It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week. Alight. Welcome back to TV Reload. My name's Benjamin Norris, and on this podcast I go behind the scenes with the biggest players in television. Each episode you will get a front row seat with content makers like executive producers, writers, editors and casting agents,
plus the talent that we see on our screens. TV Reload reloads the shows that you are currently watching and gives you a better insight at our television industry and streaming services today. On the podcast, I have New Zealand's favorite TV personality, Clint Randell of Channel seven's brand new dating show Heartbreak Island Australia, which launches this Thursday on seven plus right across Australia and with less television guidelines certain rules to obey when it comes to how saucy
they can go. You'd be forgiven for calling this Seven's new steamy platform. Over the years, we have become accustomed to our favorite dating shows on freeware television, but now we have something new with a format that is designed to see the contestants hook up, bust up and manipulate their way toward cash. Prize that is one hundred percent
a tangible certainty. I'm sure they can still play out their ill fated relationship journeys on their social media platforms once the show ends, but having the cash will certainly come in handy. Clint takes us behind the scenes, explains some of the new exciting twists install and talks about the lack of privacy for the contestants. However, let's get started with a sneak peek at the latest dating show in Australia. I'd like to welcome Clint Brandell to TV Reload.
It's one of those ones where you really have to trust the partner that you're with. The search for your ideal match, your true love can feel like an endless journey. All of these people must do online dating, but they're also awful. Were hopefully there is someone out there that appreciates who I am. I remember some time and stuff would happen on the show and we'd be like, can we use that? I'm ready to find from girlfriend now?
And if you settle down, there are some people that come in and they're just literally there for the money. They'll have to flip fight. So when at all on heartbreak Island. I always think like a great host will bring out the drama, but we'll still let the contestants drive the narrative.
Hi, Clint, how are you thanks for having me on? What an exciting new gig to host Heartbreak Island Australia. How did this opportunity come about for you?
It was really random. I got like a phone call like last year and it was from a guy Daryl, and he's like, I've got this TV show and I wonder if you want to host it? And I was like, what is it is? I can't really say that. Maybe you can come talk with me and all the rest
of it and we'll sign in NDIA. And it was all very hush hush, and I'd hosted The Mask Singer, which is I guess what he had seen me on and gone, I think it'd be great for this, So I'm thinking maybe it's something like that, and then realized very quickly we started talking about reality TV and stuff.
I'm like, okay, it's nothing like the Mass Singer, but I've worked in radio, so I guess there was sort of like, you know, you have relationships with strangers and all those like relationship type things, and so I was like okay, and then I said to him is it a heartbreak Island? And he goes, why do you say that? And I said, because it's in your email signature like the shots he had done. So the cat was out
of the bang early. But I mean they had me when they said shooting in Fiji for two months and we've got an international cast, a bunch of like Aussies, Kiwis, Americans, Brits And I was like, this sounds already like it has all the things for success. So I was like, mate, I'm totally it.
Where do I sign? Where do I sign it? Basically, yeah, it's a dream job. You know, have you been a fan of these sort of dating shows before.
Reality type shows? I mean I did really like Too Hot to Handle just as a bit of a different spin off from what is typically like a reality dating show you try and hook up with as me as you can. So that was probably the last one I think that I watched. It was Too Hot to Handle and seeing personal growth amongst all the throwing.
And about you know what about this series was different to what we've seen before when it comes to young people finding love on television.
I mean, I think for starters from the old season of Heartbreak Island and now opening it up to the world and having well just having people from different countries.
They act differently in relationships. So even if you think you've got really good game, you might have good game in Australia, but you might not have great game when it comes to the British girls because they're not used to the laid back nature, you know, and maybe they want someone who's really confident, which we might see as cocky, you know. So that was actually really cool seeing just all the different mix of people coming together and dating in their own ways.
I think the show involves what is called passion play, which I like, like this is a title which involves contestants being able to stray, stay or play. How does that? How do you explain that to people who have not seen this show?
It's pretty much if you're The thing I like about this show is a reality dating show, is that there are challenges involved, and if you win the challenge, you're immune.
So everyone's competing to try to win. If you lose, you're going home, unless you've built up a relationship with somebody else on the island where they're willing to throw their partner under the bus and swap you out and effectively they take your place going home on the next ferry back to Nandy Airport and you end up recoupling
with them instead. So it's one of those ones where you really have to trust the partner that you're with, because if you think you can and you can't, then all of a sudden, your bags are getting packed quite quickly because you're getting swapped out for someone that they've sneakily had their eye on. So you always see everyone trying to work out a plan B or a Plan C, so if they find themselves in trouble, they've almost got like a backup and then a backup backup to try
and keep there are safe on the island effectively. So I think the thing I really like about this show is that, yes, it has the relationships, but rather than hearing, you know, just an entire hour of what's your type, you know, what's your type on paper and what's your and having them talk about it, it goes beyond that, where there is that competition element where you're always trying to work out who you can trust. Are they in it for the money or are they in it for love?
And I think you find out quite quickly who's in it for what and the ones that don't do a good read on their partner, the ones that you know, get seen home quicker than they probably should have.
And no one wants to leave the island. Is it a dangerous Is it dangerous to mix a dating show with challenges, money and love because it's a little bit like the New Big Brother here in Australia because there's a real human element to this show, but it's also mixed with some survivor like challenges. How do you think that's going to go?
Yeah, well, I think you're right when you start having those relationships where you actually like a person or they're a really nice person, and then you go, well, this game is sort of designed at times to be a little bit ruthless and maybe put yourself first. But then you also, I would like to think these people on the show know that they are being watched and the type of person that you want people to think of
you as when you leave the show. So, I mean there's some questionable decisions and things app on the show that I think, man, I would not have done that, or you just you know, like sometimes the human and you go, but that's not fair or that's not right. But I think when you're on the show, it's like every feeling is amplified because nothing else is going on in the world except the show. I mean, you know that doing Big Brother, right, it's like no phones and
this is everything. So if you're a little bit annoyed, you're just absolutely fuming. And if you're someone who is typically quite fluty, then you're probably full on, you know, full noise because this type of environment really heightens those types, like it pulls out the little thing and your personality
and makes it like a massive thing. So I think in the beginning, let's be really careful how hard you play the game and how much you probably just think about how the type of person you want to be portrayed as on a show like this, where so many people when they do a reality daty show, I don't think are thinking about that, which is probably great for the show.
I just love people who apply for these shows because they go from zero to one hundred, you know, and I think that that makes great television. How important is the casting of something like this? You know, what kinds of characters can we expect to fall in love with throughout this first series.
I mean, the casting is everything you can have, like the world's greatest reality game. But if your cast aren't just amazing to watch and don't have that thing about them that just makes you go, I don't know, because you'll say, oh, why do you love Ash so much? Or why do you like Billy and they'll be like, I don't know, I just really like him. And I think that's where you want to be on a show
like this, where people just naturally gravitated towards you. But there are some characters that like come in and I always feel for the disruptors because I always thought coming in as a disruptor generally on a reality day show is the best place to be because you fast forward a lot of you know, the cantiness in the beginning, and then you come in and everyone's over the oldies and you're the fresh meat and so you're the new plaything. But so often, I think on the show, the core
group became so tight than anyone that came in. It was almost like they were an enemy to their current situation. And so you've got these incredible characters coming in and some of the ones, the intruders that come in and you're like, oh, this is going to be amazing, and
then that gone as quickly as they showed up. And it's heartbreaking excuse the pun as a viewer, because you've got this new character that you love so much, and then you just can't get attached to too quick because some of them are just like in and then out, and it is like ruthless in that respect that the people on the island are playing that hard.
Did you find it hard not to get involved in the drama. I've always thought hosting these sorts of shows would be really stressful for me because I'm too opinionated. I'd worry I'd get into the sand pit with the kids.
Yeah, exactly the same. And so you would ask a question, they give you an answer and you knew was bas and you're like, why are you lying to me? Like you know you must know that I know that that has or hasn't happened, because I'll get a little bit of information behind the scenes as to what's going on when I'm not privy to their evening hangouts and stuff.
And then you'd go a second time to try and give them a chance to come clean that lie again and you'd be like, don't you know, like if that motive was always like to go and try and get the best drama out of them without overstepping that line where I'm blowing up someone's game or manipulating it wants or desires on where I want the show to go. I always think, like a great host will bring out the drama, but we'll still let the contestants drive the narrative.
And so I'm giving them a chance to come clean and maybe own their mistake, or I'm giving them a chance to like call this person out, but if they don't take it, well, then then that's up to them. I can't like, they're not puppets, right, and I'm the puppeteer making everything happen. I don't think that's kind of what people want to watch.
Or you're a parent, so you're used to kids trying to bamboozle you to a certain extent, you know you can work it out.
I'm always like, lie to the like if you're on the show, leaders, sure lie sheet and steal to the people on the show, but don't give a lie down the barrel to the camera, because that's the audience and they know everything. They know when you're lying because they've seen it all. So it's like you can light to the cast, but don't lie to me, or don't light of the camera because we know when you're lie, and you'll get found out and you'll be that guy.
This show has this global feel to it, which you mentioned, you know, which, while it still is Heartbreak Island Australia, we are hearing American accents, New Zealand accent, you know, alongside the Australian accent. Do you think that we're going to need a few international visas being set up at the end of this, I mean, are we going to get some long term relationships coming out of the show.
It's funny because the ones that I thought were locked in like quite early, and I was like, those two they're gonna make it like they're gonna be you know, there's always like one love story, Like generally it might be two or three, but there's kind of one that comes out of every show. We follow it for a while and see how long it takes before it fizzles out. I always got it wrong. It's like I was jinxing them and the ones that I wouldn't expect or I was like, what is it about those two that sort
of keep it together. But the thing I realized that I was quite fascinated by it was in the beginning the way we peer them up as based off their online profiles. And I'd never done online dating before I got married, long like quite young and long before that. Amazing to me that like everybody's first pick, they couldn't stand within like twenty four or forty eight hours of choosing, almost and everyone that really gravitated towards somebody eventually wasn't
even in their top three. A lot of the time, I was like, all of these people must do online dating, but they're also awful at it, like clearly in terms, so you only get a few photos in a bit of a bio. But to miss your first book, your second book, and your third pick and end up really hitting it off to someone who wasn't even on your
radar was like baffling to me. So I was like, there might be some people watching the first Step and being like, huh, maybe I need to like expand my like age range or my location or my type and think about like dating some other people because it works for people on this show, and they definitely are some romances, and I will say the out words definitely does get dropped at least once or twice on the show, which I was like, shocked life.
What is it about watching people hook up and bust up on television that excites us as an audience? Do you think it makes us feel more normal about our own relationships?
One hundred? Is it being now on here where we are going oh good? Other people don't have their lives together either when it comes to relationships, and maybe seeing them make mistakes makes us feel better about ours and
the ones that we make in our relationships. And also just seeing maybe people take like a chance that maybe we don't have the guts too, you know what I mean, Like you see somebody just shooting the shot and you're like, oh man, I wish I could do that, and then when it doesn't work out, you're like, see, and that's why I don't do that, you know? So I think we get to live curiously through some of these characters on the show, and almost it's like that painting like
a roadmap with a number of didians. Sure, but like a roadmap where you can go all right, So that doesn't work, and that kind of does work. So maybe we're subtly teaching ourselves how to date and watching a show like this, there's probably more what not to do than what off the back of it, But sometimes that just is important, right, But what not to do?
It's just yeah, I prefer to send the minions out to do the wrong thing so that I can learn from them as opposed to doing it myself. You know what I mean?
This is the show for you?
Then you know the show launches here on seven plus. Do you know if we're going to be able to see more drama on a streaming platform, are we going to get away with seeing it a little bit more saucy seeing is that we're not seeing it on the main channel.
Yeah, I mean, I'm unsure how true this is, but from what I heard, your Australians are a little more conservative than us Kiwi's here when it comes to broadcasting stuff on radio and on television. And I was quite disappointed, being like, oh, what, so we're going to have to create like a show for the most conservative audience so it plays out and then everyone else is just going to get that version. And then when they were saying, oh no, it's going straight to streaming, it means you
don't have to fit it to an hour's TV. If you end up having an hour's tear an hour ten worth of great stuff, you don't have to cut that out to make it fit. So I think like that reason, and also just like you say, you can go. I remember sometimes stuff would happen on the show and we'd be like can we use that?
Is that?
Even? Can you play that on TV? And I think we're still working out what platform it was going to end up on. Where we've landed where it goes straight to streaming, it's like, yeah, the gloves are off. It's almost like the wild West of TV, right, and you
can you can put on whatever you like. Like even when I found out when I got a tour of the island and the resort and where the cast was staying before they flew in, and I just saw like cameras, like these cameras in the room, these cameras in the bathroom.
The only place you could go was the toilet. That was the only place where you could go in the room and not be seen or heard even the outdoor shout, Like we covered everything, And I just thought, but surely, like a little bit, there's got to be some privacy, and I realized quite quickly it's like, no, you sign up to the show, and whatever happens, whatever you do, whatever you say, you're giving right to put on television.
To give them no privacy. We love ruthless television. We love something new, which I think is part of the reason why I'm so excited about the show, and I think it's a part of the reason why people are going to tune in to watch it is because we are going to see something a little bit different. You know, the show will come down to what drives the decisions of the gen z. Is it money, loyalty, lust, or ego? What do you think out of those things, what do you think is get a rise to the top?
I think I think for some people that changes the closer you actually get to the prize, and then you see people playing a lot harder because they go, oh, well, actually we could like in the beginning, it's fun, We're
just there for an adventure. As you get further down, the competition really starts to ramp up, and we had like medics called into challenges because they started getting much more physical and some of the lands were really going at it, and I think that you sort of felt this sort of surge of these power couples starting to form and the money really being within the grasp. So in the beginning, everyone's just throwing it around and having fun,
and that definitely you feel that change. Although there are some people that come in and they're just literally there for the money. I just think that's such a wasted opportunity coming on a show like this as well, where you just get real like it's about the money, when you've got once in a lifetime opportunity to be on a dating show like this, people from all around the
world on a remote island. And I was going to ask you actually been being on Big Brother, Like what is it actually like when you're being filmed twenty four to seven all the time? Like do you ever because I never really chatted to the consistence in this way, like when you see me on camera with them, it's work right, and then as soon as it's cut, I'm out of it. And they try to keep that relationship
I think separate for that reason. But do you ever get to a point where you just start forgetting that they're rolling or are you always aware of it?
Look, I think it's it's a really interesting question, and I think it is different to every single person wants to take part of the show. I gave myself up to the social experiment of it. It took me weeks to forget about the cameras, but towards the end, I mean, I was in that show for nearly four months, so you know, ninety days is a very long time to
be locked away. The only way it was going to work for me was to just be myself to forget about the production of it, which I did, which at the same time makes good television because you know, I'm not in my head about what people are watching. I certainly wish that there was a lot of things that I didn't say and do. I'll give you that much.
Yeah, I think there's definitely some characters from things that I would hear that would happen where I think some are very calculated and very clever with what they say and how they cover their tracks. And then there are others which you love that you're just an open book and we'll just say whatever. They don't care, use it, don't use it. It's just them, right. And then you've got the other camp that are very sneaky and they
would go. They realized that if they hopped in the pool where the waterfall was, they could get close enough where the waterfall would be loud enough against the mics that they could whisper and you wouldn't be able to pick up what they were saying. You'd hear these stories about how they were trying to I guess, trying to have their little private conversation and stuff on a show where you're like, well, that's not really how it works.
So it's really interesting how different people navigate that type of environment where you are being filmed twenty four seven. And I think I'd be like, you just forget after a week, and then I'd end up looking back and regret it. Just a lot of things that I'd seen and done.
You know, this is the thing, you know, if you tell people not to do something, they'll find out how to do it. And so I think in these sorts of shows, what makes these a great social experiment is just watching the way in which people try and get away with things, and at the end of the day we end up seeing it all anyway. You know, it doesn't matter how hard you try, Yeah.
Well exactly, it's like, well, they don't realize is there's somebody else with a boom and there's another camera here in the air, and all I've got to do is get enough of an audio within They'll just subtitle you.
You know, there's always a boom on a boom on a boom as far as I'm concerned when it comes to reality television, and good on them, Good on them. Was there a moment in this series though, that really blew your mind? I really want this as a bit of a tease in the audience they're going to watch the show. Is there a moment in this series that has stayed with you in your mind that you can let us know about getting too much away?
So Jake, one of the Ossie Boys, he makes the decision. I'm trying to work out and TV land how early it would be, but it must be an episode like one or two where he makes a decision during the game that I was even unsure if he was allowed to do that. I was like, wait, is this part of the rules? But yeah, it just showed me. I was like, Oh, the Aussies, the Ouzzie Boys are just here to play, have fun, mix it up and they don't care. And so Jake one of those guys. He
was a really interesting character. And yeah, there's a movie makes during like a passion playing, where they get a chance to if they don't like who they're with, they can swap it up. So if say four out of the ten couples want to swap it up, then they'll all go into the passion play and then they'll they'll repick from those people who are all not too happy with their current partner. But Jake makes a decision quite
early on that I think. I think that one decision like ends up costing a lot of other people's game and time on the island because that one decision he made. I remember talking about it being like if he hadn't done that, this person would still be here. That person
would probably be gone, they would still be here. So that happens early on, and then we've got a couple of like shock call them in eliminations, but people leaving the show just completely out of the blue for reasons I won't get into, but you'll see it where you know, you just start really loving a character, and then we're always throwing twists as a show. They ended up throwing a few spammers in the works as well. Outside of
their control. But it's just always sad when you've got a show and you've got these great characters and then for whatever reason, they just disappear out of the game, and their removal of the game impacts so many other people's situation. And I guess their strategy that they've sort of been working on, well.
It all makes good television. I've been a little bit obsessed with you over the last couple of days leading up to this interview, so I've watched a back catalog of all of your work and I realized very quickly that you're kind of New Zealand's answer to Osher Ginsburg, because you've got that idol, You've been on the host of The Singer. There's so many comparisons to Osher Ginsburg, which made me think, have you ever met Osha And do you realize that you have an Australian version of yourself?
Somebody's somebody said something to me about I mean, we get a lot of your shows here as well, right, so we get The Bachelor, and I've and so I know Asha from just watching him on TV. I mean, I think he's busier than me. I'd like to be
as busy as him. Over here and then I saw him doing I think he's doing a podcast or something, and I was like, huh, I got a couple of podcasts and worked in radio for over ten years before doing the TV thing, So if he's ever had enough of it, and I can work on my Australian accent, yeah, I mean, I'm more than happy it's a short flight over to Aussie to try and pick up some of
that slack if he's happy to let it go. I mean, even when we were doing on the Beach and I'm saying like this is Heartbreak Island Australia, I was like, do I how Australian do I make this? Is it like this is Heartbreak Island Australia. And then they were like, well, you don't talk Australian in the show, so that would be weird. I'm like, it's just softening, so it's not
like bus is Heartbreak on Australia, you know. So I tried to sit somewhere in the middle where I'm not offending anyone, hopefully, or I offend everybody.
I'm not sure It's sounded a lot Kelsha Ginsberg with your Australian accent. Just then it made me laugh. I thought it was great. I'm definitely excited about the show. Something I ask everyone who joins the podcast, no matter what the show is, is what's something from behind the scenes that we won't see on the series, something of a behind the scenes secret of what you saw while working on Heartbreak Island Australia.
Oh, okay, behind the scenes. So I want to give you a good answer. I don't want to like finish this and then go, oh, what I should have done? Okay, No, I've got something for you while I pad it. One of the contestants that got eliminated from the show ended up trying because they have about one night's stay in their own beret. So two of them get eliminated. They don't necessarily like each other. If they do good for them, they've got a private night in beret with no cameras,
then they'll get sent out the next day. One of them had such a love interest back still on the show that overnight left be rats and snuck at night into the other resort where we were filming and snuck back into the bedroom. Oh one of the cast members. So I'm not sure whether I mean they'll have it on camera, but I don't know whether it will make sense to have it and the show that they come running back, but I know the security guards definitely made
their money that night. So they found out in the morning they were running around in the dark trying to chase one of the Aussie boys who had been eliminated from the show and had tried to race back into the resort for one more goodbye. The PG way of putting it.
The show is now called Restraining Order Restraining Order Island, Australia.
And I tell you the hind security guy Junior. The name was ironic because it was nothing Junior about Junior. He's the last pierson on the Island that you wanted to miss.
Will It was massive, mate, It was so fun to be able to have this chat with you. I'm really excited about the show. As I said, I've previewed quite a few episodes. It's I hope audiences get behind it because it is something a little bit different. But thank you so much for being able to come on TV reload and chat about the show.
Oh thanks so much. I appreciate your time and having me on. And yeah, look forward to check it out and I hope people love it as much as
Yeah, amazing, Thanks so much for your time,