How language is no barrier to The Living Room’s Chris Brown and Miguel Maestre’s friendship

They have some fundamental differences but The Living Room’s Dr Chris Brown and Miguel Maestre have become the best of friends.

They’re quite the odd couple – the exuberant, ball of energy Spaniard chef speaking at a million miles a minute in almost indecipherable English, and the chiselled, big-hearted, surfing vet who will sit for hours at a time to get the perfect picture.

One can cook, one can’t. One saves animals, the other eats them.

“One of us doesn’t experience hangovers or jet lag – yes, you can guess who,” Dr Chris Brown says of his The Living Room colleague Miguel Maestre.

Despite the long list of fundamental differences, the pair has forged the most fantastic friendship, which started on one of their first road trips for the Ten lifestyle show.

They were in Chile and driving in front of the spectacular Andes mountain range.

“My accent was really thick then – it has slowly got better,” Maestre recalls.

“I was driving the four-wheel-drive and put the window down. Chris looked at me and I said, ‘Gringo, can you smell the Andes?’.

“He looks me and said ‘what undies?’

“I’m saying ‘the Andes, not the undies’.

“I remember that conversation so well. It’s so reflective of our friendship, everything is lost in translation.”

Dr Chris Brown and Miguel Maestre from The Living Room.

Gringo – as Maestre affectionately calls Brown – shares that same story when I also ask him when did he know they were going to be the best of friends.

“But also that’s where it was like this guy is actually smart,” Brown says.

“He knows exactly what he is doing. That a mispronounced word can bring so much joy.

“I think if Miguel spoke absolutely perfect English it would be a disservice to entertainment. When he gets a little bit wrong, it’s so right.

“There’s such a joy in that. So many people stop me and say I understand very little of what Miguel says, but I don’t care. He has so much enthusiasm for whatever he’s talking about that that’s enough.

“What a gift – that your words do not even matter and you can be entertaining through your own persona.”

As Covid restrictions lift, the boys are back hitting the road – starting with regional Australia trips, but Maestre hints there’s some international travel ahead. And that brings mixed blessings.

“I can’t sit still for hours, it just kills me,” he says.

“Gringo will get on the plane and put his headphones on quickly so I can’t talk to him. I have to pull the headphones out and say ‘Chris, let me tell you a story’.”

Brown laughs and jokes – we think – that he would rather travel with Maestre’s nine-year-old son.

“He has more maturity and attention span,” Brown says.

“Miguel has a number of tricks up his sleeve but we have this arrangement where I will talk to him for the first hour and then, like all good parents, I will go to a device for him.”

The Living Room crew of Dr Chris Brown, Amanda Keller, Barry DuBois and Miguel Maestre.

The awesome foursome of Brown, Maestre, Amanda Keller and Barry Dubois are back in their original home in a studio at Ten.

They’ll answer your tough questions with The Help Desk, get inventive with Hack Off, cook up a storm with weird and wonderful flavours, and invite some very special dinner guests to their new digs.

“One of our guests is a very well known and respected musician that I may have done a duet with,” Brown shares.

“It’s either a highlight or a lowlight – probably the lowlight for the guest. I haven’t been able to watch it back. In my mind it was only OK. But I know when I watch it back it won’t be. And it will ruin it.

“Think Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga but downgrade your expectations, and also have a little less speculation whether they’re together or not and you’ll have something close to the mark.”

Meanwhile, Maestre gets to cook with his father and brother on an episode. It was a joyful reunion after not seeing his family for almost three years.

“Joy is coming back to Fridays and I think we’ve been missing that for a little while,” Brown says.

“So you can kick off your shoes, pour yourself a glass of whatever you like – wine, soda, cup of tea – and then you’re among friends.”

The very best of friends indeed.

The Living Room, Friday, 7.30pm, Ten