Episode 1 - Celebrity: Is fame really worth it?

Mondays at 7.30pm on W.

Intro :

Fame sounds great - the red carpet treatment, adoring fans, the after parties, the fabulous frocks and freebies. Judging by the recent proliferation of reality TV shows, plenty of people want to be famous.  

But what is fame really like? Does it make you fair game for the media?  Is the spotlight really so appealing that you would sacrifice your private life?  And what happens when fame fades?

Our Panellists:

Rebecca Gibney, Prue MacSween, Amanda Keller, Ian "Molly" Meldrum and Professor Graeme Turner

See panellist profiles

Adam Elliott:

An unassuming animator from Melbourne, Adam found himself thrown into the spotlight when accepting an Oscar this year for his animated film, Harvie Krumpet, in front of more than 40 million people.  

Adam says he was shocked to beat entries from such animation powerhouses as Disney and Pixar.  And he was surprised by the big name actors, such as Robin Williams, who came up to him after the ceremony to congratulate him. Winning the Oscar also meant the producers that had previously ignored him now were eagerly lining up meetings.  

But Adam says his fame was a long time coming. It took about three years to make the film and cost almost $400,000 to produce - and he had made three films before Harvie Krumpet. He says w inning an Oscar was a surreal experience for a boy from St Kilda in Melbourne, especially since just a few weeks before the Oscar ceremony he had been on the dole.

Adam says he is still surprised that people are interested in him. The Oscar ceremony was four months ago and he thought the fame thing would only last a couple of weeks.  But Adam says the person most surprised is his mother, who recently said to him: "I can't believe people still find you interesting"!

Oscar Humphries:

The son of Australian comedian Barry Humphries, Oscar is one of those people famous simply because of their name. And while some children who inherit fame shun the family connection, Oscar says he is more than happy to use his name to open doors and explore opportunities. After all, he says, life in the spotlight is all he's ever known.

After living in the UK from the age of 13, Oscar says he returned to Australia last year to reacquaint himself with his Australian roots. Now 23, Oscar says growing up with a famous father was great fun (although he says every son thinks his Dad is a hero!). Oscar says he has no problem with consciously choosing to trade on your parents' name , having fun with it, and trying to turn it into a career. In fact, when he arrived in Australia he hired a publicist in a bid to get his own writing column. He did - he now writes weekly life observations in a column for The Sunday Telegraph's Sunday Magazine - and is also working on film and TV projects.  

Oscar says he sometimes feels a sense of anxiety being in the public eye and over what the media writes about him, although he says the UK press is far more intrusive and cruel than the Australian press. Oscar felt the full brunt of that tabloid intrusion just two days after a suicide attempt in London that pre-empted his move back to Australia. But he admits he can't stay away from the limelight, and says the adrenalin rush from fame and attention is very addictive and seductive.  

Nowadays Oscar says fame is a tool that can be manipulated. Even so, he says that just because you're famous, you do still have a right to privacy.

Ros Reines:

The queen of the gossip columnists says her column in The Sunday Telegraph would be boring without celebrities to write about, so the two simply help each other. Both feared and loved by celebrities, Ros says it's better to be written about than not. She says the fascination with celebrity comes from looking at people up on a pedestal and wanting to know what is behind, in and under that pedestal.  

Ros says she's never regretted doing a story and usually rings people beforehand to warn them they'll be in the papers. Under attack from Prue for being "vindictive and cruel", Ros defended herself by saying that people in the public eye put themselves up there to be written about. She says that if you want to be famous you've got to pay your dues, and that if you seek publicity there is a price to pay - you can't just turn it off. Ros says she sleeps like a baby and has no qualms about what she does for a living.  

As for going too far, Ros says she draws the line at writing about someone's illness. She also says she disapproved of the person who smuggled in cameras to get photos of singer Delta Goodrem having her chemotherapy treatment. Ros told the panel about a run-in with James Packer over a column she has written - she says she learnt then that if you dish it out you've got to take it.

Sara-Marie Fedele:

One of the contestants from the original Big Brother TV series, Sara-Marie won the heart of a nation as the loyal, bum-dancing housemate in bunny ears. She was nominated in a national television magazine as one of the ten "most influential women on Australian TV in 2001". Sara-Marie says she was nervous and completely overwhelmed when she came out of the house and saw hundreds of girls dressing up just like her.  

Since leaving the Big Brother house, Sara-Marie has written an agony aunt column, recorded an album, starred in a pantomime that raised funds for charity, produced a line of pyjamas, and written a top-selling book, "The Sara-Marie Guide to Life". And she says people still ask what she is doing now, as if she's not doing anything worthwhile since we no longer see her on TV. Sara-Marie says she simply feels sorry for such people being so desperately interested in her life rather than their own.

Sara-Marie insists she's not famous, she is simply known.  

She says Big Brother was a great experience. She says she never had any expectations going in and therefore has never been disappointed by how things have panned out. Prior to going into the house, Sara-Marie says she was a really confident person, but on coming out she says there was a lot more pressure on her and she felt less sure of herself. For example, she says she never thought she was overweight until she saw footage from the house and had so many people asking her what it was like to be a role model for full figured women. Once she got out of the house her lifestyle changed and she lost weight, but then was hassled again and accused of losing weight just because she was famous. When it comes to weight gain Sara-Marie says she's damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Sara-Marie says people who just want to be famous are crazy. Even now, three years down the track, she hears people whispering as she goes by whenever she's out. She says reality TV people get extra hassles because they are harassed for wanting to be famous, and then given a hard time if they try and do 'normal stuff'. But she is still totally positive about her experience with fame and celebrity. For those who say 'it ruined my life' she points out that they're still probably getting money for their story!

Bruce Samazan:

Bruce shot to fame as loveable cop Max Simmons on E Street - a role that won him the 1992 TV Week Silver Logie. He also enjoyed roles in Neighbours and Home and Away, but by the late 1990s his star had begun to fade.  

Bruce says the work just dwindled away. People thought he had given up acting but the truth was that no matter how hard he tried to break back in, the industry had, for no real reason, given up on him. The sudden loss of fame is still a mystery to Bruce and he says it can cause some awkward moments out in public: "It's hard if someone stops you in the street and says 'Why did you give up acting' and I have to say, "Well, I didn't'."

At the height of his fame, Bruce says life was wonderful. He was just 18, travelling the country, with chauffeur driven limos, and plenty of money. But in hindsight he says he probably did too much soapie TV work so was pigeonholed as only that sort of actor.

Bruce says that after ten years in TV he couldn't bear to join the ranks of actors pulling beers in pubs, so turned to a job in real estate, and now runs his own business. Even so, Bruce was delighted to say he's appearing in a play later this year and says that he would still love to get back into TV.

Stephen Bradbury:

As the first Australian to win a Winter Olympics gold medal, at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, Stephen has first hand experience of sudden and unexpected fame. Simply by staying upright after a spectacular final-lap spill took out his four speed skating rivals, Bradbury threw his arms up in disbelief and smiled as he crossed the finish line the winner.

Competing at his fourth Winter Olympics, Stephen said the gold medal was sweet reward for years of training, competing and overcoming serious injuries. He says it was the most unimaginable way to finish his career, and he agrees with those who say it was the most Australian thing - to win by not falling down - they've ever seen!

Stephen says the instant fame was a total shock. He did a whole week of media interviews afterwards and was even followed by TV crews from Pakistan and Brazil! On flying into his hometown of Brisbane he assumed the scrum of TV cameras were there for someone famous on his flight, until he realised they were there for him.

Stephen says he still thinks and acts as before, but concedes fame has changed him a little - when he is out and aware of lots of people watching him he is careful not to drink too much.

Stephen says that even now he finds it overwhelming and can't believe people still recognise him. He says a downside of fame is meeting people's expectations. People ask what is doing now, expecting him to say something wonderful, but he says that frankly, most of the time even he doesn't know what he's doing next!

Paulini:

As the first female from the Australian Idol TV show to secure a recording contract, fame came very quickly to Paulini - and she's loving it. After moving with her family from Fiji to Australia when she was four years old, Paulini has been singing since her early teens and now writes songs and performs full time in her band Mixx.  

Paulini was one of the four finalists in Australian Idol - and the girl many thought should have won. She also made headlines after judge Dicko told her she needed to 'shed some pounds' to get away with wearing a figure-hugging gold dress. But Paulini has had the last laugh - having just signed a four-album deal with Sony. To close the show, Paulini sang "Angel Eyes", the first single from her debut album One Determined Heart .

Paulini credits Australian Idol with launching her career. She says it gave her great exposure on TV and built up the fan base she now enjoys. As for fame, Paulini says she has only experienced the positives, and that she really loves it when fans come up to her in the street to say hello.

For all the hype and glamour, tonight's guests have shown that fame doesn't always deliver everything it promises. And being a celebrity is certainly no guarantee of career fulfilment or longevity, not to mention general happiness. For most of our guests, fame is something to be managed while still getting on with real life.

Tune in to Mars Venus, Mondays at 7.30pm on W.

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