Wilbur Wilde says Hey Hey It’s Saturday reflected culture of the times
Hey Hey It’s Saturday legend Wilbur Wilde has addressed controversy surrounding the show saying “times have changed” and the audience back then never tuned out.
Confidential
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Wilbur Wilde, who became a household name on Hey Hey It’s Saturday, says the top rating show reflected the “culture of the country”.
Wilde, also a successful saxophonist and radio broadcaster, spent 17 years on Hey Hey during its run from 1971 until the end of 1999.
It has attracted recent controversy with host Daryl Somers apologising to Malaysian-born singer Kamahl who said he felt “humiliated” by his treatment on the show.
Speaking for the first time Wilde said viewers never turned off.
“Times have changed and when you start pointing the finger at Daryl or the show itself, or any performers on any other show, it’s a bit skewed in the fact that the audience of the time could have turned it off if they wanted to, but they chose not to,’’ Wilde said.
“In Hey Hey’s case we were rating 40 plus on a Saturday night. So I look towards that and also the people who of that generation approach me in the street.
“It’s a really great thing. People of that generation recognise us. Daryl or Blackers (John Blackman) and they invariably, when they approach us (they say) you don’t know me and you must get sick of this, but thanks for all the laughs you brought me and my family over the years.
“I think it’s so sweet they do it. It happens in restaurants or walking down the street and people are really polite. And that is a lovely, lovely thing.
“Times have changed.”
Wilde said shows such as Hey Hey, Full Frontal, Fast Forward and Countdown reflected the culture of the country at their time.
He joined a raft of comedians for an annual gathering on Friday in Port Melbourne, organised by Jack Levi, aka Elliot Goblet.
He said the old Hey Hey crew last gathered together in 2019 to celebrate the 90th birthday of Somers’ sidekick, Ossie Ostrich.
“They’re family. And as Johnny Blackman says, as with any family we’ve had our squabbles but we’re still family,’’ Wilde said.
He also paid tribute to late music icon Michael Gudinski.
“I had 17 years on Hey Hey It’s Saturday and I was able to say to somebody the other day that I played in a couple of rock n roll bands and then along the way did theatre and radio and still thrive on live performance,’’ Wilde said.
“But none of that would have happened in the same way for me if Michael Gudinski had not given us our start in 1975. So this stuff over the last month has been resonant in my life. And overall I’m humbled and exceptionally gratified and grateful to have been a part of everything I just mentioned.”
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