Andrew O’Keefe: Top contenders to replace The Chase game show host

Former The Price Is Right host Larry Emdur might be the current favourite to replace Andrew O‘Keefe as host of The Chase but there are some other surprise contenders, Annette Sharp writes.

Former The Price Is Right host Larry Emdur is the current favourite to replace Andrew O‘Keefe as host of The Chase.

The veteran game show host, now co-anchor of Seven‘s The Morning Show with Kylie Gillies, is known to have been on the lookout for a new challenge at Seven for years.

While Emdur may have hoped that opportunity would be a tonight show, he is now said to be at the top of a shortlist of contenders currently under contract to Seven who could slide in to replace O‘Keefe and solve a critical casting dilemma for the network and co-producer ITV Studios Australia.

Larry Emdur. Picture: Christian Gilles

Sam Mac. Picture: Sarah Reed

The second top contender for the job is Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac, who was rumoured to have been in talks with Nine to jump ship last November (Nine denied) but is said to have remained at Seven after being persuaded by network bosses that a bigger presenting role would soon be in the offing.

Meanwhile Grant Denyer is now off contract at Ten after I‘m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here wound up last week, Denyer placing as runner-up.

While Seven spent the week scotching my report Rove McManus was on Seven‘s wishlist for the job, it was silent yesterday when this columnist asked if the former host of Seven’s Dancing With The Stars and Ten’s X Factor, Daniel MacPherson, might also be among candidates.

Grant Denyer.

Daniel MacPherson. Picture: Todd Williamson/Getty Images

MacPherson left Seven in 2o15 to concentrate on acting work but the arrival of son Austin, his child with newly estranged wife Zoe Ventoura, 14 months ago, may have prompted a change of heart.

Finally former radio funnyman Merrick Watts, who performed well on Seven‘s debut season of SAS, is also considered an outside chance.

REAL HOUSEWIVE’S STUNNING NEW NOOSA HOME

REAL Housewives of Sydney star Krissy Marsh and her developer husband John were the talk of Noosa this season after the pairfinally made it over the border to stake their spot on Noosa’s main beach following their purchase of a waterfront home onNoosa Sound last year.

The glamorous Marsh, and her knockabout bloke, snapped up a two-storey home in Witta Circle for $6.5 million at the heightof COVID but were unable to visit it with the Queensland-NSW border shut tight due the pandemic.

Krissy and John Marsh’s new home on Noosa Sound.

With the arrival of summer and the loosening of border restrictions however, the Marsh family, which includes three teenagechildren - Billy, Nicco and Milana – were finally able to pack up and settle in.

The resort-style four bedroom, three bathroom home has a private deepwater pontoon, a 20-metre wet edge pool, a spa bath andsteam room, wine cellar, boat ramp with electric winch and is located four minutes from Noosa’s main beach.

Marsh, who has worked as a real estate agent and sold an investment property in Double Bay for $3.7 million before buying in Noosa, has spent recent weeks posting of her glamorous new life to Instagram.

The home cost the pair $6.5 million.

Krissy and John.

It comes just months after fraudsters targeted Marsh to the tune of about $550,000 last year after spotting Marsh’s purchaseof the Noosa property.

Hackers impersonated legal advisers to Credit Suisse and sent and an invoice to Marsh, who was instructed to pay the sum aspart of a settlement on the house.

It’s believed she was able to recoup the money.

Originally published as Andrew O’Keefe: Top contenders to replace The Chase game show host