Magda Szubanski on being called too nice for Weakest Link and that controversial tweet

On the day the highly-anticipated Weakest Link reboot premieres, host Magda Szubanski joined 3AW’s Dee Dee to chat about the quiz show and social media pile-ons.

The much-loved comedian came under fire last month for a tweet comparing a photo of the Prime Minister’s wife, Jenny Morrison, watching on as her husband signed a condolences book for Prince Philip, to the Handmaid’s Tale.

I genuinely thought this was a photoshopped Handmaid’s Tale meme. But no. It’s 21st century Aussie life. https://t.co/S5NckoHv1q

— Magda Szubanski AO (@MagdaSzubanski) April 11, 2021

But Ms Szubanski says the tweet was “an off-hand comment”.

“It certainly wasn’t intended in a mean way,” she told Dee Dee.

“It was not intended to be a vindictive tweet at all but it’s very much been made into that.”

The much-loved comedian also weighed in on suggestions she’s too nice to host Weakest Link, which the late Cornelia Frances presented with a famously icy demeanour in the early 2000s.

“I don’t know exactly what perception people have of me!,” Ms Szubanski said.

“I saw the Jane Lynch version that they did in the US. The earlier versions were really brutal and that’s a much lighter, more tongue in cheek, more playful sort of version of it.

“So I can muck around with it a little bit more and be a bit more playful.”

Press PLAY below to listen to Dee Dee’s full interview with Magda Szubanski

Weakest Link premieres tonight at 9pm on Nine.