The Project host slammed after exclusive Raygun interview: 'An embarrassment'

Rachael Gunn, also affectionately now known in the Aussie lexicon as Raygun, gave her world-first TV interview on Wednesday night. The b-girl appeared on Channel 10's The Project to discuss her rise to fame and the backlash surrounding her Olympic Games participation.

On the very rare chance you missed it, Raygun became a viral sensation after her breaking routine took the internet by storm for all the wrong reasons. Raygun failed to earn any points in her three battles at the games, with some slamming her as an 'embarrassment' to the country.

Speaking to Waleed Aly, Raygun said she had her "ups and downs" since her rise to fame, saying the backlash from the Olympics had taken a toll on her mental health.

When Waleed asked how "dark" it had gotten for Raygun, she said she got some mental health support pretty quickly and that she took herself off social media and the internet, but said the whole debacle was "pretty hard to process".

Waleed slammed after The Project's interview with Raygun

While the interview shed light on the struggles Raygun has had since being propelled into the global spotlight, some viewers were unhappy with the style of interviewing, claiming Waleed hadn't gone hard enough on her and saying that Raygun is still not taking any accountability for 'making a mockery' of hip-hop culture.

"Weak AF interview," one person raged on Facebook. "Just another absolute pisstake by her and Waleed's questions. "Of course it will be a Waleed interview. Let Steve Price ask her a few questions," someone else commented, with another agreeing, "Pity Steve Price didn't do the interview."

RELATED:

• Raygun close to securing 'lucrative network deal': 'Don't want to share her'

• Hint at Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn's next move after viral Olympics act: 'What she deserves'

• The Block's builder breaks silence about Paige and Jesse amid backlash: 'Eye-opener'

"The questions have no reason or direction, ask her do you know you did really bad at the Olympics?" another said.

Other viewers took umbrage at what they saw as Raygun's lack of accountability, despite her apology

"No apology for making a mockery of the breaking hip-hop culture. And there are other female breakers who are much more talented," one person said. "She needs to apologise for taking the place of talented dancers. She’s an embarrassment that scored a zero. That has to be a first," someone else ranted.

Raygun said she was "very sorry" for the backlash the breaking community had experienced since her Olympics performance.

"It's sad to hear those criticisms," she said. "And I am very sorry for the backlash the community has experienced, but I can't control how people will react."

Some fans stepped in to defend Waleed and Raygun

Not everyone had a problem with the line of questioning, with some labelling Waleed as "kind and respectful".

"Very well done, and very kind interview. You asked some tough questions, and she gave some tough answers," one person said. "Bravo, Waleed, that was a wonderful interview. You were probing but also kind and respectful," someone else commended. "You gave her the space to answer for herself and she did it well. I liked her and was impressed with her honesty and humility."

"Brilliant interview! It was important to ask about the marginalised communities from which breaking originates and how making breaking a sport can potentially exclude those communities. I think Raygunn’s approach to that question did it justice!" one fan commented.

Raygun on the hate she received from social media

Raygun also told Waleed while she felt 'sad' at the hate that was evoked, she said general audiences aren't familiar with breaking and the diversity of approaches.

"It was really sad how much hate that it did evoke... also just due to people not being very familiar with breaking and the diversity of approaches in breaking, and it was so fantastic that the next day the judging chair, MG, came out and explained that in the breaking community what I did actually wasn't very shocking," she further explained.

"But of course, there's been a portion of very angry and.. awful responses, not only attacking me but attacking my husband, attacking my crew, attacking the breaking and street dance community in Australia, my family. The energy and vitriol that people had was pretty alarming."

SHOP:

• The limited edition Red Rooster feed taking game night to the next level

• The 'incredible' anti-ageing supplement customers keep raving about: 'Best I’ve felt in years'

• The personalised accessories for anyone who loves to make a statement

Waleed asked at one point if Raygun "genuinely" believed she was the best female breaker in Australia, to which the 36-year-old responded: “I think my record speaks to that. I was the top-ranked Australian b-girl in 2020 and 2022 and 2023. I have been invited to represent at how many World Championships, Paris, Korea.. So, the record is there...

"I won the Oceania Championships... I was a direct qualifier.. There were no judges, all from overseas... I don't think any of them had judged in anything I had been in before. I was super nervous about it, to be honest because even though I had won all these competitions in Australia, I was nervous about winning this one because it was all new judges."

Want the latest celebrity news? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.