Tennis champion Ash Barty has been reported to a drinking watchdog after a fan took issue with her celebratory sip of beer during a TV interview following her historic Australian Open victory.
Though most people would have thought she’d earned it, one viewer dobbed it in as a PR stunt to Australia’s advertising watchdog.
Barty’s win at the Australian Open propelled her to national hero status. She is the first Australian woman to win the singles since Chris O’Neil in 1978.
There was a jubilant atmosphere as she was interviewed on live TV, surrounded by happy fans.
As express.co.uk reports: “Channel Nine presenters cracked open a couple of beers to celebrate, and Barty was happy to join in and swig from a bottle of Corona, while Peroni was also spotted on the set.”
“I’m a Corona girl,” she said, as she and the presenters sat down and sipped.
One fan took issue with this, reporting the incident to the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC), expressing concerns it “glorified and glamorised alcohol and was very deceptive if it was indeed a paid promotion.”
“Why else are they doing it if it wasn’t a paid stunt? It’s poor when many children were up watching the final and Ash Barty is a role model for many girls too,” the complainant wrote.
Carlton & United Breweries, which distributes Corona, said there had been no advertising agreement between themselves and the Nine Network.
“Carlton & United Breweries was not aware that our brands Peroni and Corona would be depicted in this or any other post-match interview,” they said.
“We were not contacted by Channel 9 with respect to any reference to our brands.”
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