A-List Confidential: Incredible behind-the-scenes of hit show
Filming new reality golf show Holey Moley in Brisbane has been no easy feat. This is what has been going on behind the scenes.
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From transporting a giant Uranus across the Pacific Ocean to building an entire extreme golf course in six weeks, Holey Moley filming in Brisbane was no easy feat.
As the new reality competition went to air on Channel 7 last week, Confidential can reveal what went on behind the scenes on the Redlands set late last year.
The show, which is an Australian version of the hit American franchise, was due to film on the custom set in Los Angeles, but after two days of filming, not enough for a single episode, COVID-19 shut them down in March.
They took only a deflated Uranus prop with them on a plane back to Australia and were immediately looking for a new location to shoot.
They decided to split the difference, acquiring warehouse spaces in both Sydney and Brisbane where they began building a completely new set – to go with the safely stored Uranus.
When Redlands City Council and Brisbane’s COVID-safe environment came to the rescue, they piled everything into 36 semi-trailers bound for the city, put cast and crew into hotel quarantine and spent the next six weeks building the set.
Sonia Kruger and Matt Shirvington were ushered in to replace Olympia Valance and Brian “BT” Taylor and resident golf expert Greg Norman was beamed in via video link because he was unable to travel.
Once on set producers had to be savvy to get around the strict COVID-19 restrictions, including using double cameras to make Kruger appear closer to the action than she was.
They filled the live audience with groups of friends and families so they could stand together, and the groups were given pre-made signs to create an atmosphere.
Filming happened in two sessions beginning just after sunset and continuing until wrap time at about 4am.
In the control room, producers watching the contestants would feed funny observations to Rob Riggle and Shirvington, who were in a separated commentary booth.
The pair would find a way to weave the lines into the commentary with their own comedic spin, sending everyone back in the control room into satisfied fits of laughter behind their masks.
Special guests who appear on the show, often making a brief appearance on The Distractor hole, completed the full two-week quarantine just for the day of filming.
It all went so well, despite the obvious challenges, that a spokesman for production company Eureka said “we are in discussions with international territories who are interested in shooting in beautiful Queensland”.
ROAD TO WWE
A Brisbane expat is living his childhood dream of signing with WWE.
Tony Gill, 28, who performs under the name Rohan Raja, was announced during the week as among the world wrestling juggernaut’s latest signings to their London brand, NXT UK.
It was a dream since childhood for Gill, who left Brisbane for Canada in 2015 where he trained under retired professional wrestler Lance Storm and had signed a full-time contract with Impact Wrestling by 2017.
“It was just a really surreal feeling when they told me I was going to part of WWE because that’s what I grew up watching and that was my goal before I even started,” Gill told Confidential from the UK.
“My dad was a big wrestling fan growing up and … it was always on TV. The more I watched it, I became obsessed. My brother and I never missed a show.”
But Gill, who attended St Paul’s School north of Brisbane, initially battled with his desire to pursue wrestling and the expectations of his traditional Indian family.
“Their whole thing is you have to be a doctor or a lawyer and so I was really scared to tell my relatives, ‘I want to be a wrestler on TV’,” he said.
“I battled with that for ages; my mum was my biggest reason for going for it. She said, you’ll turn around at 40 and think, ‘why did I never do this?’ I remember that conversation.”
Gill studied fitness and nutrition and spent a number of years saving money and mapping his future before presenting the idea to his father at 22, who surprised him with his support.
When he moved to the UK in late 2019 and got his initial offer from WWE early last year, his father was the first person he called, having lost his mother four years ago.
“He was over the moon,” Gill said.
While the global pandemic put the dream on hold in 2020, Gill was finally signed with WWE in November and will take the ring for NXT UK for the first time next month.
“As my character I like to be the villain … crowds booing me, I get a thrill out of it,” he said.
“Eventually the goal is to get to WWE Smackdown.”
BABY STEPS
Brisbane Lions star turned coach Jed Adcock and partner Amber Ward have launched their own children’s label.
Launching this month, Sunday Sands, which stocks children’s and babies swimwear, clothing and accessories, was born out of their passion for their own blended family – which includes Adcock’s two children, Lily and Archie, Ward’s daughter Lilly, and their newborn son Hugo.
The couple went through the harrowing ideal of caring for Hugo through 89 days in the Neonatal Critical Care Unit after he was born 13 weeks premature in May weighing just 940 grams.
“Jed and I always wanted to start a label of some kind,” Ward said.
“Since having Hugo and his health conditions limiting my ability to return to the workforce and put him in care, it dawned on me to start looking into creating a brand so I am able to stay at home earning an income for my family and finish off my nursing studies.”
“Having four kids it easily narrowed down what brand pathway we would choose as that is where our passion lies – within our kids.”
After launching with a limited range this month, Ward said they had been “completely overwhelmed” by the response and hoped to expand the collection.
Hugo, now eight months, is off oxygen support and, while he is still facing challenges with his vision, Ward said they were “so proud of how far he has come”.
“Jed and I want to get our business to a level where we are able to give back to the community. Our aim is Mater Little Miracles,” she said.
GUESS WHO DON’T SUE
Nothing brings out a celebrity’s diva side like a long-haul flight. Confidential heard cabin tales about the well-known flying habits of one of Australia’s big-name models. Apparently the lady of luxury in question only speaks French on board the aircraft, despite no one else speaking that particular language, and exclusively drinks Evian water.
EVENT OF THE WEEK
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