He may have only lasted one day as a local news anchor, but A.J. Clemente is now getting plenty of television exposure after his on-air, expletive-laden mistake went viral.
After appearing on Live with Kelly and Michael, Morning Joe, and Today, Clemente is also set to appear on the Late Show with David Letterman on Wednesday. Letterman has already joked about Clemente with a segment on Tuesday titled "Top Ten Signs Your First Day as a News Anchor Didn't Go Well."
STORY: Local Anchor Fired After Swearing in First On-Air Appearance
Clemente was fired after his debut show on North Dakota's NBC affiliate KFYR after unleashing a string of swear words on a hot mic. The clip of the rookie anchor stumbling over his words quickly went viral.
"Rookie mistake. I'm a free agent. Cant help but laugh at myself and stay positive.Wish i didnt trip over my 'Freaking Shoes' out of the gate," Clemente wrote on Twitter on Monday.
On Today, Clemente explained that when he first saw the clip of himself it was "gut wrenching. I didn't even know I said it on camera until my news director walked in on the third break." He elaborated that he was rehearsing the names of London marathon runners for a segment and grew frustrated at himself for mispronouncing the names.
"It's inexcusable, first, to even say those words," he added, noting that he has no animosity about being fired.
Appearing on Morning Joe, he had Tom Brokaw to console him with a story of his own gaffe as a rookie anchor, although Brokaw added the caveat to his own mistake: "It wasn't as explicit as yours was by any means."
Watch Clemente's infamous moment below:
