Adam Boland, former executive producer of Sunrise, dishes dirt in tell-all memoir

CULTS. Abusive guests. And a TV duo like no other. Channel Seven’s former producer has revealed what life was really like behind the scenes at Sunrise.

CULTS. Abusive guests. And a TV duo like no other.

Channel Seven’s former hit-making producer Adam Boland has revealed what life was really like for the team behind and in front of the Sunrise camera, amid a fierce legal battle with the network.

This morning, Boland told Sydney radio station Kiis 1065 that the matter was scheduled for court at 2pm today, AAP reports.

“I’ve just discovered about an hour ago that Channel Seven still intends to take us to court,” Boland told the Kyle & Jackie O show.

“That’s listed at 2 o’clock this afternoon. So depending on how that happens, in theory (the book is) in stores tomorrow.

“I think there’s paranoia,” he said. “Breakfast TV shows generally are a lot of money to the networks. They are worried there is stuff in the book that undermines their product.”

Later, he tweeted that “Channel Seven has withdrawn its legal action against the book”.

The memoir is being billed as “the book that Channel Seven tried to stop”.

RELATED: RIFTS AND RIVALRIES: WHAT’S IN ADAM BOLAND’S BOOK?

Just been told that Channel Seven has withdrawn its legal action against the book. That means Brekky Central will be in stores late today.

— Adam Boland (@postboxadam) October 8, 2014

In the tell-all memoir, Brekky Central, Boland reveals life “inside the Sunrise family” and dishes the dirt on how he turned a “a daggy finance nerd and a suburban mum into household names”.

The 2004 Sunrise team.

Former Sunrise Executive producer Adam Boland with presenters Melissa Doyle and David Koch in 2004.

Adam Boland has written a book about his time at Sunrise.

While he said their relationship was now “fractured”, Boland praised former co-hosts Kochie and Mel, believing the pair “formed one of the great partnerships of Australian television history”.

“Breakfast television looks easier to make than it is and I think they always covered for the other when one was down,” he told news.com.au.

“They genuinely cared for each other and from what I understand, still do.”

“Some of my closest friends still work there — but my relationship with the hosts is fractured. That’s my fault. I said things I regret when I went to Ten.

“Michael (Pell — Sunrise’s Executive Producer) and I haven’t spoken for a while — deep down, we’ll always care about each other but I think it works better [with] distance.”

Doyle and Koch in a promotion for TV special “Living Longer: The National Life Expectancy Test“.

The early days, circa 2004.

Boland told news.com.au the Sunrise team, who formed in 2002, were so close they were often referred to as a “cult”.

“Television is full of politics but I think one of the strengths of Sunrise was that the team making it were so close-knit that many referred to us as a cult,” he said.

“That says something about the tribalism of television. It’s easy to get caught up in that world without realising there are other things in life.”

The former cast and crew of Channel Seven's Sunrise program, including David Koch, Melissa Doyle, Natalie Barr, Mark Baretta, Monique Wright and Adam Boland.

Boland’s most memorable celebrity guest?

“Justin Bieber was perhaps one of the most challenging stars we had on the show.

“He swore at one of our crew members just before going on air and caused a riot outside our studio.

“We’d seen nothing like it. It was a fast-moving lesson in the management of popstars and the obsession of their fans.”

Justin Bieber with Sunrise hosts Melissa Doyle and David Koch when he was a guest on the show in the 26th April, 2010.

Police help Justin Bieber fans out of the crush as they look on as singer Justin Bieber performs on the set of ‘Sunrise’ at the Channel 7 studios in Martin Place, Sydney.

The tell-all memoir has been “rush released” today in a daring move against Channel Seven.

It is believed the network’s lawyers were swooping on Boland and his publishers, Melbourne University Press, and were demanding they read the book before it was published.

The Age reports Seven issued the former hit-maker with a summons, nervous the tell-all could breach a confidentiality agreement Boland signed with the network.

“(I’m) surprised as anyone that the book has been released early but I’m glad it’s out there and hopefully Seven can now save some money on lawyers,” Boland told news.com.au.

“This was never meant to be a book about settling scores. It was about offering an honest account of how television works. The good and the bad and the toll it takes on those who make it.”

Sunrise's Mel (Melissa Doyle) and Kochie (David Koch) enjoy afternoon tea at the Hilton Hotel in Brisbane City.

A Seven spokesman declined to comment when contacted by The Australian.

Boland turned Sunrise into Seven’s morning breakfast hit show. With Boland on board, Seven snuck into the number one breakfast morning slot, creating a new wave of competition for Nine Network’s Today, which previously held the number one spot for a whopping 20 years.

Boland left the Seven network in February 2013 and joined Network Ten as director of Morning Television. He lasted less than a year, resigning due to “ill-health” in January 2014 and leaving behind a struggling breakfast morning program, Wake Up, which was eventually axed.

Brekky Central will be available in stores from Friday.