We’ve all been there. Someone has really annoyed you, and you just have to let your feelings out and have a whinge to someone.

You unleash your anger and click send, and then comes the dreadful realisation that you have actually sent the email to the person you’re ranting about.

Talk about awkward.

And, it appears even employees of the Nine Network aren’t immune from such social faux pas.

Brian Hooper recently finished runner-up on Nine’s popular afternoon game show Hot Seat, and won himself $1000. But there was an unfortunate mix-up with the cheque and it was somehow lost in the mail.

After trading emails with the program’s production co-ordinator in an effort to track down the missing payment, Mr Hooper suddenly received an email in which the co-ordinator referred to him as an “idiot”.

Nine publicist Madeline Clark issued a statement to Western Independent in which they said the staff member had now apologised to Mr Hooper.

“We have resolved the matter of the prize money and they will receive their cheque in the coming week,” Ms Clark said.

Whoops, indeed.