Johnny Young will reunite with Dannii Minogue, Tina Arena to celebrate Young Talent Time

It was a show that turned its young stars into household names, but the host thought it was doomed from the start.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years since Young Talent Time first burst on to screens and earnt its place in our pop culture history.

And, in one of the best things to happen in 2021, YTT will return to prime time with a special YTT Unmasked to air on Channel 10 this Sunday.

Host John Young confesses he never believed they would last longer that 13 weeks – how wrong he was. Loved by generations of fans, the hit show ran for an astonishing 18 years and more than 800 episodes.

Johnny Young never believed YTT would last longer than 13 weeks.

“Young Talent Time started with a bang against the football and within weeks we knew we were on a winner,” Young says.

“We just kept working on it and the years rolled on and then it was 18 years later, which is an incredible achievement.”

Colour version of YTT team Young Talent Time Johnny Young.

Hosted by Toni Pearen, whose childhood dream was to join the Young Talent Team, the special will re-live all the giddy highs, the backstage drama and heartbreak and celebrate the moments that turned its young stars into household names.

The highlights will include a special reunion of host Johnny Young with some of the show’s biggest stars including Tina Arena and Dannii Minogue. Plus chats with Joe Perrone, Natalie Miller, Vince Deltito, Mark Stephens, Beven Addinsall, Joey Dee, Karen Knowles, Jane Scali and Ronnie Burns.

Johnny Young with the Young Talent Team at Adelaide Airport, 3 May 1979.

Young knew Arena was a star from the very beginning.

“Tina had such an outstanding voice,” he says.

“She was only nine years old when she came and sang for the audition and I remember thinking ‘wow, this girl is incredible’.

“But I tried to keep my cool with that because we were listening upstairs in the control room and then I went downstairs and said ‘Oh yes that was very good, we just need some practice!’.”

Young Talent Time (clockwise from bottom l): singer dancer John Bowles, Steven Zammit, Debbie Hancock, host Johnny Young, Robert McCullough, Karen Knowles, Nicole Cooper and Tina Arena in December, 1977.

Some of YTT’s biggest stars with join Young for the reunion show. Picture: Claudio Raschella

Despite YTT wrapping in 1988, there’s such a dedicated fan base that Young is still recognised today. Although sometimes they can’t remember his name and turn to the show’s famous closing song – The Beatles’ All My Loving.

“They can’t always think of my name so they start to sing ‘close your eyes and I’ll kiss you’,” Young shares. “I still sing it and I still get a great response from people.”

YTT wrapped up in 1988.

Apart from the clips and wonderful memories from the show, Young is looking forward to giving viewers more of an insight into how the show was made.

“The beautiful part of it is that you will hear a little bit more about how we put it together and what we did to make it successful,” he says. “We never had time to stop, we just kept doing it and doing it and the years rolled by.

“And that’s why it’s called ‘unmasked’ because it gives you some insight into behind the scenes.”

YTT Unmasked Sunday, 8.30pm Ten and 10 Play

Originally published as Johnny Young will reunite with Dannii Minogue, Tina Arena to celebrate Young Talent Time