Tom Cruise vs 60 Minutes, Karl Stefanovi vs. Anti-Maskers: Best AussieTV meltdowns, showdowns
Moments where scripts go out the window and tantrums are thrown can result in rare but precious television gold, guaranteed to be replayed and talked about for years to come— here’s some of our favourite moments on Australian TV.
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Today we share ten moments where tempers frayed as the cameras rolled.
JOHN STAMOS V KERRI-ANNE KENNERLEY
Former Full House star John Stamos was very tired and very emotional when he produced this trainwreck of an interview with Kerri-Anne Kennerley on her Channel 9 morning show in 2007. Actually, stop right there. Stamos was drunk, plain and simple when he made suggestive gyrations with a decorative prop, insulted Kennerley’s wardrobe, slagged off the media and ended up needing a cuddle. The actor cut through the spin a couple of years ago admitting: “When I went on that morning show, I was drunk. Yes, I was on sleeping pills and I was jet-lagged, but I was also just plastered …. I was f*cking drunk in Australia. Big deal.”
DON LANE V JAMES RANDI
Don Lane was the king of night time TV when he lost his temper at American sceptic James Randi in 1980. Randi was a guest on the program and criticised one of The Don Lane Show regulars, Doris Stokes, sparking a heated exchange between himself and Lane. Lane booted him off the show saying: “we’re going for a commercial break and you can piss off. We’ll be back with Diana Trask” before sweeping Randi’s spoons off a table and storming off set. The Channel 9 switchboard lit up! In the following days Lane made a televised national apology for the blow up.
RON CASEY V NORMIE ROWE
Ron Casey was known as the “controversy king” and he certainly lived up to that tag in 1991 when he squared up to singer Normie Rowe and tried to deck him during a panel segment on The Midday Show. Host Ray Martin and a floor manager intervened after Rowe pushed Casey who retaliated with a punch during a debate about Australia becoming a republic. The segment was quickly curtailed and the show went to an ad break but the moment was fiery and real and quickly became a classic TV moment.
MARK ’JACKO’ JACKSON V MIKE SHEAHAN
Journalist Mike Sheahan invited Mark ‘Jacko’ Jackson on to his Foxtel show Open Mike in 2016 to canvas the former Geelong player’s unusual career. But as soon as filming started the interview went wildly off script with Jackson unleashing on Sheahan. Aggressive and confrontational, Jackson told Sheahan he did not like him and he alternated between mocking and challenging him. The interview is still strange but curious viewing.
JESS POWER V DAN WEBB
Not many people thought the relationship between Married At First Sight’s drama couple from 2019, Jessika Power and Dan Webb, would last forever, but few thought it would combust during a live interview straight after the final episode of the series.
Yes, Dan and Jess hooked up on TV and then broke up on camera. Text message flew between MAFS fans that night saying, “turn on Talking Married now!” as Jess admitted to hitting on Nic and Dan’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. As Dan outlined his trust issue caused by her behaviour, Jess sagely observed, “I don’t think this is a conversation we need to be having on air.”
SAM NEWMAN V DAVID SCHWARZ
The Footy Show in its glory days was a prankster’s paradise. That was part of the appeal of the show, you never quite knew what was going to happen when that group of guys got together to talk footy and share some locker room humour. Sometimes though the jokes came unstuck, like in 2001 when Sam Newman delivered a cream pie to David Schwarz’s face to mark the Melbourne champion 150th game. Schwarz’s unscripted retaliation was to thump Newman in the chest, an action that sent Newman flying back across the set.
RAGS THE KANGAROO V MARTY THE MONSTER
When animals attack it makes great TV, especially when the target is a bloke in an oversized monster suit. Rags the kangaroo did not like to look of Marty the Monster during an appearance on The Early Bird Show in 1987. Marty made the dumb move of teasing the fractious roo who became increasingly agitated and keen to box, kick of clobber the comical monster. Eventually Rags got free of his handler and clamped on to Marty, wrestling him to the ground. Suddenly Skippy was not quite as cute and cuddly as we thought.
KARL STEFANOVIC V LIZZY ROSE
Karl Stefanovic has made a late entry into this list of TV tantrums and stoushes thanks to his showdown with Lizzy Rose, a celebrity psychic, avowed anti-masker and one of the so-called ‘BunningsKarens.’ Stefanovic called out Rose’s stance on masks in and COVID-19 when she appeared on Today in July 2020. He quickly ran out of patience with her and cut the interview short. An unhappy Rose was left contemplating casting a spell on the TV host.
TOM CRUISE V PETER OVERTON
Movie star Tom Cruise did not take kindly to Peter Overton quizzing him about Nicole Kidman during a 60 Minutes profile in 2005. The normally unflappable Cruise snapped at Overton saying, “here’s the thing Peter, you are stepping over a line now, you’re stepping over a line, you know you are,” and “just put your manners back in.”
The interview made headlines around the world as a rare moment when a Hollywood star loses his cool.
JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME V SUNRISE
Action hero Jean-Claude Van Damme walked out of a satellite interview with Channel 7’s Sunrise program in 2016 after labelling the interview boring and refusing to answer a question about his one time co-star and former fling, Kylie Minogue. Van Damme complained about ‘sweating’ and feeling ‘rough’ before bailing on the interview that was to promote a speaking tour of Australia. “What the f*** is going on with Australia?” he said before taking off his microphone and saying he was going to the restroom. The walk off was far more interesting than the interview was ever going to be.
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