. She described herself on air as a “rookie”, but said covering the Oscars red carpet was something she had “always wanted to do”.
The following day, Edwina called her efforts “desperate”, telling The Kyle and Jackie O Show how the event’s biggest stars took an “express lane” to avoid being interviewed.
Jackie ‘O’ Henderson asked if she noticed the section of the red carpet that was reserved for the biggest names and if that made the process difficult.
Edwina jokingly said “It’s gotten hopeless!” before miming herself shouting: ‘Jennifer, Jennifer! Please please!’
Oh dear, this isn’t the first time a Sunrise host has been ignored on the Oscars red carpet. In March 2016, Edwina Bartholomew lost her temper when she spotted Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence at the 88th Annual Academy Awards.