Bondi Rescue: Leaked documents allege popular reality show embroiled in scandal

EXCLUSIVE: BONDI Rescue lifeguards will go into the show’s 11th season facing a council investigation into generous third-party deals and even anger at the crew’s leader taking his wife to retrieve a dead body.

• Five amazing segments from a decade of Bondi Rescue
• Bondi Rescue boys bare bods for charity calendar
• Gallery: Dramatic real-life Bondi rescue

BONDI Rescue’s high-profile lifeguards will go into the top-rating show’s 11th season facing a council investigation into generous third-party deals and revelations of infighting over cash and even anger at the crew’s leader for taking his wife to retrieve a dead body.

Leaked documents and emails allege that the beloved beachside reality show is embroiled in scandal.

Bondi Rescue ... Rod ‘Kerrbox’ Kerr, Bruce ‘Hoppo’ Hopkins, Trent ‘Maxi’ Maxwell, Harry ‘H’ Nightingale, Max Ayshford and Andrew ‘Reidy’ Reid.

Details of some of the allegations include:

* Stars of the show attacking the leadership of head lifeguard Bruce “Hoppo” Hopkins and questioning his business trips overseas;

* Reports of one drunken colleague being sent to rehab;

* Allegations the lifeguards had received tens of thousands of dollars in payments from Red Bull and Mars as well as free gear from Billabong and 2XU;

* Outrage among lifeguards on the show that Hopkins took his wife — who is not a lifeguard — out on a jetski to ­retrieve a dead body.

Bondi Rescue producers have admitted the famous crop of Bondi lifeguards are far from happy with Hopkins’ leadership.

The emails also allege the payments from Red Bull and Mars, and the merchandise from ­Billabong and sports brand 2XU was divided between themselves, ­potentially breaching the code of conduct of their employer, Waverley Council. One former Bondi lifeguard said the payments were never reported.

Bruce 'Hoppo' Hopkins and wife Stacey / Picture: Richard Dobson

In addition, the lifeguards had received six-monthly payments from production house Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder on top of their basic council salary.

“Before someone wants to shoot his mouth off and send messages, try check your bank account? Deano has been more than fair in sorting the money out! Not once has any one of you thanked me for ­getting the 10 grand from Red Bull? Not one!!!,’’ an email bearing senior lifeguard Rod Kerr’s name says.

Those payments are now the subject of an internal investigation from Waverley Council, which has strict rules on employees receiving secondary payments and gifts.

“Waverley Council takes seriously any allegations of breaches of the Council Code of Conduct. These matters raised are being investigated,’’ a council spokeswoman said.

Excerpts from some of the Bondi Rescue emails.

The Bondi Rescue franchise has been a cash cow and an award-­winning documentary for the Ten Network and its executive producer and CJZ executive, Michael Cordell. Apart from maintaining its solid presence on Ten in a decade of other shows’ cancellations, it has also ­attracted significant audiences in US, the UK, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Denmark and Hong Kong.

Now bitter infighting threatens to derail the show, with management and the council itself failing to rein in the lifeguards’ behaviour.

“I’ve never been able to put my finger on it but it is a matter of personalities,’’ producer Ben Davies told The Daily Telegraph.

“Like in any workplace, you have critics. (Hoppo’s) not there for the guys to love him, he’s there to get the job done and if they don’t like the way he runs it and he’s the boss, they can always leave.’’

Bondi Rescue’s Rod Kerr with series producer Ben Davies.

An insider said there was “plenty of envy and jealousy at opportunities given” and that the lifeguards “don’t grasp (Hoppo’s leadership title) as well as they should’’.

In an email penned to his ­colleagues last March and obtained by The Daily Telegraph, Hoppo ­addressed concerns about his leadership, ­revealing a culture of lifeguards consistently complaining about each other.

“From this point on I cannot and will not accept any verbal ­complaints about team members ... I welcome being kept in check but the schoolyard talk has to stop!’’ he writes.

Despite the council’s claims it was unaware of secondary payments to the lifeguards, CJZ executive and co-executive producer of Bondi Rescue Nick Murray said:

“We would like to confirm that we do pay Waverley Council for access to the beaches and the lifeguards for the following activities: interviews for the show out of work hours, promotional support in all forms of media including press and radio interviews and social media activity.’’

Lifeguards Dean Gladstone, Rod Kerr and Bruce Hopkins patrolling Bondi Beach.

Mr Murray said those payments were approved by the council. ­According to lifeguards, the money is not itemised but given as a lump sum and equally divided by Bondi Rescue star Dean Gladstone between his ­colleagues, at $3480 a pop.

In other emails the lifeguards clearly show their distaste for ­council staff. “That (name) c — t”, “He is a f---wit”.

One lifeguard also alleges a ­“severe alcohol culture” in the ­service, with the council confirming Workplace conducted an inspection of the lifeguards’ operation in September to ensure it was ­meeting the council’s drug and ­alcohol ­policy.

This comes after one unnamed lifeguard was sent to an alcohol rehab clinic for three weeks after an incident at a hotel. The stint was allegedly paid for by the show’s producers.

Bruce ‘Hoppo’ Hopkins and Trent ‘Maxi’ Maxwell on visual patrol at Bondi Beach / Picture: John Appleyard

“The show has spawned ­arrogant, now rich employees who are still employed by the public purse,’’ one lifeguard said.

In his letter to fellow lifeguards, Hoppo also addressed concerns he was receiving far too many free ­tickets to sporting events where he would often take his wife, Stacey.

“Whenever I’m offered to go to sporting events like the cricket, 99 per cent of the time the PR ­company puts Stacey’s name down anyway,’’ he said.

He added that every trip overseas or interstate had been “fully funded by me and my personal company’’.

Addressing the time he took Stacey on a jetski to retrieve a body, Hoppo said: “This may have not been the absolute correct thing to do but I felt it was the best option at the time ... This will be the last time I send a group email explaining myself on things, mostly my personal life.”

Bruce ‘Hoppo’ Hopkins and Trent ‘Maxi’ Maxwell.