NBC anchor A.J. Clemente sums up his first day on the job with his first words on air: 'F---ing sh-t' (2024)

Talk about making an introduction.

Rookie news anchor A.J. Clemente left a lasting impression on NBC’s viewers in North Dakota Sunday night, when his first words on air at his new job were “f—ing sh-t.”

The admittedly nervous Clemente was just being introduced by the television announcer when viewers heard the easily audible phrase, which he said oblivious to the fact his microphone was on.

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Co-anchor Van Tieu attempted to carry on professionally, telling viewers: “You may have seen our newest reporter A.J on Envy and CE North Dakota News. He will be joining North Dakota news as my co-anchor. Tell us a little about yourself A.J.”

Clemente, no doubt realizing that he just went “Boom goes the Dynamite” on his career, valiantly attempts to compose himself.

“Um thanks Van, I’m very excited — I graduated from West Virginia University and I’m used to, um, being, you know, from the in, East Coast,” he stammers out heroically.

Tieu would later issue an apology for the network on the 10 p.m. news.

“We were caught off guard and [Clemente] didn’t realize his microphone was on. And while that was no excuse – we do train our reporters to always assume that any microphone is live at any time – unfortunately we cannot take back what was said,” she said.

The NBC affiliate, KFYR-TV, would later issue a Facebook post saying Clemente has been suspended until “we resolve the situation,” which presumably does not involve a time machine or shutting down YouTube.

Resolution came in the form of a firing, instead.

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Clemente’s Twitter feed captured the emotions of the day, from those first innocent butterflies to the dark seeds of despair.

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In one small positive note for Clemente, he was able to clarify that while he has a potty mouth, at least he didn’t not say something hom*ophobic.

Just before his double cussing, you can hear him say “gay” — which was him attempting to pronounce the London Marathon winner’s name — Tsegaye Kebede.

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North Dakota viewers will now forever be left wondering what might have been if only the more pronounceable Emmanuel Mutai had managed to hang on to victory in London.

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