During the SRF news program “10 vor 10”, presenter Wasiliki Goutziomitros suddenly lost her voice. She cleared her throat, coughed and clutched her chest, but nothing helped. “Please excuse me, I need a drink of water,” she finally said, reaching for the bottle under the presenter’s desk, turning away slightly and taking a quick drink. She then confidently brought the show to a close.
Read more in the Nau article (8.9.2023)
Something similar can happen to you during an important appearance in front of a large audience. You get a dry throat, make a promise or have a brief blackout.
Here’s a tip: Disclose this with a smile: “Please excuse me, I’ve just lost my train of thought.” You can be sure that someone in the audience will help you with the right keyword. And most importantly, always have a glass of water to hand!
Incidentally, SRF is deliberately creating a culture of dealing positively with mistakes: “No one is immune to minor or major mishaps. No matter what happens: Flury hears everything. The funniest slips of the tongue, the biggest knobs in the tongue and the most beautiful technical mishaps”: https://www.srf.ch/audio/flury-hoert-alles
