On The Couch: Larry Emdur talks TV pressures, social media and failing ‘very publicly’

LARRY Emdur talks candidly with Melissa Hoyer about getting his sexy back, copping the axe and failing ‘very publicly’.

EVER feel embarrassed because you’ve failed at something? Imagine doing it in front of millions of people, on live television.

Well, that’s what it’s like for celebs and TV heads when someone calls ‘time’ on a particular show.

But according to Larry Emdur — a true survivor of the Aussie television industry — when it has happened he takes a (very) deep breath and just lets it go.

“I don’t go out to get noticed or anything which leaves me with Celebrity Splash or Family Doubling Daring in ‘celebrity dogsville’,’’ he laughs.

“But I have enjoyed everything I have done and taken on every challenge with that — the good, the bad and the very, very ugly.”

Larry points out that in the media world, “when you fail, you fail very publicly”.

“I remember when one of the shows got axed many years ago,” he says.

“It was the front page of myself and the dog when I took the dog for a walk on the beach. It was the front page with a big word ‘AXED’ and it said ‘it was the worst show since television was invented’ and it was this whole thing.

“And my grandmother rang me up and said, ‘That’s a lovely photo on the front page of the paper’. And I thought, it doesn’t matter — if your family loves you and your friends are still your mates then that is actually it.”

Seven’s The Morning Show co-host joined Studio 10’s Sarah Harris and the madly fit Dancing with the Stars contestant Tim Robards for the “On the Couch” series — a new, no-holds-barred news.com.au video series featuring conversations around just about anything.

Larry says that with the extremely close focus on what high profile and ‘public’ people do, there’s no time for fakery — especially on his relatively new favourite time waster, social media.

Larry joined Sarah Harris and Tim Robards for Melissa Hoyer’s On The Couch series.

“I don’t think you can fake it across so many platforms. I just don’t think you can,’’ he says.

“There was a time when you could go out and host a recorded show and be done with it after an hour and go home and put on the razzle dazzle and all that stuff, but I just think now with live TV every day, you can just see straight through that. People know.

“We hear from them on the internet straight away — if you are looking tired or sad or grumpy, and getting totally exposed. There’s not much left.”

Emdur has managed to stay down to earth, even though he has been through good and not so good televisual times.

“I still have my three best mates from when I was 10 years old,’’ he says.

“And to a large degree, they have kept me well and truly on the ground. They were the first guys to go out and tell me exactly what they think of my show. Or my hair. Or what I wore. And I do appreciate that in a relationship.

“Family as well. To keep you well and truly on the ground. And keep in mind I have hosted a lot of shows, and a large percentage of those haven’t been good shows, and I have had my fair share of being kicked around in the media and fighting critics.

“So at times like this when I’m in a show that is successful I love it and I enjoy that time.” (The Morning Show currently leads the ratings charts in its timeslot.)

As for his current social media love affair, it wasn’t something Emdur warmed to straight away.

“I didn’t understand it and I think I understand it a little bit better now. It’s content, engagement and it’s what we do now all the time,” he says.

“But I do actually enjoy the engagement and think it is a good opportunity for us to connect — whether it’s the good, bad or ugly.”

Emdur ... “I don’t think you can fake it across so many platforms”.

Emdur says he remembers when he first started out, particularly as a game show host, people would write letters in and if they were a certain ‘tone’, he wouldn’t even get them.

“I enjoy Instagram for the same reason I enjoy my career as it’s just taking the piss and having fun and not taking life too seriously. The opportunities (it gives) to say things that you can’t really say on TV.”

Emdur was recently a magazine cover boy — okay, cover man — on Men’s Health magazine after he went on a mega get-fit program. I asked him whether being healthy was now par for the celebrity course.

“I can tell you from experience that six or seven months ago I wasn’t thinking about that way,’’ says Emdur.

“I was an unhealthy, 49-year-old coming up to 50, on my cholesterol tablets, on my bad diet and I thought, ‘I don’t want to be like this,’ and fortunately I had the opportunity to flick the switch and turn it around.

“In the business where I am, if you put on a few extra kilos then wardrobe have to go and buy you a new jacket and new shirt but, having said that, this is the best thing I have ever done.

“I feel better on TV and off TV and the response has been great as well. The audience sees you’re doing well and it absolutely motivates you. But before that, before I was 50 I could eat as many bacon and egg rolls as I wanted.”

The TV host dropped 13kg.

Larry smouldered on the cover of Men’s Health..

Larry says it was an interesting life experiment: “That’s the most exposed I’ve felt, in fact I was just like, ‘What have I done?’ But the response sent another message to me that people thought it was good to see the non-glossy glamour side which was kind of okay as well.”

Larry tries to avoid taking to heart too much negativity he sees on any social media platforms.

“I always try and think about the other person and what is funny about it is the shot you put up probably has thousands of ‘likes’ and you get drawn to that one negative comment and that’s the problem these days,’’ he adds.

“And I heard from a psychologist on the show talking about cyberspace and about how it’s changing all of our lives. And with school kids particularly, they will get 150 likes on a photo but it’s like, ‘Oh, but SHE didn’t like it’.

“So it’s not even about how many likes you get, people are bummed out by someone not liking it. Or you get drawn in by one or two people who make the bad comments!”

Fitness and social media — two of Emdur’s new obsessions.

Interestingly, Larry says he does respond to some of the negative communication he receives.

“Some of the nasty emails that have come through to Channel Seven I have responded (to) because I just want to say, ‘I’m sorry you feel that way, thanks for writing in’. I just want to hear all of the views. And some will automatically come back and say, ‘Oh sorry’.”

Larry knows he won’t be on television forever — and you can tell he would like to take his current love for social media even further — realising that deliverable content-driven platforms are a huge and important part of the new and future media cycle.

“I’ve never predicted the future of TV terms but, having said that, I really enjoy calling bingo at Rooty Hill RSL, so I think that if I can work for a schnitzel I am and will be fine.”

And with that, Lazza’s off to the gym to work off any added schnitzel.

Follow Melissa Hoyer on Instagram and Twitter @melissahoyer.

(Melissa is also a semi-regular on The Seven Network)

Melissa Hoyer’s “On The Couch” with Tim Robards, Larry Emdur and Sarah Harris.