Popular morning show host Nida Yasir has issued an apology after facing backlash for comments she made about food-delivery riders. Reflecting on her controversial remarks, she acknowledged that she is “a human, not an angel,” and sometimes words are not conveyed as intended.
The controversy began when Nida shared a “bad experience” she had with delivery riders during a live broadcast. While discussing home-delivery services, she accused riders of deliberately not carrying change in order to swindle extra money from customers.
“The food-delivery riders would never have the change. You can tip them regardless, but for those who lie about not having the change, I make them wait while my driver fetches it,” she said, describing how she would teach the riders a lesson by delaying their deliveries.
Her words quickly sparked criticism, with many netizens accusing her of showing a lack of empathy for underpaid gig workers. Others pointed out that delivery apps often notify customers to have the exact amount ready when placing orders, which may have contributed to misunderstandings.
After several days of online criticism, Nida responded, expressing regret over her choice of words. She clarified that she never meant to offend anyone or target the entire rider community, emphasizing that the incident happened live, where clarifications could not be made as easily as in a recorded show.
“I should have made it clear that I was referring to some riders, not all of them. I’m not here to hurt anyone. I appear on screen as I am, and I have emotions like anyone else. I am a human, not an angel, and sometimes we fail to convey with words what we have in our hearts,” she said.
Nida concluded her statement by addressing the riders directly and offering a sincere apology for her mistake. “I repeat that not every rider is 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 said.
