Secret behind why some TV stars are always picked while others seem to have disappeared
Osher Gunsberg, Amanda Keller and Grant Denyer are just some of the household names constantly in the spotlight. But there is a secret formula to why these hosts are always selected – and why some we never see again. REVEALED: MOST HIRED TV HOSTS AND AXED STARS.
Confidential
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Seeing a fresh face on Australian television is as rare as a Dodo bird sighting.
With TV networks under immense pressure to deliver strong ratings and advertising revenue down across the board, competition has never been fiercer.
With that in mind, commercial television networks appear to be using the same pool of familiar faces to host and appear on screen.
This is most evident in Channel 10 wunderkind Osher Gunsberg, who not only hosts The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise but also voices Bondi Rescue and fronts celebrity singing show The Masked Singer. Gunsberg also filled in for Jonathan LaPaglia on the season finale of Survivor Australia due to coronavirus.
Channel 10 it appears is the worst offender with a small group of talent appearing across prime time shows.
Others recycled regularly through the system include Amanda Keller, Grant Denyer, Dave Hughes, Hamish Blake, Andy Lee, Manu Feildel, Sonia Kruger, Chris Brown and Julia Morris.
Usually talent are locked down with a particular network although there are exceptions to that rule with comedian Joel Creasey an example of someone working across multiple stations.
“Making television costs a lot of money and executives become risk adverse which is why they use the same presenters over and over again,” former TV executive turned commentator Rob McKnight said. “It is very hard for new talent to get a gig because producers tend to go with the people they know, people they trust to deliver the goods. Of course, what we end up with is more of the same which is why audiences are looking for alternative content.”
The over use of certain talent is no doubt also to account for hefty salaries with networks making sure they are getting back for the buck.
Mediaweek editor James Manning said reusing talent is cost-effective and clever.
“Some of the 10 talent is no longer working on some of the shows that have been cancelled, but a failed project doesn’t seem to be a roadblock for future gigs or audience acceptance,” Manning said. “Chris (Brown) and Julia (Morris) were a hard sell on Sunday Night Take Away, but the viewers came back to watch them on I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!”
Another industry executive noted Ten’s programming slate lent itself to recycling talent across multiple shows more than other broadcasters.
“Seven and Nine don’t have the same comedy panel or celebrity-based shows as 10,” the exec said. “It’s a strong point of difference for the channel. Years ago, Nine built its famous ‘galaxy of stars’ and used them across many programs at the same time, but Nine has a different programming strategy these days.”
Here, we take a look at some of the key talent who have worked across several shows at the same time:
TEN
Osher Gunsberg – The Bachelor/Bachelorette/Bachelor in Paradise, Bondi Rescue, The Masked Singer, Survivor fill in
Grant Denyer – Celebrity Name Game, Dancing With The Stars
Amanda Keller – Dancing With The Stars, The Living Room
Miguel Maestre – The Living Room, I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here, Dancing With The Stars
Beau Ryan – The Amazing Race, Chris and Julia’s Sunday Night Take Away, Take Away Reheated, Dancing With The Stars
Chris Brown – Chris and Julia’s Sunday Night Take Away, Take Away Reheated, I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here
Julia Morris – Chris and Julia’s Saturday Night Take Away, Take Away Reheated, I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here
Ed Kavalee – Have You Been Paying Attention? and Dancing With The Stars, Hughesy, We Have A Problem
Angie Kent – Gogglebox, I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here, The Bachelorette, Dancing With The Stars
Pete Helliar – The Project, Have You Been Paying Attention?, Hughesy, We Have A Problem, The Living Room, How To Stay Married?
Yvie Jones – Gogglebox, Studio 10, Bachelorette and I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!
Dave Hughes – The Masked Singer, Hughesy We Have A Problem
Locky Gilbert – Survivor, The Bachelor
Angela Bishop – Studio 10, Ten News
Lisa Wilkinson – Sunday Project, Ambulance Australia
Denise Scott – Have You Been Paying Attention?, Studio 10, Dancing With The Stars
SEVEN
Manu Feildel – My Kitchen Rules, Australia’s Got Talent, Plate Of Origin
Sonia Kruger – Australia’s Got Talent, Big Brother, Sunrise and The Morning Show regular, the old Dancing With The Stars
Simon Reeve – Weekend Sunrise, Million Dollar Minute, It’s Academic, It Takes Two, The Force: Behind The Line
Edwina Bartholomew – Weekend Sunrise, Dancing With The Stars, Australian Spartan
Shane Jacobsen – Australia’s Got Talent, Little Big Shots
Luke Jacobz – Home And Away, Instant Hotel, the old The X Factor, the old Dancing With The Stars
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen – House Rules, Instant Hotel
Johanna Griggs – House Rules, Better Homes and Gardens, Sport, Auction Squad, House Calls To The Rescue
Sam Mac – First Dates, Sunrise, The Real Full Monty
NINE
Karl Stefanovic – Today, This Time Last Year and 60 Minutes
Sophie Monk – Love Island, Accidental Heroes
Hamish Blake – Lego Masters, Hamish & Andy Perfect Holiday, Hamish & Andy’s Gap Year, True Story with Hamish & Andy
Shelley Craft – Reno Rumble, The Block
Erin Molan – Nine News, Football, The Sunday Footy Show
Scott Cam – Reno Rumble, The Block, Backyard Blitz, Domestic Blitz
Eddie McGuire – Millionaire Hot Seat, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Footy Classified, former This Is Your Life
Rebecca Maddern – The Footy Show, Australian Ninja Warrior, Weekend Today
Multiple Networks
Joel Creasey – Hughesy, We Have A Problem, Spicks and Specks, Australia’s Got Talent, The Project, Show Me The Movie, Eurovision Song Contest, Take Me Out
Pulling together this list prompted Confidential to wonder what faces we don’t see on the box that used to be everywhere. “Some people burn white hot in the eyes of viewers and executives,” McKnight said. “It doesn’t always last forever though and the smart ones know that. The key is knowing to enjoy it while it lasts and be careful how much you commit to, because it can end very quickly.” Here are some of the faces we miss seeing on Aussie TV:
Gretel Killeen – Big Brother
Mike Goldman – Big Brother
Daryl Somers – Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Dancing With The Stars
George Calombaris – MasterChef
Ajay Rochester – The Biggest Loser
Livinia Nixon – Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Temptation, Getaway
Axle Whitehead – Australian Idol, Video Hits, Home And Away, The World’s Strictest Parents, The Wall
Rove McManus – Rove Live
Tim Campbell – Home And Away, House Husbands, Dancing With The Stars, Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune, The Singing Bee
Daniel Macpherson – Dancing With The Stars, Neighbours, City Homicide, Wild Boys
Originally published as Secret behind why some TV stars are always picked while others seem to have disappeared
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