Chat show host apologises for misgendering Elliot Page in car crash moment on live TV
Sarah Harris struggled to get to grips with Elliot Page’s pronouns (Screenshot: Studio 10)
Australian TV presenter Sarah Harris has apologised profusely for mangling Elliot Page’s pronouns on live TV while discussing the actor’s transition.
On 2 December the Studio 10 talkshow aired a news segment about the 33-year-old Umbrella Academy star, explaining that he had come out as transgender and now uses he/they pronouns.
Immediately after the clip finished Harris proceeded to misgender Page in a toe-curlingly awkward scene she later described as “a brain snap”.
“Wow, that’s big news. Good for her – good for them – good for he,” she spluttered. “Jeez, that’s confusing already.”
She then fixed a smile on her face and tried to breeze past it without apologising. It wasn’t until the following day that she admitted her mistake.
“I need to apologise for my reaction that I had yesterday when you first announced the news about Elliot Page. I completely stuffed up the pronouns,” she said as she sat alongside co-host, Tristan McManus.
“I got flustered and tried to make a joke and move on. Looking back that was pretty insensitive. It was a genuine mistake and I’m so sorry. Yeah, I’m just… I’m sorry. It was a brain snap,” she continued.
“A lot of people say ‘don’t apologise’, but I felt really lousy and I’d hate anyone to feel like I was attacking them in that way. It was just a moment. I’m really sorry.”
“Look, we don’t understand everything, there’s a lot of new things happening,” added McManus.
While the presenter’s clumsy slip up was painful to watch, many others in the media have taken a refreshing approach towards Elliot Page and his transition.
Tech giant Sony struck the perfect balance when correcting a fan who used the wrong pronouns, while Netflix immediately updated Page’s credits on all past projects he’s been involved in.
Page’s actor profile has also been updated on IMDb to reflect his correct name and pronouns.
