A Current Affair host Leila McKinnon has been forced to explain her newly-acquired lisp after Tuesday night’s show.

McKinnon’s usually clear voice was replaced by a noticeable speech defect, causing viewers to question whether the host had used lip fillers or gained a new mouth piercing.

“Is it just me, or is Leila McKinnon’s speech slightly different than normal?” wrote one Twitter user after the show.

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.@leilamckinnon reports following the death of another young person to an alleged one punch attack. #ACA9 https://t.co/v9trNHz12z

— A Current Affair (@ACurrentAffair9) January 4, 2016

“Almost sounds as though she has had some dental work done IMO [in my opinion].”

“Anyone know why Leila McKinnon has a lisp? She never used to and she looks so different,” wrote another.

Before the speculation could get out of hand, McKinnon put the issue to rest with a humorous post of her own.

“Thankth for your interetht in my lithp, yeth I have braceth now, not great in my job but I’m working on it,” she wrote on Twitter.

“Not a tongue piercing, not lip filler, but thanks for the theories. Just an awful open bite.”

Twitter users mostly appreciated the host’s light hearted self deprecation, congratulating her on the bravery to wear braces on television.

“Okay so you have braces…I thought you’d had a stroke. I think your brave xx,” wrote one user.

“Your [sic] incredible. It’s what makes you unique and awesome,” wrote another.

“Haha legend I thought my TV was vibrating on the ssssss saved me a fortune,” joked another user.

But that did not stop the speculation, with one user questioning whether the A Current Affair host had chosen to go with ‘Invisalign’ invisible braces or the ‘grillz’ favoured by rappers.

@leilamckinnon @ACurrentAffair9 ….. Grillz or Invisalign ? #LispGate — Keiron (@RealKeiron) January 4, 2016

@leilamckinnon @ACurrentAffair9 okay so you have braces…I thought you’d had a stroke. I think your brave xx — melinda walters (@melindakw1969) January 4, 2016

Aus #media should be ashamed. Focus only on @leilamckinnon lisp than serious issues with Aus #alcohol & #drug culture @ACurrentAffair9 #ACA — Chadwick James (@TweetChadwick) January 5, 2016