Bizarre claim on The Morning Show leaves Kiwis stunned: 'We are not'
A TV reporter has appeared to offend an entire country after claiming the cost of living was so high in New Zealand residents were forced to eat snails and use spray bottles instead of toilet paper.
Channel Seven’s Angela Mollard, who is from New Zealand, was discussing soaring prices on The Morning Show on Wednesday when she made the claim.
“You’ve got to remember, our [Australia’s] inflation is significantly less than other places in the world,” she said during a panel segment called What’s the Buzz.
“In New Zealand, they are eating snails from the garden and using water spray instead of toilet paper because it is so expensive.”
Her comments have caused outrage from fellow Kiwis on social media who say they’re “not that hungry and eating everything.”
"Can confirm we are NOT eating snails from the garden or using water spray as toilet paper. Where on earth did you get this from????" one Twitter user wrote.
“No way we eat them,” one person said on Facebook.
“Pass, we ain’t that desperate,” wrote another.
“I’d have to be absolutely starving and dead broke before I ate snails,” someone else added.
While others were quick to make a joke, saying they might be forced to eat them if vegetable prices keep rising.
“$7.50 for a lettuce so very soon we will be!” one man claimed.
“Might be an option if these prices keep increasing,” another said.
While someone else asked “what dipping sauce would be best for these?”
A speck of truth to the claims
It appears though that Ms Mollard didn’t pluck her comments from the air.
Instead it looks like they were based on a story published by New Zealand’s Stuff publication.
The article from June discussed the lengths some Kiwis are going to to save money including one resident, Kate Todd, who eats snails with garlic from her suburban garden.
“We fed them oatmeal for a while to get all their poo out then cooked them with garlic,” she told Stuff.
“Chewy but fine.”
While other locals have been forgoing toilet paper to save a buck.
Jocelyn Kroll detailed how she uses a “bum gun” – “a spray bottle with water as a handheld bidet".
But many on social media weren’t buying Ms Mollard’s evidence.
“So one crazy lady eats snails and another crazy family doesn’t use toilet paper, and suddenly she’s saying we're all doing this?” one person wrote.
“If you’re reading this Australia, no we don’t.
“99.9999% of us are normal."
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
