Colin Jost backs out of Olympics correspondent job after sustaining numerous injuries
The “Saturday Night Live” star officially exited his role as a correspondent for the surfing competitions in Tahiti after sustaining numerous injuries on the job, Deadline reported Monday.
NBC has replaced Jost, 42, with Australian weatherman Luke Bradnam, who had already been in French Polynesia covering the Games.
Jost’s time in Tahiti appeared to be troubled from the start in July, giving NBC sportscaster Maria Taylor a candid update on the network’s less-than-ideal setup on the island.
“I apologize that we were a little delayed getting to you. You’re not gonna believe it based on this yard full of chickens, but we had some technical difficulties,” he said on the air while gesturing to the poultry.
The comedian also shared that he had severely injured his foot from stepping on a coral reef while in the ocean.
Colin Jost shared a picture of his bandaged and bloodied wounds on Instagram last month, joking that he has “been to the Olympic medical tent more than any of the athletes.”
In the photo, three of Jost’s toes were bandaged with gauze while his other exposed toes were covered with minor cuts.
“I actually have been walking in place in this yard because if I stand still, ants begin crawling inside the wounds,” he shared. “Not something I anticipated.”
Unfortunately, the funnyman’s toes would not heal property, so on-site medics told him they needed to see him “every day” because the infection had not improved. To add insult to injury, he developed an ear infection.
“I woke up this morning and discovered that I had added ear infection to my growing list of ailments,” he said in a July broadcast. “So I’m now on three different medications — four if you count piña coladas.”
The mounting injuries have not taken away Jost’s sense of humor, as he shared a segment he filmed in Tahiti ahead of the surfing semifinals and finals, which had been delayed because of small surf conditions.
“Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” he captioned the video. “Semis and finals of Olympic surfing happening right now in Tahiti. At the Wall of Skulls.”