The Rundown: Roaming Brian hits the dust, The Block gets underway and Abbie Chatfield’s TV pilot

Footy fans favourite car crash TV may be gone for good with commentator Brian Taylor hinting it’s RIP for “Roaming Brian”.

Brian Taylor has hinted his famous “Roaming Brian” segment may have gone to the TV graveyard.

It was a gloomy prediction that Taylor offered Triple M Footy on Friday when asked if the knockabout segment was coming back to the Channel 7 Friday Night AFL broadcast.

“Not as yet,” he said, adding in a low mumble, “Nah, dunno whether that will be back.”

Asked “Why no ‘Roaming’, Brian?” by Luke Darcy he replied: “I think things last a little while, I know shows on Fox go on for a long time, but things on the main network just come and go.”

But Channel 7 today sprung to the defence of the segment.

Roaming Brian is friendless in 2022 as Covid restrictions on change rooms continue to bite.

Seven urged viewers not to give up hope on seeing Taylor’s segment make a comeback and for him to be once again roaming free, armed with a mic and slightly dour demeanour in the winner’s rooms.

“What we have seen in recent times is that Covid still presents a risk to the community,” Seven Melbourne managing director Lewis Martin said.

“With this in mind, it is imperative that we remain vigilant and work together with the AFL to create the safest environment possible, to keep our community safe.

“Roaming Brian is a highlight of Seven’s Friday Night Footy broadcast and we will continue to work with the AFL to bring Brian back to roam free in the winners’ changerooms, when it is safe to do so.”

Roaming Brian was benched because of Covid protocols.

Current protocols would mean any roaming interviews would have to be done in a socially distanced manner.

Also, with family and friends still not allowed back into the team’s rooms post game, it would be a fairly dull environment for the roaming to take place.

A bustling room full of emotion with a grumpy Taylor washing around in the footy flotsam was part of the fun of the segment for viewers.

We look forward to its eventual return.

The Block’s all positive

Not even Covid can stop The Block.

After a Covid setback and permit delays, The Block finally started filming its new season at Gisborne South today.

The start date was pushed back by a week after a cast member tested positive for Covid last Tuesday.

Ankur Dogra and Sharon Johal scrub up all right at the GP but its back to gumboots on The Block. Picture: Fiona Hamilton Photography

After that misfire, the five teams of contestants finally were let loose on the vast Block set this morning with cameras following their every move.

Former Neighbours favourite Sharon Johal and her husband, Ankur Dogra, are taking part in the show this year.

The Block is setting teams a massive task this season. Gone are the days of just making over a house. Each team will be turning a 10 acre paddock into a luxury rural estate complete with swimming pool, tennis court, winding driveway and landscaped gardens.

Burning up our screens

Is Abbie Chatfield’s next media move going to see her return to Channel 10?

Chatfield came to public attention as a contestant on Matt Agnew’s season of The Bachelor.

While she did not end up being picked by Agnew, she got something much more valuable out of the show – a career.

Channel 10 wants to turn Abbie Chatfield from headline maker into hit TV creator.

Chatfield has gone from strength to strength in media in the past year with her podcast attracting a dedicated following and her weeknight show for the Hit Network being a headline generating machine.

A return to 10 could be next.

Word is she has filmed a pilot for the network … could it turn up as part of 10s Pilot Week offerings?

Chatfield hosted the Love Island After Party show for Channel 9 last year. Nine is still to confirm if that show will return this year.

When Survivor meets the Bachelorette

Former Home And Away star turned dating “cougar”, Sam Frost has spoken out about her new romance with Survivor’s Jordie Hansen.

The pair took a complicated road to romance.

Hansen was a contestant on this season of Australian Survivor: Blood V Water.

Also taking part in the show was Frost’s brother, Alex.

In an odd twist, Alex went on Survivor with Jay Bruno as his teammate.

Bruno was his sister’s boyfriend at the time the show was filmed last year and was introduced to viewers as Alex’s brother-in-law.

Unfortunately, Bruno and Frost had split by the time Survivor started airing this year.

So while she lost one Survivor beau, she has found another.

She and Hansen met through her brother as the boys had become mates during their time on the show.

Hey Hey it’s a tribute

Daryl Somers will dedicate the Hey Hey It’s Saturday special airing Easter Sunday on Channel 7 to his mentor and creator of Ossie Ostrich, Ernie Carroll.

Carroll died aged 92 at his home in Melbourne on March 30.

Somers took to Facebook on Monday to thank friends and fans for their kindness following Carroll’s passing.

“My sincere thank you for the beautiful outpourings of love for my dear friend and mentor Ernie Carroll, who recently passed away aged 92,” Somers wrote.

Small screen legend Ernie Carroll with his old mate Ossie Ostrich. Picture: David Caird

“Ernie’s family would also like to convey their sincere appreciation for the many condolences and sympathies that came from so many; people who didn’t necessarily know him personally, but recognised his enormous contribution to the television industry, in particular for his creation of Ossie Ostrich.

“Who would have thought a simple hand puppet could keep us all laughing for so many years.”

Called Hey Hey It’s 100 Years, the special will air at 7pm Sunday and will include a tribute to Shane Warne.

It will also feature stars who appeared on the original series of Hey Hey and features moments from the Red Faces and Celebrity Head segments.

Big Brother lines up the victors

It will be the battle of former winners and fan favourites on the new season of Big Brother.

Former Big Brother winners Reggie Bird, Trevor Butler and Tim Dormer have signed up for another stint in the house, along with fan favourites including Layla Subritzky (fun fact: her brother David was the “fake-celebrity” on this year’s I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!), Anthony Drew, Estelle Landy and Dave Graham. New faces include Sam, a sex coach, Josh, an ex-model from Byron Bay, and Joel, fitness fanatic.

The show starts next month on Channel 7.