The AM Show star Aziz Al-Sa'afin has offered some advice to TVNZ Breakfast's Wilson Longhurst, who was forced to apologise after commenting on a woman's appearance on air.
Longhurst was admonished by hosts John Campbell and Hayley Holt for critiquing a woman's teeth and hair and later admitted his remarks were "misogynistic", but Al-Sa'afin insists: "we all make mistakes".
"Chin up @wilsonlonghurst, keep calm and carry on! You got this buddy!" Al-Sa'afin wrote on Twitter in response to the backlash Longhurst's comments had drawn from viewers.
"Broadcasting in a live environment is one of the toughest jobs, and when it comes to ad-libbing, you're almost constantly playing with fire, and unfortunately, sometimes you can get burned.
"It's important to remember that we are all human, and sometimes without meaning to, we do say the wrong things."
The AM Show's social media reporter said there had been many times he had regretting something he had said on air, "having no intention of hurting or offending anyone".
"Our breakfast TV and radio shifts mean we have to learn how to function in a constant state of drunkness," he said.
"I didn't really know what he meant, not until many years later - it was figurative. We all make mistakes, but it's how we own those mistakes that define you."
In his on-air apology, Longhurst said his comments "weren't good enough" and that he was "really disappointed" in himself.
