After seven years of preparation and 11 days of competition, the final act of the Commonwealth Games fell flat on Sunday after viewers and host commentators slammed the closing ceremony for breaking tradition.
Channel Seven hosts Johanna Griggs and Basil Zempilas expressed their frustration following the two-and-a-half hour ceremony, which did not feature the athletes entering the stadium to the traditional chorus of cheers.
"Look, we understand many people have been disappointed by tonight’s closing ceremony,” Zempilas said at the conclusion of the ceremony.
"To be perfectly honest Jo, so have we. It hasn’t really lived up to expectations. I’ve got to say it’s about the only thing they got wrong. They did get it wrong tonight."
Griggs was quick to defend her network amid the furore, but went even further with her criticism.
"People are thinking that Channel Seven has chosen not to show pictures of athletes or not to show the flag-bearer, Kurt Fearnley or other flag-bearers. We can only show the pictures that are provided by the actual host broadcasters," she said.
"They made the decision not to have the actual athletes enter the stadium, they made the decision not to show the flag-bearers and I'm furious.
"They're actually wrecking a tradition that is so important and part of the Commonwealth Games."
Viewers expressed their anger on social media.
Griggs said half the stadium had emptied during the ceremony and most of the athletes had already left.
Zempilas also pointed out the speeches from the dignitaries dragged on for "way too long" and were a little "self-indulgent".
Mr Beattie apologised for the “stuff up” on Monday morning claiming the decision was driven by athlete welfare.
“What we were trying to do, we were concerned about athlete welfare,” he told Seven's Sunrise.
“One of the problems is when you have thousands of athletes where do you put them? The last thing they want is to stand in a field for an hour waiting to get into a closing ceremony.
“But we made a mistake..that was clearly a stuff up.”
Despite the finale being heavily criticised, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games organising committee chairman Peter Beattie labelled the last 11 days as "innovative" and "inspirational".
Nine world records fell and 83 Games records were broken, while five countries won Commonwealth medals for first time ever in the 21st instalment of the Commonwealth Games.
Australia blitzed the medal tally with 80 gold, making it the country's fourth most successful Games, while arch-rivals England had a final tally of 45 golds.
