‘I’ll always miss it’
It’s been more than two years since Amanda Keller hosted The Living Room with three of her closest friends. This year, the popular presenter is returning to TV in a big way. But nothing will ever replace the special working relationship she had with Chris Brown, Barry Du Bois and Miguel Maestre.
“For the rest of my life, I will miss being part of The Living Room,” Amanda tells TV WEEK.
Amanda with her former The Living Room buddies (from left), Miguel Maestre, Barry Du Bois and Chris Brown. (Credit: Network 10)
Amanda, who turns 63 this week, is currently fronting new ABC parenting show The Role Of A Lifetime. Mum to two adult sons, Amanda began the first episode by talking about the time, many years ago, when one of her sons asked her for some fruit, and she was so tired that she told him to get himself a biscuit.
“I think every parent, no matter how busy you are outside of the home, struggles with exhaustion,” she says. “At the end of a long day of working or parenting, who hasn’t wanted to feed their child a biscuit to keep them quiet?”
The Role Of A Lifetime, which features Kate Ritchie and Nazeem Hussain playing a married couple, delves into issues like smartphones and online gaming, as well as bullying and sexual relationships. With experts presenting the latest research, it’s confronting and disturbing at times.
Amanda and her Gold 101.7 radio co-host, Brendan ‘Jonesy’ Jones.
“As a mother of sons, it’s not just girls who are targeted online,” Amanda points out. “Young men are being hugely influenced by what they see and read from the [controversial kickboxer-turned-social media identity] Andrew Tates of this world. [And] body dysmorphia, we are seeing more and more amongst young men.”
She says it’s the nature of being a teenager to test the boundaries.
“In the most tribal sense, that’s what we do to help prepare us to leave the nest,” she adds. “Teenagers will always test their parents, but in this age, parents have to keep their children safe in the real and digital world, so it’s double the concern.”
Amanda’s older son, Liam, with husband Harley Oliver, is 23, and their younger son, Jack, is 21. Last year, Jack filled in for Amanda on her WSFM (recently renamed Gold 101.7) radio show when she was away filming an episode of Chris Brown’s new series Once In A Lifetime, and he earned praise from listeners.
When asked what she and Harley did right as parents, Amanda says she can’t pinpoint “a single intentional thing”.
Amanda and Harley Oliver have been married since 1989.
“But we must’ve done something right,” she adds, “because they are both well-adjusted young men.
“In the same way, we have a very well-behaved Border Collie, who I think trained herself, though surely I did something right with her as well.”
Once In A Lifetime sees vet Chris travelling to extreme locations to help out iconic and threatened animals, with a string of celebrities – including Amanda, Kate Ritchie and former MasterChef Australia judge Matt Preston – acting as his assistant.
“It was a real treat to go to Africa with Chris for a week or so,” Amanda says. “Even though I work full-time on
a radio show, if a TV project comes
up that I can’t resist, I will happily find time for it.”
Amanda and her “well-behaved” Border Collie, Mini.
As well as The Role Of A Lifetime, Amanda will be hosting another ABC show this year: The Piano, which will see musicians Harry Connick Jr and Andrea Lam giving unknown Australian pianists the chance to perform for a huge audience. Amanda describes The Piano as “remarkable”.
As for filming with Chris in Africa, she says that was “one of the best weeks of my life”.
“I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time – and that was just at Chris’s toilet issues. But to see him in action as a vet, reminded me that he wasn’t just my dorky mate.”
Amanda remains close to all three of her Living Room co-stars. “We are still a very tight foursome,” she say
