- Took part in viral TikTok challenge ‘splitting the G’
Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac has taken a cheeky swipe at rival breakfast TV star Danika Mason over her viral slip-up when she drank too much before a cross from the Winter Olympics.
Broadcasting live from The Rocks during St Patrick’s Day celebrations on Tuesday, Mac embraced the Irish tradition of ‘splitting the G’ during an early morning cross on Sunrise.
‘Splitting the G’ is an Irish pub tradition and TikTok drinking trend where a person takes a large first sip of a fresh pint of Guinness so the cream-and-black line settles exactly in the middle of the ‘G’ in the Guinness logo.
After successfully landing the perfect first sip of his Guinness, he couldn’t resist referencing Mason’s recent on-air moment.
‘The reason I have done this so early is because I thought I’d be doing this at every cross today and by the end of the show I would be Danika Mason,’ Mac joked.
The jab drew laughter from hosts Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington, who appeared amused by the dig before quickly moving the segment along.
Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac did the viral TikTok challenge ‘splitting the G’ live on air as he celebrated St Patrick’s Day on Tuesday
The weatherman succeeded, and had a cheeky dig at rival network presenter Danika Mason in the process
Mason went viral for her live broadcast at the Winter Olympics after drinking alcohol (pictured)
Mac’s comment was a clear nod to Mason’s headline-making live crosses from the Winter Olympics in Italy, where she stumbled over her words and appeared flustered while delivering a sports update.
She later admitted to drinking alcohol before the broadcast, which went viral.
‘The price of coffee over here is actually fine … it’s actually the price of coffee in the US we have to get used to … I’m not sure about the iguanas? Where are we going with that one?’ Mason said at the time.
‘Anyway, let’s get into today’s sport because there’s plenty happening back home.’
The moment sparked a flood of reactions online, with viewers questioning what had gone wrong during the segment.
Mason later addressed the incident head-on with an on-air apology, admitting she was affected by alcohol.
‘I totally misjudged a situation. I shouldn’t have had a drink,’ she said.
‘And especially in these conditions, it’s cold, we’ve got altitude, and not having had dinner probably didn’t help as well.
‘But I want to take full responsibility. It’s not the standard that I set for myself. So in saying that, I’m really sorry.’
The controversy didn’t end there. Just days later, Mason revealed she had been stopped by US customs while travelling from Italy to Las Vegas, joking that officers ‘thought I looked suspicious’ due to carrying multiple suitcases filled with ski gear.
Despite the scrutiny, Mason has continued her on-air duties, with Today host Karl Stefanovic publicly backing his colleague.
‘I don’t even know what you’re talking about,’ he said.
‘You’re the best, Danika. Don’t worry about it. Let’s move on.’
