Playing Delvene Delaney in Hoges biopic was comic timing for Nikki Osbourne

WHILE she looks the part in bikini scenes, Nikki Osbourne said it was her comedy chops which won her the role of Delvene Delaney in Hoges.

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THE world of Channel 7’s Paul Hogan telemovie may have been all about the blokes but there was one woman who managed to steal the show — and how.

Delvene Delaney was no ordinary sidekick, with the former beauty queen winning a loyal following for her extraordinary comic talents.

It’s what made Nikki Osbourne the perfect fit to play Delvene, building herself a fan base on the back of appearances in local cult sketch shows, including Mick Molloy’s The Nation and Kinne.

While she looked the part in bikini scenes, Osbourne said it was her comedy chops which won her the role.

Nikki Osborne as Delvene Delaney in a bikini for Hoges: The Paul Hogan Story. Picture: Jody Pachniuk

Nikki Osborne’s role as Delvene Delaney does require a lot of bikini shots. Picture: Paul A. Broben

“The first person to call me Delvene was Mick Molloy,” she said.

“I worked on his comedy show years back and he referenced me as ‘oh we’ve got our Delvene Delaney!’ Then working on Kinne they again called me [Delvene] ... so when I got the audition brief, I thought ‘well surely, come one!’ During my audition I got a feeling by the look in Kev’s eye [casting director Kevin Carlin] and how he got excited and said ‘oh yes’ as he does. I walked out of the room feeling relatively confident,” Osboure said.

Striking the right pose physically was a little trickier, Osbourne said, revealing she’d used some of her own vintage wardrobe on screen.

“I had so much fun with the wardrobe, except the bikinis and they were my main work. The first scene I shot was in a bikini in the studio, so there’s been a lot of salad eating,” she laughed.

Actor and television presenter Delvene Delaney is married to John Cornell.

Delvene Delaney, who was as a Gold Coast Golden Girl in 1971 and went on to be co-host of Sale of the Century from 1982 to 1986, is pictured with her Afghan hound Sacha. Picture: Ted Holliday

Then there was the enduring chemistry between Delaney and her producer husband, John ‘Strop’ Cornell, played in the telemovie by actor Ryan Corr.

“They would spar with one another and make each other laugh, but ultimately they were just so in love and are still in love today,” Osbourne said.

Hoges, The Paul Hogan Story, stars Josh Lawson as Hoges, Ryan Corr as ‘Strop’ Cornell and Nikki Osborne as Delvene Delaney. Picture: Paul A. Broben

Actor Paul Hogan with John Cornell and Delvene Delaney from the TV program The Paul Hogan Show which ran from 1973 to 1984 and made Hogan a star.

*Hoges: The Paul Hogan Story, Channel 7, concludes next Sunday, 8.30pm