Qantas Airways CEO Hit With Pie In The Face, Laughs It Off Like A Boss

New Delhi: Qantas Airways boss Alan Joyce's reaction surprised everyone after a man smeared a cream pie in his face during a business breakfast in Australia. Mr Joyce, the head of Australia's flag carrier, was speaking at the event in Perth, capital of Western Australia state, when an older man in a business suit walked onto the stage, reached around to rub the pie in his face, and calmly walked away.

Take a look at the moment it happened here:
 

.@Qantas boss has cream pie put in his face. Not yet known what the motivate was. https://t.co/gkmlM9DoSg @AmeliaBrace #7News pic.twitter.com/DbNi0PjtcA

— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) May 9, 2017

The Qantas CEO at first appeared stunned by the incident but quickly regained his composure, telling the audience he did not know why he had been targeted before leaving the stage to clean up.

He then returned to continue his speech without his blazer, joking about the incident. "Now, if there are any more pies can you get it over with now?" he said.

Talking to reporters later, Mr Joyce joked he had been unable to identify what flavour pie he had been hit with.

"I have absolutely no idea - I'm not a big pie eater," he said. "I didn't have a chance to test it, it was mostly on my glasses."

"I think my issue is I need a new drycleaner before I leave Perth, so if you have one could you please recommend it to me," he laughed.

That didn't stop Twitter speculating:
 

Going sugar free this month has me jealous of Alan Joyce. What pie would I like to be pied with? Banoffee or Lemon Meringue I think.

— Emma Pedler (@EmmaPeds) May 9, 2017

All flights on #Qantas this week come with a free Meringue Pie - Alan Joyce said they are delicious

— Ciaran O'Donnell (@JustCiaran) May 9, 2017

@G_Parker Confident it's not lemon meringue. Too crusty on top for satisfying smearage.

— Rebecca Leask (@MissBeck) May 9, 2017

What the?! I don't love Alan Joyce, but still feels like a waste of a lemon meringue pie! mmmmm... pie.... @Qantas https://t.co/T82Vwz4Pej https://t.co/ysZplephpx

— Melanie OBrien (@DrMelOB) May 9, 2017

Qantas boss cops a pie in the face from some old guy. Of the classic cream variety, I presume.https://t.co/sb5dFzO6oQ

— Patrick Commins (@ComminsP) May 9, 2017

Not sure Alan Joyce wanted cream pie for breakfast ! #ceo #qantas #waleadershipbreakfast

— Vicky Bevilaqua (@vixenaus) May 9, 2017

The unidentified man's motive was unclear but he was soon apprehended by security guards. State police later confirmed that officers had been called to an assault at a Perth hotel and that one person was in custody.

Long a slapstick comedy favourite, the pie-in-the-face routine has also developed as a form of political protest.

News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch was famously hit in the face with a pie while he testified before a British parliamentary inquiry into a phone-hacking scandal in 2011.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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