‘Jana Wendt was my idol, but I was truly obsessed with Barry Manilow'
AK: Not quite. I had met her in passing, through her husband [Harley Oliver], who was working at Simon Townsend's Wonder World, when he came in as a producer years ago, at the very tail end of me working there. I remember being incredibly starstruck and shy, but she was lovely. And, after all, it wasn't as if she was Barry Manilow, who was the one I was truly obsessed with!
Fitz: Barry Manilow? You must have been the most uncool teenager ever! And just quietly, I think you might have been up against it to gain his affections even on the best of days.
AK: But that was part of it – because he was dorky and relatively unattractive. And I say that with great love for Barry. He was kind of … we felt he was gettable. We knew our level, and Barry was my level. You know, he lived in a New York apartment and I fantasised about sitting on a couch in front of the fire with him, having a hot chocolate. That's as far as my fantasies went.
Fitz: OK, I'll sign for that. Shades of The Living Room TV show. But I digress. And you've
of course since gone on to the most extraordinarily peripatetic media career, doing lots of TV shows, while having your Gold-FM breakfast radio gig Jonesy & Amanda as your solid base for at least a couple of decades. If you can park your humility for a moment, what is it you reckon you've got that has allowed you to prosper for so long on so many media platforms?
AK: It is very out of my character to park the humility, but I think it's because I've just done the work. I've always felt that was the job, working hard and trying to make a good fist of it.
Fitz: Given the phenomenal success of Jonesy & Amanda on Gold-FM – and its much more middle-of-the road nature, without ever being bland – does it seem strange to you that you and Brendan Jones weren't the ones syndicated to Melbourne, instead of Kyle & Jackie O?
AK: No. That was their ambition, and never ours. I'm just happy turning up for work and looking out this window we have in our office in North Sydney, seeing the sun come up over the harbour city. We moved into this new building we're in now, straight after the terrible stabbings at Bondi Junction. Just felt like from our vantage point up there, I felt like I wanted to give our city a giant hug.
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Fitz: Off the top of my head, I can only remember you being associated with one controversy – and even then it was just you making some narky comments – when Channel Ten suddenly pulled the Persian rug out from under you on The Living Room after a decade's success. You said, as I remember it, 'something, something, something, those mongrels, something, something'.
AK: Yes, I don't remember the exact quote, either, but yes, of course I remember my feelings around it. And look, it really had gone for 10 years on television, which is 100 million years in human lives – so we'd had a great run – but I do know how rare that kind of chemistry is on television. And not a day goes by someone in the street doesn't say, 'Hey, what happened to The Living Room?' So I was just so surprised at the decision, and I'm still surprised at the decision.
Fitz: And yet, in the patented Keller fashion, you bounced quickly into another gig, this one The Role of a Lifetime, which was all about parenting. I know you and Harley have raised two fine sons. But when you looked at all the experts on that show offering sage advice, did you and Harley come up to the mark or not?
AK: It's interesting. A lot of the new parents were very intentional about the food their child eats, when it's going to have screen time, and all of that. We just did our best, and let the kids do things they wanted to do that weren't dangerous and hopefully praised and raised them in the right ways. And I think we've been really lucky with where we've ended up.
Fitz: And given you and Harley were both in the media and both flat out, did you have guilt, as my wife and I did, that we're juggling a lot of balls here and we've got to make damn sure that none of the three balls that are children fall? Which is why I stopped breakfast radio myself, as she was doing breakfast TV.
AK: Yes, and that is where Harley stepped up. I was doing breakfast radio, and Harley was the one who was doing freelance work, so he was the one therefore who said, 'I'll be the parent that takes them to school in the morning. I'll be the parent that will field the phone calls until you get home. I'll be the one at the bus stop.' With my friend Anita McGregor, who's a forensic psychologist, I do a podcast called Double A Chattery....
Fitz: [ Interrupting ] Of course you do a podcast! You probably also do a radio show for left-handed New Yorkers, in your spare time, while also trying to sort out peace in the Middle East. But go on.
AK: [ Laughing ] And the podcast we did for Mother's Day that we recorded last week was with my two sons, and I told them how guilty I felt that I couldn't be there for the Mother's Day breakfasts, for the drop-offs, for the many things I couldn't do. I asked them, 'Did it matter to you?' And they are such lovely boys. They said, 'No, it didn't because you always said to us, 'If this really matters, tell me, and I will make a giant effort'.' They understood the nature of the family, how it must adapt to needs, and that's how we tried to do it.
Fitz: Which brings us, after a run-up that would do D.K. Lillee proud, to The Piano, which starts on the ABC tonight. What was the pitch when it came to you?
AK: This show is so not what the title says it is. It is just pure heart and music and beauty and tears. It's about people playing piano in public spaces, to enrich lives. And as soon as I saw one episode [of the British series], I said, 'OK, well, I'm going to have to find time in my diary for that'.
Fitz: And so it began.
AK: We selected five different locations around Australia, and people were chosen to come down and play. One woman was blind and deaf, and watching her was quite extraordinary. She had an interpreter who touched her hand as I was talking to her, an instant translator. And as she played, this person was standing at her back signalling to her what was happening. At one point the translator made what looked be like the pitter-patter of rain down her back, to tell her that people were applauding. It was just extraordinary. We had kids who had written songs in their bedrooms because they weren't sporty and were being bullied at school, and music was their saviour. We had older people whose partners had Alzheimer's, and music was the way the thing that still connected them. Everybody has a story, and the stories that poured out of these people, and the role that the music and the piano had played in their lives, was just wonderful.
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Fitz: And you have a couple of pianists helping you?
AK: Yes. What I probably should mention is that it's not a competition. But we have Andrea Lam, who's Australia's premier classical pianist, and Harry Connick Jr watching on, and they come out at the end and select the person who's touched them the most, or made them laugh or influence them the most. And at the end, we get all the best to put on a concert in a concert hall, and it is spectacular.
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7NEWS
13 hours ago
- 7NEWS
HYROX may be the future of fitness — but is it ready for the Olympics?
The World Championships of HYROX just wrapped up in Chicago, and boy, what an amazing spectacle it was to witness. Feats of athleticism were witnessed across all age groups and abilities. Septuagenarians and adaptive divisions representing physical, neurological, and impaired visual and hearing abilities were present as well. Say what you will about it - HYROX is here to stay. These are amazing feats of athleticism which certainly make for a spectacular show. However, this event was not without controversy. All of sports is a stage, and every athlete plays a part In every great sport, you have various characters playing different parts. Intentional or not, it adds to the drama of sport. The heroes, the sweethearts, the battler, the villain ... And HYROX certainly has theirs. Who takes on what role depends on who you support, just like in footy, some people love Brisbane Broncos Reece Walsh, touting his supreme athleticism, while others may describe him as a trumped-up, spoilt brat. Allegiance and perspective are important. In HYROX, sportsmanship, scandal, perspective, and personalities are well and truly present. Characters A new sport but with the same characters forming and in play. You have the cheeky one (or arrogant ... depending on perspective) who thrives off setting up mind games pre-event, guaranteed to give you a great soundbite. The quiet achiever, who doesn't really say anything vocally, but for sure lets the race result speak for itself. The one all about the community, giving back, speaking accolades about the team, and not themselves. The rookie where all eyes are focused on some epic athletic feats and major upsets. The one to watch who earnestly shares every experience, not quite believing the life they are now living. Engaging, entertaining, and lots to talk about ... even scandal. Costly competition Big brands are paying attention. The athleticism and the personalities. GOLD's gym has announced a collaboration to open purpose-built HYROX performance centres within their juggernaut of a gym chain. PUMA has a collaboration, elites competed adorned in the brand, and the company held a 'shake out' run before the world champs, with all able to try their purpose-built branded shoes. All the individual elite athletes have their own brand collaborations they are repping, gyms, food companies, supplements … ca-ching, ca-ching. And the athletes need sponsorship as this sport is expensive. For a 'regular Joe' taking part, there's the training and nutrition for the event, and then the hardest task: securing a ticket to compete. There is so much demand to take part, events around the world in a season sell out. For a regional or world champs event, all travel, accommodation, and costs are self-funded, hence many a 'givealittle' popping up for crowd sourcing of money. Some of the elite athletes who fly around the world, entering in their respective divisions, do all the training, nutrition, and recovery required as well as holding down full-time jobs. It was astounding to hear from the incredible women in the elites presser how they calibrated their bodies to be at their very peak as well as manage full-time work, families (kids for some of them), and fund this sport they excel at. They love it - but not the cost. Controversy It's bound to happen in sport, and this growing one is no different. Expanding so quickly, you get a feel the rules are being refined as the experiences happen. What lines can be crossed and what can't. It's evolving. These world champs certainly proved that. There was a controversial push in the invitational team relay. Team USA (Hunter McIntyre) shoved team Ireland (Jeremy McConnell) during one of the runs, early. The result saw America scratched from the race, losing their first-place finish, hours after the finish line and podium presentations had been made. And this occurred only after the event had finished and a challenge had been lodged. The result, all of Team USA losing their first place for unsportsmanlike conduct. As the challenge was being deliberated by judges, organisers communicated the update over social media. Team USA was disqualified. Team Australia was declared the winner. But there was more: Second place was deemed a tie because the judges were unable to determine who crossed first between Belgium and England. Everyone's place was rejiggered. A new medal ceremony was scheduled. And a social media apology post-event from organizers was issued. New tools at the world champs The most scandalous athletic issue seemed to be new turf, ironically introduced to improve consistency in every race. New turf — which had been 'rigorously' tested — was introduced at the World Championships this year. It came as a surprise to everyone, to say the least. HYROX was confident the World Championships were the perfect timing for introducing an anomaly into the arduous event to iron out any inconsistencies in races around the world. The elite athletes seemed on board. Like it or lump it, if they wanted to race, they didn't have a choice. There seemed to be issues with the adherence of this new turf on the stadium ground, meaning some lanes slipped while others held strong. A problem no athlete had encountered before. This meant a lane with a slip felt slow and heavy, like pushing an immovable truck, while a non-slip lane felt faster and freer, like the truck was on ice. Which lane you got depended on how fast and in what order you entered. So random, inconsistent and unfair. And another social media apology post event from organizers was issued. All the gear, no idea In a few of the races, there seemed to be confusion amongst race officials about the equipment needed to be ready and waiting for each fitness spot, as well as where to direct competitors running in and out of the station. There was gear not ready for athletes with the right weight, hindering their time and messing with their heads, in a time-based competition. There was a lack of clarity on where an athlete was to run to in a station or run out from (and in which direction). Confusing — causing costly seconds. Likewise, there seemed to be judging inconsistency in reps — or what was accepted as a HYROX standard repetition, and what was not. It depended on who was watching, and if someone was in fact watching. Some dodgy depths were allowed to pass on things like wall balls with some judges, while considered a 'no re'' by others. There seemed to be the same inconsistency with burpees … Where are your feet supposed to finish? Are you allowed to creep forward to your hand placement? I have questions. Each individual instance may seem trivial, but as a whole, it's important. This matters to athletes who have spent time … and money to compete. And especially given the Olympic ambitions of this exploding competition, it's important to get it right. And another social media apology post-event from organizers was issued. Put into perspective you have people all over the world, spending a fortune. They've trained for weeks to improve their times. They don't care about a medal, they just care they were there at the start line … and able to see it through to the end. They were left crushed when their legs blew out and uncertain if they would even make the finish line. With sweaty, shaking hands on sled poles, they for the darndest couldn't understand not being able to push a sled one metre when only last week they had been flying 100m. Inconsistent. That matters if you want the Olympics, and HYROX does. Founders Christian Toetzke and Moritz Fürste made a very unexpected announcement in the press event before the World Champs stating the Olympics were very much in their sights. It was a mic-drop moment when Fürste said plans were in place to lobby for as early as Brisbane 2032. There was an audible intake of breath from every elite athlete in the room. Any meetings with Olympic officials? No. Queensland Premier David Crisafull i or government reps? No. Sources close to the founders said the discussion with the IOC has happened, and HYROX as an Olympic sport is nearly there. What is unclear whether it will be a medal-winning event or a demonstration sport held during the Games. But with the Olympics, there can be no 'social media apology post event form organizers issued'. As much as there was controversy, the sport is exploding on social media and in cities around the world. It's taking on its own life, rapidly in this modern social media era. HYROX knows the digital space is where their foundation lives … and their fan base started. Is this the way sports develop for the future? Will we be talking about the birth of this new Olympic event in a decade … time will tell.
The Age
a day ago
- The Age
Hey, Torvill and Dean, remember the time I danced with you?
Fitz: What is it? Torvill: Bolero is obviously a very special routine because it opened the door for the future, and we wouldn't still be doing what we're doing without that. Fitz: So let's go back to the romance one! The personal chemistry and physical intimacy that you two display on ice as you dance is so wonderful; it dinkum is amazing that you can do it without ever having been a couple. Was there never a time, Chris, when you said to Jayne, surely, 'Let's go and see a film Saturday night?' And she said, 'No, forget it.' Dean: No, never like that. We have spent a lot of time together, seeing movies, going for drinks, and the theatre, all of those things. And of course, we've been together on many long tours, like when we were touring Australia for the first time. We were meant to be coming for just two weeks, but ended up staying for three months doing shows, and then stayed a further nine months putting a show together. So we were in Sydney area for almost a year, and we made lots of friends. Fitz: [ Painfully persisting ] So never in that year, two young English athletes a long way from home, did you exchange smouldering looks over your Vegemite on toast ... Torvill: No, our main focus was getting the work done. You know, we had just turned professional, and for us, it was an exciting time in that we weren't competing anymore and we didn't have any rules and regulations of competition. So, in fact, you know, we were free to be more creative, which is something that we've always enjoyed. Fitz: What about blues then? There must have come a time over the last 45 years when you two were dancing, when Chris lifted you up, Jayne, so you could do a twirly gig and the booger didn't catch you properly? Surely, there must have been times where, to use the Australian expression, you came an absolute cropper, occasioning strong words? Torvill: No. Lucky for us, we never did have any major falls in competition, which is what counts. Falls in training, you accept. But we trained so hard that to be ready for anything, that we didn't really make any mistakes. So, no 'blues'. Fitz: Moving on! By some reckoning, the pop group ABBA was said to be a bigger success in Australia, even than in Sweden. There was something about ABBA that Australia, more than pretty much any other country, loved. Is it possible that the same applies to you two, that Australia loves Torvill and Dean more than even Britain loves Torvill and Dean, and that we loved you more than anywhere else on Earth. Dean: Maybe. When we first came to Australia, it was such a surprise for us to be so welcomed. The Australian promoter had pre-booked the Russian Olympic figure-skating team, thinking that they would win everything at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics, and they didn't. We did. And so the promoter said, 'We've got to get those bloody Poms down here.' And so within a very short time, somebody came over to see us and gave us a contract, and we came down to Australia and we were adored. I mean, they tell the story of when the tickets first went on sale, that the line instantly formed up right round the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Fitz: Which is very odd, yes? Because in Sydney, we're surfers, netballers, cricketers, footballers, but not really, as a people, ice skaters – with only a rink or two open on a good day? Dean: Yeah, I think what happened, Channel Nine were the host broadcasters at the Olympics, and we became very popular because they gave us a lot of air time. And we became the base of promoting the Winter Olympics in Australia. And, there were also a lot of British expats who took to us, right? Fitz: Whatever else, our love affair with you has been enduring. We also have a saying that a person has had 'more comebacks than Dame Nellie Melba', lately replaced by 'more farewell tours than Johnny Farnham'. Whoever, with you two, came up with the title for your tour, Our Last Dance, has to be commended, because it captures the imagination. But seriously, seriously, when you perform your last dance in Sydney [at Qudos on Sunday afternoon], when you come off the ice, is that really going to be it for you two? Your last dance? Dean: It will certainly be our last performance skating in Australia. But then we go back to Nottingham, our hometown, and we actually do four performances there, and then on the last day, that will be our last skating performance, live skating performance, that we will do. You know, we've been skating together now for 50 years, and we think that that's a good round number to sort of call it a day from the performing side. And the body is ready to say it's time as well. Fitz: But don't you think that five years from now, one of you might say, 'I'm in your town, I'm going to put on a red wig. You put on a blonde one, and I'll see you down at the rink, and just one last time in the moonlight, let's dance?' Torvill: It's not to say that we won't ever skate on the ice together, but we won't actually be performing together. So we may be together like choreographing or teaching somebody. We'll do other things together, but just not performing. This is it. Fitz: Chris? Don't you think that you might just do it one more time in the moonlight, when you're 80, one more time to capture the magic, one more time without anybody knowing, just the two of you? Dean: [ Thoughtfully ] I'm not saying that we won't do that ... but it's not something that we would show off to anybody ... It would be personal. Fitz: Bingo! Now, without being too mealy-mouthed about it, your dancing ability on ice must be comparable, in terms of how much it's celebrated, with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Did you two ever watch footage of their dancing and swoon? T & D: Yes! Dean: They were very much a part of our viewing and we took a lot from them in their style and the movement and their performance quality. Yeah, absolutely, they were our idols. Fitz: You mentioned that you two have been doing it for 50 years. That means – dot three, carry one, subtract two – you must have started in the mid-70s. How much have your physical abilities waned? Are there many things you used to be able to do, that you simply cannot do now? Torvill: There are things that have got harder as we got older, and we're no longer 25, but we still feel that we can put on a show that we're happy with. And we've put it together with some amazing [younger] skaters from around the world. So we're really excited by the show, and the show itself tells a story, our story, right from the beginning, up until now. Loading Fitz: When Mick Jagger was 23 years old, he said, 'I hope I'm not still singing Can't Get No Satisfaction when I'm 30.' Could you two have conceived that you'd still be going 50 years later? And would you have been thrilled? Torvill: No and yes. We would never have imagined it would have been possible. Back then, when skaters turned professional, they would maybe do two years, three years in a professional show, and then, you know, sort of maybe go into teaching or just retire anyway. We've just been so lucky, with the way things happened for us that we were able to create several different tours, and then go back to the Olympics in '94 because that became a possibility, and that extended our professional careers. Dean: And then, in more recent times, television people came and said, would we be interested in teaching celebrities to skate? And that's when Dancing On Ice was born. And that extended us, too.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Hey, Torvill and Dean, remember the time I danced with you?
Fitz: What is it? Torvill: Bolero is obviously a very special routine because it opened the door for the future, and we wouldn't still be doing what we're doing without that. Fitz: So let's go back to the romance one! The personal chemistry and physical intimacy that you two display on ice as you dance is so wonderful; it dinkum is amazing that you can do it without ever having been a couple. Was there never a time, Chris, when you said to Jayne, surely, 'Let's go and see a film Saturday night?' And she said, 'No, forget it.' Dean: No, never like that. We have spent a lot of time together, seeing movies, going for drinks, and the theatre, all of those things. And of course, we've been together on many long tours, like when we were touring Australia for the first time. We were meant to be coming for just two weeks, but ended up staying for three months doing shows, and then stayed a further nine months putting a show together. So we were in Sydney area for almost a year, and we made lots of friends. Fitz: [ Painfully persisting ] So never in that year, two young English athletes a long way from home, did you exchange smouldering looks over your Vegemite on toast ... Torvill: No, our main focus was getting the work done. You know, we had just turned professional, and for us, it was an exciting time in that we weren't competing anymore and we didn't have any rules and regulations of competition. So, in fact, you know, we were free to be more creative, which is something that we've always enjoyed. Fitz: What about blues then? There must have come a time over the last 45 years when you two were dancing, when Chris lifted you up, Jayne, so you could do a twirly gig and the booger didn't catch you properly? Surely, there must have been times where, to use the Australian expression, you came an absolute cropper, occasioning strong words? Torvill: No. Lucky for us, we never did have any major falls in competition, which is what counts. Falls in training, you accept. But we trained so hard that to be ready for anything, that we didn't really make any mistakes. So, no 'blues'. Fitz: Moving on! By some reckoning, the pop group ABBA was said to be a bigger success in Australia, even than in Sweden. There was something about ABBA that Australia, more than pretty much any other country, loved. Is it possible that the same applies to you two, that Australia loves Torvill and Dean more than even Britain loves Torvill and Dean, and that we loved you more than anywhere else on Earth. Dean: Maybe. When we first came to Australia, it was such a surprise for us to be so welcomed. The Australian promoter had pre-booked the Russian Olympic figure-skating team, thinking that they would win everything at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics, and they didn't. We did. And so the promoter said, 'We've got to get those bloody Poms down here.' And so within a very short time, somebody came over to see us and gave us a contract, and we came down to Australia and we were adored. I mean, they tell the story of when the tickets first went on sale, that the line instantly formed up right round the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Fitz: Which is very odd, yes? Because in Sydney, we're surfers, netballers, cricketers, footballers, but not really, as a people, ice skaters – with only a rink or two open on a good day? Dean: Yeah, I think what happened, Channel Nine were the host broadcasters at the Olympics, and we became very popular because they gave us a lot of air time. And we became the base of promoting the Winter Olympics in Australia. And, there were also a lot of British expats who took to us, right? Fitz: Whatever else, our love affair with you has been enduring. We also have a saying that a person has had 'more comebacks than Dame Nellie Melba', lately replaced by 'more farewell tours than Johnny Farnham'. Whoever, with you two, came up with the title for your tour, Our Last Dance, has to be commended, because it captures the imagination. But seriously, seriously, when you perform your last dance in Sydney [at Qudos on Sunday afternoon], when you come off the ice, is that really going to be it for you two? Your last dance? Dean: It will certainly be our last performance skating in Australia. But then we go back to Nottingham, our hometown, and we actually do four performances there, and then on the last day, that will be our last skating performance, live skating performance, that we will do. You know, we've been skating together now for 50 years, and we think that that's a good round number to sort of call it a day from the performing side. And the body is ready to say it's time as well. Fitz: But don't you think that five years from now, one of you might say, 'I'm in your town, I'm going to put on a red wig. You put on a blonde one, and I'll see you down at the rink, and just one last time in the moonlight, let's dance?' Torvill: It's not to say that we won't ever skate on the ice together, but we won't actually be performing together. So we may be together like choreographing or teaching somebody. We'll do other things together, but just not performing. This is it. Fitz: Chris? Don't you think that you might just do it one more time in the moonlight, when you're 80, one more time to capture the magic, one more time without anybody knowing, just the two of you? Dean: [ Thoughtfully ] I'm not saying that we won't do that ... but it's not something that we would show off to anybody ... It would be personal. Fitz: Bingo! Now, without being too mealy-mouthed about it, your dancing ability on ice must be comparable, in terms of how much it's celebrated, with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Did you two ever watch footage of their dancing and swoon? T & D: Yes! Dean: They were very much a part of our viewing and we took a lot from them in their style and the movement and their performance quality. Yeah, absolutely, they were our idols. Fitz: You mentioned that you two have been doing it for 50 years. That means – dot three, carry one, subtract two – you must have started in the mid-70s. How much have your physical abilities waned? Are there many things you used to be able to do, that you simply cannot do now? Torvill: There are things that have got harder as we got older, and we're no longer 25, but we still feel that we can put on a show that we're happy with. And we've put it together with some amazing [younger] skaters from around the world. So we're really excited by the show, and the show itself tells a story, our story, right from the beginning, up until now. Loading Fitz: When Mick Jagger was 23 years old, he said, 'I hope I'm not still singing Can't Get No Satisfaction when I'm 30.' Could you two have conceived that you'd still be going 50 years later? And would you have been thrilled? Torvill: No and yes. We would never have imagined it would have been possible. Back then, when skaters turned professional, they would maybe do two years, three years in a professional show, and then, you know, sort of maybe go into teaching or just retire anyway. We've just been so lucky, with the way things happened for us that we were able to create several different tours, and then go back to the Olympics in '94 because that became a possibility, and that extended our professional careers. Dean: And then, in more recent times, television people came and said, would we be interested in teaching celebrities to skate? And that's when Dancing On Ice was born. And that extended us, too.
