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The Project host Lisa Wilkinson shocked by Tommy Little's joke

Lisa Wilkinson was left visibly shocked after comedian Tommy Little made an awkward joke during an interview on The Sunday Project.

Tommy was chatting with singer, Thelma Plum, who was diagnosed with coronavirus earlier in the year and revealed she lost her sense of taste and smell as a result.

the project Thelma Plum interview
Tommy was doing an interview with singer Thelma Plum. Photo: Channel 10

“It came back and I was really happy and now I’ve developed this thing called dysosmia, so everything I smell and taste smells like ammonia and garbage and rancid meats,” Thelma explained.

But while fellow co-host, Susie Youssef, seemed sympathetic calling the lingering symptom “horrendous”, Tommy went a little off book.

“I had a similar condition that was called ‘growing up with my mum’s cooking’,” he replied instead.

Lisa audibly gasped before saying: “You can’t say that!”

the sunday project lisa wilkinson shocked
Lisa Wilkinson audibly gasped. Photo: Channel 10

The singer, who performed at the first ever virtual National Indigenous Music Awards on Saturday, went on to say she hopes her sense of smell and taste does return.

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“I really hope not because food sparks so much joy for me. I really miss garlic. I miss it so much,” she said.

It’s not the first time the comedian has caused some controversy while in his hosting role.

Back in April, Tommy admitted he doesn’t always get away with his quick jibes behind the scenes.

Speaking on the podcast Survivor's Guide to Coronavirus with fellow comedian Nazeem Hussain, Tommy revealed he was scolded by producers over one X-rated joke.

“You know we have earpieces in on The Project right?” Tommy asked Nazeem, before explaining that they’d had ‘news story after news story about coronavirus’ on the show and one of the producers asked him to ‘lighten it up a bit’.

“I came off the back of a news story and the title was ‘Clap for carers’ and it was people coming out of their house and clapping,” Tommy said.

“I made a joke and I said: ‘Oh thank God guys, it’s so nice that that’s what that story was about because when I saw the headline ‘Clap for carers’ I thought we had to get the clap to help carers out and that’s going to do but exacerbate the toll on an already strained healthcare system’ .”

Tommy said straight away a producer told him off in his ear, saying, ‘stop talking’.

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