THE verdict is out.

MediaCorp artiste Jade Seah did utter an 'expletive' - which sounded like the f-word - during last Wednesday's episode of the Olympics news programme Today In Beijing, the station said.

In an e-mail reply to my paper, Mr Kenneth Liang, executive vice-president (TV Programming & Production, Channel 5), MediaCorp TV, said: 'MediaCorp Channel 5 has investigated and confirms that there was an unintentional utterance by the presenter off-camera.'

He explained that there was a delay in switching off Seah's microphone after she had delivered her lines, and it caught her reaction 'to a fluff she had made in pronouncing an athlete's name'.

Mr Liang said: 'We deeply regret the unintentional leakage of the off-air expletive. Measures have been put in place to prevent such occurrences from happening in the future.'

Seah will not be replaced.

She continues to co-host the programme with Mark Richmond, the station said.

The 25-year-old beauty queen-turned-TV presenter has also been criticised by TV viewers as a wrong choice to present the programme.

However, Mr Liang said: '(Seah) may not have the mileage of a seasoned presenter but she brings to her delivery a fresh appeal.'

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