As Sky staff were leaving Crown Sydney that evening, they claim Mr Al Ahmed was seen returning with a cousin from the Barangaroo bar and dining precinct. He allegedly told them he had withdrawn because he felt let down by someone close to him and was too upset to proceed. The channel's Head of Programs, Mark Calvert, penned a lengthy article for Sky News Australia's website which described the day as 'frustrating' and at times 'surreal'. Calvert wrote that Mr Al Ahmed gave no clear answer about

“Oh, that’s absurd”