I’ve been dubbed “Television’s Survivor”, not just because I drove the Australian format of the eponymous show for almost a decade, but because, for an industry of ever-revolving doors, I purportedly hold the title of the longest Head of Entertainment and Factual programming on any single commercial network in Australia. Just shy of 25 years at Channel 10/Paramount.
An exhilarating run that afforded me the honour to guide the evolution and re-invention of everything from global franchises like Idol, Big Brother, Amazing Race, I’m a Celebrity and Bachelor, to more local fare like Bondi Rescue, Body Hack with Todd Sampson and Rove Live. Oh, and somewhere in between, produce massive live, televised events like Aria and AACTA awards. To say, I’m happiest “on the tools” is an understatement.
Not that Australia has always been my centre of gravity when it comes to producing. Before I was deep, Downunder, I cut my teeth in London for seven years, working for ITV and The BBC with living legends like Sir David Frost and Cilla Black. Not bad company for a young bloke from Perth to truly hone his craft.
In retrospect, I now see that growing as a dyslexic kid who left school at 14 and grew up in arguably one of the world’s most remote cities, injected me with a born sense that communication was not something to be taken for granted. Indeed, WA’s very isolation gave me a heightened appreciation for the power of global media: a place where you felt the world wasn’t looking, so it was up to me to make my voice heard.
That same “anything’s possible” mindset won me a spot at Murdoch University doing Arts, despite my lack of secondary education. A magical opportunity, where I was given free rein to try completely mad things, like producing a Shakespearian play and touring it throughout Indonesia. Or forming the Pagan Heart Theatre Company in Fremantle. It’s also where I got my introduction to Radio. Even today, forty years later, still a true passion and, ironically, the muse for so many of the highly visual shows I’ve cast.
As both a producer and a creator, I’ve come to realise that creativity is ultimately about the elusive alchemy of managed chaos.
It’s no-doubt why Nobby and I have been so prolific since first casually teaming up back in 2024. It’s why our current slate is so seemingly schizophrenic: from unscripted shows to a scripted feature, and even a major Arts event.
It’s why we both love our company name: Favourite Child. Because every one of our projects, however seemingly eccentric or unique, is equally cherished by both parents.
Finally, it’s why I wanted us to be known as a studio. Because, above all, we’re in the business of making things. Hopefully, with you.
