SBS anchors Lucy Zelic and Craig Foster have broken down live on-air while discussing the abuse Zelic has copped for her World Cup commentary.
Zelic, 31, fought to hold back tears after Foster addressed the abuse the SBS anchor has copped for adopting a ‘fake accent’ when pronouncing foreign player names.
The pair were overcome with emotion during the segment, in which they paid tribute to SBS icon Les Murray.
Lucy Zelic (pictured, left) and Craig Foster (pictured, right) have broken down mid-broadcast while discussing the abuse Zelic has copped for her World Cup commentary
‘Having linguistic skills, being multi-lingual, is something you should be very proud of … it adds a lot to our coverage, and it’s very important,’ Foster said.
His voice cracked as he stood up for Zelic, and tried to lighten the mood by giving her leg a friendly nudge.
‘It means a lot to me first and foremost because of the legacy Les put in place, and also the sentiment behind it, which is you’re not pronouncing it for anyone other than the nation you’re covering. Out of respect to them,’ Zelic replied.
‘It’s always been about servicing the minority and about respecting the cultures we have in Australia.’
Zelic added that she has received positive feedback from viewers who told her they were touched by her making their effort to pronounce their language correctly.
Earlier in the segment Foster addressed the abuse of Zelic directly, and said she was doing an ‘absolutely amazing job’.
The former Socceroo was backed up by fans on social media, many of whom came out in defence of Zelic.
‘Crazy that you would have to defend using the CORRECT pronunciation,’ wrote one user.
SBS anchor Lucy Zelic (pictured) is being derided by viewers for her commentary on the World Cup soccer broadcast – specifically, the way she pronounces the names of international players
‘I’ve been in Australia for 14 years. Few people get my name right, and it’s not even that hard. You guys are great! Amazing job,’ said another.
Matilda’s captain and goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri was among Zelic’s supporters, and backed her up on Twitter.
‘As someone who had my name pronounced wrong for an entire match… my friends still call me it to take the p***… I unequivocally know how much it means to have your name said correctly,’ she wrote.
‘Enlightening what Australia really is, this amazing multicultural place that we all immigrants learned to love and respect.’
Zelic has been the subject of abuse in the past for her tendency to enunciate players’ names in the brogue of their native country, with critics accusing her of adopting a ‘fake accent’.
As the broadcaster’s coverage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow gets underway, the disparagers are starting to rear their heads
Critics and trolls have condemned Zelic’s tendency to pronounce players’ names in the brogue of their native country, accusing her of adopting a ‘fake accent’
The abuse has continued as the 2018FIFA World Cup in Moscow got underway, with the online trolls rearing their heads again.
‘World Cup starts tonight. Can’t wait for a month of Lucy Zelic over pronouncing foreign players in a fake accent,’ quipped one Twitter user earlier this month.
Another insisted that ‘lucy zelic needs to stop trying to use an accent when prounouncing [sic] countries & players… pls no.. just stop.’
The heavily-inflected commentary was a widely-applauded trademark of the late SBS football icon Les Murray.
But the barrage of criticism that Zelic has received commentary drove the female host to the brink of a breakdown in 2014, as she contemplated quitting her job altogether
The heavily-inflected commentary was a widely-applauded trademark of the late SBS football icon Les Murray (pictured)
In his case it was lauded as the mark of a man who was particularly passionate and enthusiastic about the game.
But the barrage of criticism that Zelic has received for employing much the same style of commentary drove the female host to the brink of a breakdown in 2014, as she contemplated quitting her job altogether.
‘At about 12am one morning right before I was due to make my way into the studio, I lay on the bathroom floor in the foetal position crying for hours because I just couldn’t take it anymore,’ she told News.com.au.
There are those who have stepped up to defend Zelic against the naysayers and critics
Many have pointed to sexism as the reason why Zelic is receiving such widespread criticism
‘At that point, I considered calling my then executive producer Noel Brady to tell him that I was quitting.
‘The only thing that saved me on that cold winter morning while I was busy wanting to dissolve into the porcelain tiles was my love for the game.’
There are those who have stepped up to defend Zelic, however, with at least one Twitter user calling out the ‘Bunch of young flogs criticising Lucy Zelic and how she pronounces names.
‘When Les Murray did it, he was a cult hero,’ the commenter wrote.
‘She is paying respect to the world game. Shame on those putting her down, especially women. She has done a stellar job hosting.’
Zelic co-hosts the Australian World Cup broadcast alongside SBS Chief Football Analyst Craig Foster.
Zelic (pictured: left) co-hosts the Australian World Cup broadcast alongside SBS Chief Football Analyst Craig Foster (pictured: right)