Samantha Armytage cracked up live on air on Wednesday morning while interviewing Muay Thai fighter Ryan McDonald, who has been hailed a hero for stepping in to protect two young women during a road rage confrontation on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
McDonald, 19, appeared on Today to discuss the incident, but fill-in host Armytage, 49, appeared taken aback by his deeply tanned complexion and bleached blond hair. When he first appeared on screen, Armytage laughed and said "Wow," before recovering and calling him a "legend" for de-escalating a violent situation on the Bruce Highway.
The subject of McDonald's appearance came up again later in the segment when he joked he was "pretty hard to miss." Armytage and fill-in co-host Tom Steinfort, 42, then began laughing, with Armytage saying, "You said it, Ryan. You're quite something to look at." Steinfort added, "Unique."
McDonald explains his look
Armytage asked whether the appearance was "part of the whole thing" with Muay Thai. McDonald said it had become his brand since he started fighting, even though he had looked that way his whole life, adding that people now knew him as "the blond tan guy." He joked that he looked like actor and martial artist Dolph Lundgren, prompting Armytage to reply, "You're much more handsome than Dolph Lundgren."
The road rage incident
McDonald went viral on Tuesday after jumping out of his car on the Bruce Highway to protect two young women caught up in a road rage incident. Dashcam footage showed a van trying to merge into another lane of traffic on the Sunshine Coast motorway.
The van driver stopped, got out and approached a car carrying two young women, allegedly trying to open the driver's door before McDonald intervened as other motorists gathered nearby. McDonald told Channel Seven on Monday that he saw it as an opportunity to help and use what he knew to de-escalate the situation, since the women were on their own in the car.
McDonald and the van driver exchanged words before both men removed their shirts in the middle of the road. The confrontation ended without a punch being thrown once the driver learned McDonald was a professional fighter with eight career victories, including four by knockout. McDonald said the man asked him, "Are you sure you want this?" and he replied, "Yeah."
Reaction online
The van driver returned to his vehicle and drove away. McDonald said preventing the confrontation from turning violent was the best possible outcome, since everyone got home safe that day.
Footage of the incident has attracted more than three million views across social media, where McDonald was widely praised. One user called him "a legend" for defending women he did not know, while another said they were glad he stepped in, given they have daughters and granddaughters. A third commenter criticised people for focusing on his appearance rather than his actions, while others said the incident would have been a scary experience for the women involved.
