‘I pretended to be a reporter, it worked, and it’s still working’: Larry Emdur on faking it till you make it

Welcome back to Quick Q – Monday Media’s weekly series dedicated to finding out more about the personalities that matter most in the media landscape.

Each week, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age ask figures across corporate media, business, sport, federal politics, radio, television and culture to answer questions about their lives, careers, hobbies and news habits.

Larry Emdur might be the busiest man on Australian television.

This week’s conversation is with the man who spent the entire 1990s inviting Australia to “come on down”, Larry Emdur.

Often described as the “nicest man on television”, Emdur also seems to be the busiest. He spends his mornings hosting Channel Seven’s The Morning Show alongside Kylie Gillies, and each night you can catch him in his natural game show habitat on The Chase.

How did you get your big break? I was doing work experience for Seven News, and I pretended to be a reporter, it worked, and it’s still working.

What are your daily news media habits? Checking all the Kardashians’ Instagram feeds gives me everything I need to get through the day.

Instagram favourites: Khloe and Kim Kardashia , in New York. Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Your guilty streaming pleasure? Morning Wars on Apple TV + (aka The Morning Show) starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell. Ironically, it’s a series about a morning TV show, and it’s all absolute rubbish. Well, at least 20 per cent is absolute rubbish.

Which phrase do you overuse? Come on down.

What did you want to do when you grew up? A professional surfer, I just wanted to be in the water all day, every day.

What was your first job? A copy boy at The Sun newspaper and Sydney Morning Herald, and I was very bad at it.

Facebook or Instagram? Instagram, but I’m keeping my MySpace account open just in case.

Recommend a podcast … Toni and Ryan. They’re so wrong but somehow so right.

What’s one vice you wish you could give up? Not going to the gym.

The song that’s always on high rotation? In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins. “I can feel it coming…”

Familiar territory: Morning Wars starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon..Credit: Apple TV+

What are you reading? The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F--k by Mark Manson. Funnily enough, it’s also become my life mantra.

Favourite movie of the past decade? It’s really hard to choose between Fast & Furious 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, 10,11,12,13,14 or 15.

Top of your sporting bucket list? To win Wimbledon or win an Olympic medal in the bobsleigh before I’m 60 next year.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Don’t waste your time on your sporting bucket list; get a job and feed your family.

What are the three things you couldn’t live without? That’s an easy one. My wife, Sylvie, and my kids, Jye and Tia.

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