Awkward just because it is and surprising because you’d think seasoned professional entertainers  like The Wiggles, with thousands of media interviews under their belt, might have been better prepared for the obvious question: “Where is Sam?”.

This train wreck of a media interview just goes from bad to worse. Poor Anthony. Did he not see it coming? Such an obvious angle. Or were they so caught up in the excitement of Greg’s comeback announcement that they were blind to the big question?

It’s important to remember there are always two sides to every story. In reporting, nothing works better than the juxtaposition of winners and losers, good and bad, rich and poor. When preparing for media interviews and announcements make sure you have thought through both sides of your story and prepared appropriately.

This was never going to be an easy announcement. On one side, there is the joy of Greg’s return after having suffered ill health. On the other side, Greg’s return means Sam is being pushed aside, despite many preschoolers only ever having known him as the yellow Wiggle. But you can’t run and hide from the hard stuff.

Work the hard messages well and really think them through. Above all, be genuine, upfront and honest and you won’t have a train wreck on your hands.

If you have an impending announcement with some tough messages to sell, why not take advantage of one our guerrilla brainstorming sessions to work it through.