Popular morning show host and former actress Nida Yasir has sought forgiveness, saying that she is “a human being, not an angel” and that people sometimes fail to properly express what they feel or intend to say.
The TV personality said the same thing happened to her when she shared a “bad experience” regarding food delivery riders.
“My mistake was that I made the wrong choice of words,” she said, adding that such slips are possible in everyday conversations.
Nida, who once again found herself at the center of the controversy, said she was extremely sorry and never intended to hurt anyone.
So what exactly happened?
During a live broadcast, while discussing issues related to home delivery services with a guest, the morning show host accused delivery riders of deliberately not carrying money with them to “squeeze” extra cash from customers.
“Riders who deliver food would never get change. You can tip them regardless, but for those who lie about not having change, I make them wait while my driver collects it,” she had said, proudly describing her way of “teaching the riders a lesson” by delaying their next deliveries.
Her remarks not only offended people in the sector, but also sparked online criticism from netizens who accused Nida of lacking empathy for underpaid gig workers who put in long hours to make ends meet.
Meanwhile, others argued that Nida’s interpretation was misplaced because delivery apps explicitly tell customers to keep the exact amount ready when placing an order.
After several days of online buzz, Nida finally responded to the criticism, insisting that she never intended to hurt anyone or target the entire riding community. She added that the mistake happened “on a live show, not a taped one”, where it could have been edited or clarified.
She said she had shared her “bad experience with the riders” but clearly should have mentioned that “some riders” follow the practice of not keeping change, not the whole community.
“I’m not here to hurt anyone. I appear on the screen as I am, and I have feelings like everyone else. I’m a human, not an angel, and sometimes we fail to convey in words what’s in our hearts and it gets interpreted differently.”
She finished by directly addressing the riders who saw her and said she wanted to apologize sincerely.
“I repeat that not all riders are like the ones I referred to. It was just my experience and I never intended to disregard their struggles or hurt them. Please forgive me for my mistake,” she added.
