Samantha Armytage, filling in for Sarah Abo on the Today show, made a playful reference to sports presenter Danika Mason's past on-air incident. The remark occurred during a segment where weather presenter Tim Davies was discussing snowmaking equipment at Mount Buller.
After a guest joked about the snow machines being like "margarita machines," co-host Michael Willesee Jr. mused about repurposing the machinery for cocktails. Armytage then turned to Mason, quipping, "The snowmaker? Yeah, I don't know. Ask Danika. Danika, how does it work? Too soon?"
Armytage quickly appeared to reconsider her comment, adding, "No. But she's an expectant mother," which prompted Mason to laugh off the remark. The reference was to a live cross from the 2026 Winter Olympics where Mason struggled with her speech and deviated from the topic. Mason later acknowledged consuming alcohol before the segment, attributing her performance to a combination of cold, high altitude, and not eating dinner.
At the time of the incident, Mason expressed regret, stating she had "totally misjudged a situation" and "shouldn't have had a drink." She took full responsibility and admitted to fearing for her job in the immediate aftermath, describing a "spiral" of worry. However, she credited support from the rugby league community, including Andrew Johns, and her co-host Karl Stefanovic for helping her navigate the situation. Stefanovic reportedly advised her to apologize on-air, which she did.
Mason, who is expecting her first child with partner Liam Knight in December, had previously received congratulations from Armytage on her pregnancy announcement. Armytage's return to breakfast television is to cover Abo's maternity leave.