15 minutes of fame: James Ross-Munro’s life after stopping a robbery with nothing more than a can-do attitude and broken thong
JAMES Ross Munro was thrust into the spotlight when filmed ripping his shirt off to stop a service station robbery with nothing more than a can-do attitude and a broken thong.
Gold Coast
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KNOCKABOUT Australian bloke and service station robbery hero James Ross-Munro hasn’t let his brief moment in the spotlight change him.
Not much anyway.
It has been eight months since the Arundel-based 26-year-old appeared in a viral YouTube video that made national headlines.
Footage of him shirtless and with a “busted plugga” – translation: broken thong – thwarting a pair of would-be thieves garnered more than two million hits.
It doesn’t get more Australian and his actions resonated with the public.
He’d been drinking with mates at Options Tavern, Helensvale, before heading to the service station up the road for some noodles.
His close friend Kane Wiblen filmed his mate jumping over signs and bushes and “being an idiot” along the way.
In the video, when Mr Ross-Munro sees the holdup unfolding, he rips his singlet off and runs to the getaway car removing the keys.
One culprit legs it before Mr Ross-Munro comes to blows in the getaway car with the other one who eventually bails from the scene too.
It resulted in media inundating him for interviews including a hilarious appearance on the Today show with Karl Stefanovic.
The former Sydneysider who now calls the Gold Coast home said he was still recognised on an almost daily basis but is keeping his feet, busted plugga or not, firmly planted on the ground.
He continues to work at the Hinterland Mowing job he has had for seven years.
He still catches up regularly for beers at the weekend with Ipswich-based Mr Wiblen.
Mr Ross-Munro said he remained a “loyal patron” of the Options Tavern where the famous night started when the pair met for drinks.
He knocked back several requests to appear on The Project TV show to talk politics when the Federal Election loomed.
“The Project asked me a couple of times to talk about the election. They were just looking for your average Australian opinion. But I’m not really into that,” he said.
He even knocked back requests to star in a few TV motoring advertisements, saying they “conflicted with work too much”.
Price of fame huh?
“Oh, at first it was good for a bit of fun and a good laugh. I not so much got over it but it got a bit stale.”
Not that he minds continuing to be recognised for his heroics on the night: “I still get at least one or two people who come into work a day and ask if I was the guy in the Youtube video. Also when I’m out on the town with mates, I always get people coming up and asking.
“Mates will mention it and people come asking me for a photo.
“Some of the time I play it off as a joke and say ‘No, it’s not me’ but most of the time I have a good laugh with people about it. That happens most weekends when I go out.”
Despite turning down TV commercials, he has started a line of merchandise off the back of the attention.
A fishing team he started with friends called the Mootdangas now sells hats, T-shirts and beer stubbie coolers among other items.
“We’re not making millions off it - we probably give more away for free than what we sell,” he said, with a laugh.
As for his 25-year-old mate Mr Wiblen, he said he enjoyed nothing more than heading to the Gold Coast on weekends for social catch-ups with Mr Ross-Munro.
“I think the video went off because it happened out of the blue.
“I knew it was going to be popular but didn’t think it was going to escalate in the way that it did,” Mr Wiblen said.
Mr Ross-Munro said his favourite memory from being thrust into the limelight was his laugh-a-second interview with Today show TV host Karl Stefanovic who constantly cracked up to the point of tears throughout.
Stefanovic introduced the segment by saying “Righto’ folks – are you ready for the story of the year?” before standing and applauding when Mr Ross-Munro and Mr Wiblen appeared on screen.
Mr Ross-Munro had Stefanovic convulsing with laughter from the moment he said: “We’d been down at Options Tavern at a Stubbies and Singlet party, walked down to the servo to get some noodles, jumped over a sign on the way and I slipped over and busted me plugga.
“I was a bit concerned about the blowout I’d had.”
He walked the show hosts through the story until they had all collapsed with laughter before Stefanovic ended the segment, saying: “It doesn’t get any better – that’s our show for the year.”
Mr Ross-Munro told Coast Weekend this week he was more anxious about being in the spotlight than fronting up to robbers.
“I grew up in a pretty rough part of Sydney and learned how to hold my own at a young age.
“So if anything like that happens, I’ve always been able to defend myself if I end up in a situation.
“I was comfortable stopping the robbery because I had a gutful of rum.
“But it’s definitely more nerve-racking being on the TV with a microphone in front of you.”
No one who knew him was surprised by his actions at the time, he said.
“I have always been pretty loud and wild and rowdy. A lot of my mates said it is nothing out of the ordinary,” he said.
“I do stupid stuff like that all the time.
“My Dad thought it was a crack up and my Mum turned around and said ‘You are an idiot but I love you’.”
And the inevitable question – would he do it again?
“Yeah – I probably wouldn’t think twice,” he said.
“I hate criminals, I hate thieves.”
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