Controversial Olympian Raygun addresses ‘tough’ backlash to THAT disaster Paris performance and argues her critics don’t ‘understand’ breakdancing in world-first tell-all TV interview

Controversial Olympic star Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn has spoken candidly about her disastrous performance at the Games in a world television first.

The 36-year-old breakdancer became an overnight sensation with her comedy performance at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, becoming the most talked about moment of the event.

Her unique moves, including kangaroo jumping and floor sliding, did not serve her well during the competition and earned her a barrage of ridicule, subsequently turning her into a global meme.

Now, the internet sensation has become the first in the world to give a TV interview about the viral moment. On Wednesday, he was a guest on The Project, where he discussed the ordeal with host Waleed Aly.

During the revealing interview, Raygun revealed that she has sought mental health care, while talking about how “tough” the negative reactions have been for her.

She also admitted that she has completely withdrawn from social media due to the online storm and that she has yet to rewatch her now infamous Olympic performance.

“Luckily, I quickly received spiritual support and stopped using social media and the internet,” she said candidly.

“But it’s pretty up and down, but it’s also just hard to process it all, honestly. It’s just still pretty hard to process.

“It’s been a pretty wild ride, I’ll be honest. I’ve definitely had my ups and downs, my good days and my bad days.”

Raygun also publicly apologized to the breakdancing community for the negative reactions following her unique Olympic performance.

“It’s really sad to hear that criticism,” she said. “And I feel really bad for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can’t control how people react.”

Waleed also hinted at the criticism she received for being one of the few athletes sent to the Olympics. He asked Raygun: “Do you really think you are the best female athlete in Australia?”

To which Raygun replied, “Well, I think my track record indicates that.”

“I never thought I would connect with so many people in such a positive way, so that’s really amazing. But yeah, it’s definitely been tough at times.”

Raygun also described her global fame as “amazing,” speaking about her newfound status, which has led to her being hounded by cameras and reportedly being considered for multiple TV offers.

“That was really wild,” she admitted. “If people are following me, what am I going to do? But that really freaked me out.”

The Macquarie University researcher could be set for a major career move as a TV insider has claimed she could soon be appearing on a number of popular reality shows.

“Negotiations are currently underway for the future of one of the most talked about Australians in the world, Raygun, with multiple TV deals,” a source told Yahoo Lifestyle.

It was also alleged that networks were competing with each other to get her exclusive appearances on Australia’s top broadcasters.

“They are looking for exclusive network deals that can last 12 to 24 months, thereby blocking other opportunities for competing programming,” they explained.

Another source called her one of the most “wanted names” in Australia and said competing networks could potentially cast Raygun for a “celebrity” show like SAS Australia or Dancing with the Stars.

“A number of agents have been keeping an eye on the viral superstar since her memorable dance at the Paris Olympics went viral,” they added.

“The exact direction she takes will become clear at any moment. It will be telling which network she signs with.”

There have been rumors that Dancing with the Stars executives are eager to sign Raygun for the upcoming season.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, an insider revealed that the show is keen to give Raygun the chance to capitalise on her disastrous performance at the Olympics and rehabilitate her image so she is no longer the ‘laughing piece’.

“Dancing with the Stars has had great dancers, terrible dancers and just plain pop culture for years and Raygun is now one of their targets for the upcoming season,” they said.

‘People are staying an extra fifteen minutes on Dancing with the Stars and as far as Raygun is concerned, the producers would like to talk to her to see if she’s a good fit for the upcoming season.

‘Dancing with the Stars is a show where people can redeem themselves and this could be the perfect way for Rachael to no longer be the butt of ridicule.’

Raygun became a global meme at the Olympics for her very unexpected routine, which saw her jump across the ground like a snake and roll like a kangaroo.

Although she faced a lot of scorn online, one marketing expert predicted that Raygun could turn her fame into millions of dollars.

However, they also warned that she has been too slow in maximizing her earning potential after her moment in the spotlight.

“Raygun has heard some of the biggest stars in the world talk about her and do impersonations of her,” the expert said.

“If she took this seriously, she should have done five international talk shows a long time ago.”

She has already signed a contract with influencer marketing agency Born Bred Talent, which represents some of Australia and New Zealand’s biggest social media stars.

In a quiet career move, the agency’s general manager Stephanie Scicchitano’s contact information suddenly appeared in Raygun’s Instagram bio last month.

Raygun also made a surprise appearance during last month’s TV Week Logies broadcast, encouraging the nominees to try out her “signature moves”.

“I would like to congratulate all the Logies nominees,” she said in the pre-recorded video message.

“Feel free to use one of my signature moves to celebrate. Have fun and take care of each other.”

Earlier in his opening monologue, host Sam Pang took a swipe at Raygun, joking about her disastrous performance at the Olympics.

“In the meantime, Raygun’s parents have promised her breakdancing lessons,” Pang joked, referring to the parents of Arisa Trew, Australia’s youngest Olympic gold medalist, who promised her a pet duck as a reward.

Amid all the criticism, Raygun also had to dismiss wild accusations and ‘misinformation’ about how she earned her place in Paris, including an online petition that was rejected by the Australian Olympic Committee.

“I didn’t realize that this would also open the door to so much hate, which has honestly been quite devastating,” she previously said.

“Even though I went there and had fun, I took it very seriously. I worked really hard to prepare for the Olympics and I gave it my all. I really did.

“Regarding the allegations and misinformation going around, I would like to ask everyone to read the recent statement from AOC, as well as the posts on Ausbreaking’s Instagram page and WDSF’s breaking for gold page,” she added.

She responded to claims that she scored zero points for her comedy act by saying, “Fun fact for you: there are no points in breaking.

‘If you want to see how the judges found me compared to my opponents, you can go to Olympics.com and see the comparison percentages for all five criteria. You’ll find all the results there.’

Although Raygun received a lot of criticism for her performance at the Olympics, she also caught the attention of big stars, including Adele, Fatboy Slim and American talk show host Jimmy Fallon.

Raygun has not yet returned to Australia after the Olympics and is currently on a planned European holiday with her husband, Samuel Free, who has just retired from coaching.