It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload. The podcast last week theyby welcome back guys to TV Reload. My name is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get all the inside goss on the popular TV shows that you might have been watching from around the world. Undeniably, our TV sets are still a major part of our home entertainment, and yet very little is known about how our favorite shows get made.
So each episode I've been finding the guests the want to dive just that little bit deeper into the shows that they've been currently making, so that you can hear all their exclusive stories and gain access to the biggest names in Australian television. I want to thank you for downloading or subscribing to this podcast however you've found me. I love hearing your feedback, so if you can, please leave a review or a comment on your chosen podcast platform.
On today's podcast, I have Tim Robarts, who is here to talk about his epic time on SAS Australia, which finished up last week with Matthew, mitchm and Tim passing the cause. Tim has had a pretty active career in television since first appearing on the Bachelor, from being the Badge of the Jungle to acting in Neighbors, amongst other TV series, Tim is now here to tell you about
how challenging this latest TV venture was to film. Sas Australia is a huge show for Channel seven where celebrity contestants undergo a training program that echoes the Special Air Services selection. They face several challenges that test both their physical and mental capacity, and with all that yelling from Aunt Middleton, I'm pretty sure the main prize win or lose is PTSD. I will ask him about being called boring, and will find out about his relationship with Craig McLaughlin
or what that was like behind the scenes. I'll ask him if he felt he needed to beat his wife Anna, who did the series last year, and I also will find out what pushed him each day. There is also a lot to unpack with Tim's interrogation and we will talk about the time in his life that could have
been explored and been a little bit more revealing. Plus we will get plenty of exclusives from behind the scenes of Sas Australia, which finished last week on Channel seven, but guys, you can still catch up on on seven plus if you missed it anyway, let's bring Tim into the podcast. And guys, I really do hope you enjoy this catch up with sas Australia's latest success story. Hey Tim, I'm very well. You know what I just realized I
was Because it's Halloween. I got tagged in this photo with you, and I don't know if you've ever remembered, because this is now ten years ago, but we were at a Halloween party together in Sydney that a woman Tiffany I think her name was, that set it up.
Oh yeah, yeah, and you.
Your show was about to start. No one had even seen an episode of the Bachelor, and do you remember they had to like write Bachelor on your suit and put roses on you so people knew who you were because you were about to be catastrophically famous, but not at that point.
Yeah, there was. So I went as a as a the thing was like, all right, let's do the suit. But as a bachelor that's had like, you know, like been accosted by these women. So it was like a food that was all.
Torn and I had a black eye and and all that, and I remember the next day I got a call from the producer going, what the f what are you doing?
What are you doing? Was he was so dirty and that I had, you know, potentially I don't know, either mocked or tonic or whatever.
You know.
I got in trouble as well because I was dressed as an Indian and on stage being interviewed by Angela Bishop. I think it was one of those entertainment ladies and you know you're in trouble with the network because you've been punched in the face and attacked by women. But I actually said I came dressed as an Indian because it was my favorite food, Indian food. So it's very casually and so between the two of us, surprise we weren't canceled and not talking right now?
Yeah, well it wasn't. There was the same cancer culture back then.
We survived. We're here.
I think everyone else got the joke with mine, apart from the producer.
Do you still speak to him, No.
I haven't for a while. That he was he was he was a good actually just that.
Well, Timmy, he's not going to listen to the podcast. It's okay, you won't come for you.
Yeah, you never know, you never know.
Well, I should stop congratulations on completing the course. Congratulations to you and Matthew. What an achievement.
Yeah, so it was a lot harder than it looks. You know, I think what's being from home, you see it is that some people want you look at me and go, you know, well, I don't think I could do that. I could walk along that road for to do that. But the course the hardest because the course is all the stuff in between the challengers. They grind you down. They constantly keep you in a state of fear and stress and anxiety, and that getting to every
day feels like a week. So to get to the end, and for me to get to the end without being totally broken was was quite an achievement.
What I feel like to you know, at times come close to not completing the course. What are those What did those moments feel.
Like like when you know, the first two or three days, but I was like, I don't know if I can do this, like this issue, this constant fear and stress, and that is not worse. Like I was doing well in itially in a lot of the tasks and passing and there's that sense of achievement, But that sense of achievement you don't get much of a pat on the back.
It's right done. On the next thing, that sense of achievement was not outweighing the constant discomfort in site that I was in, and I'm like, man, I don't want to be I'm not. Actually I thought i'd feel a lot more like wow, because I remember Anna talking to me about hurting and she's like, didn't do this for this, and then I was doing it and I felt amazing, and you know he was he had no expectations on herself.
I actually went in there with sign like that spectation on myself from others and end with that pressure too, like I've at least got to do as well as my wife or I will never be able to hold my head up. I want to get home.
I wanted to know that though. So that was a driving force because I mean, you know, I know that Anna completed the course, you know, and she did eleven days, and so I can imagine it would have been really important for you to do the same thing.
It wasn't a driving force, but it was a great reason not to quit. But it wasn't my driving force to go on there and do well. I didn't need to go and I could have not done it at all, and then I'd still never be compared, you know. But once I'd gone yes, I'll do it, there was that underlying prector if I don't make it all the way to the end, I'm always going to have that louing
over me. But it was it wasn't ever the thing that made me do it or the thing that pushed me, but it was the thing that just stopped me quitting. It was one thing that stopped me quitting.
You know, if by any chance, you only did two days and she did eleven, you just hope that her genetics was stronger.
I guess, yeah, exactly. I think I got some good excuses, but I had no I definitely had other things that really were the things that I used to drive me to push through the end. I mean that was a mixture of wanting to set as an example of my daughter.
I know my wife did it, but you know, you think your daughter is also going to work throople my coo daughters, now, the second one on the way, it's going to watch this, and you want them to have something to kind of be able to watch back and remember.
And what about the bragging rights at home? Because I mean we saw that. You know, your wife Anna tweet you know, tweeted or put it on Instagram that you know she completed an extra day than you on the show because her series was longer. Does she have extra bragging rights at home? Is she allowed to have that?
You know, one of my mates, cit he has always let you. I think he's the one in contole power. So I'll just let her have that.
You did not let her have that though. You are just saying that now, you're like, oh, I've got nowhere to go.
Always set up for failure because I was set up for fallue because there was no way I could beat her because I only our course only went for ten days. I feel like we agree to disagree.
You know, you'd obviously compare the courses, and I actually think that the course that you completed was much harder than hers. When you swaped notes between the two of you, what were the comparisons.
Yeah, sometimes did be. I think the biggest comparison was that she went in with no expectations on her from her very minimal from herself, from the DS, from what you would deceive, the audience would think. And so every day he lasted another day. He was kind of you know, to the Laker, he was so happy where Yeah, me going in there, I felt like I already come in being the health and fitness guy with an expectation. I
look a certain way, there's an expectations. And then also my wife did so well, there's an expectape then for me to do as well or better or forever be you know. My wife then in her fat So they.
Were okay though, you know, in a world where we celebrate the Matilda's and no one can remember any of the soccer wo's name, it's okay, you know for the woman to do well.
Yeah, yeah, well, you know, yeah, possibly in our situation, but there's still I think me and my wife are very competitive scene in someway. Although she's super supportive, she's also very competitive.
I love that you need it.
So there was there was that that was a big part of it. But then we come back and together, right. So one thing she left out was, you know, she would still have experienced all the stuff in between the challenges because we only ever talked about the challenges and the stuff you see uf you don't see it's the day to day see all the you know, even the runs they do sometimes we'd finish the task and they go right, everyone run and they kind of beast you,
semi beast you with a run. You'd run push ups, run push ups, run for kilometers and then they don't show that at all. We've been through it. So you kind of like get to the camp and everyone's like, oh my god, I'm you know, and you're like, well, you just went and did one little you know, climb across the road. What are you so worn out for?
You don't realize the run kilometers there we you know, all the things you do, Like last night, even in that final episode they said, oh, they were moved to a holding ground, we were held in stress positions for three hours. They kind of left that part out, but you know, stress positions are ones where they hold you in each position for about twenty minutes and then a lay came and if you didn't hold that position, they'd come in and yell at you and put your back
in that position. So your body throbbing, your muscles are aching in these positions, and that was the whole thing that they left out, Like, why don't you just say they put us in stress positions? They like they've tried to stoppen it a lot and leave a lot of that stuff out, you know.
Not to show the audience. I mean, I don't know if I could. I could not do this course. Like I just thought it was so stressful watching. I would also say, I'd wonder if I'd be able to face my biggest fear to be true, because mine is pretty bad. Mine's the sound of people eating. You know, if I had and I was watching everyone eating on this show and I reckon, that would have had me pull out. I'd be like, yep, I'm out of the competition.
Yeah. One of the hardest things was the snoring orchestra at night. And you don't think about it, but like, if you're not sleeping on that course, you will be. You'll go pretty quick, like there's only so many nights you can do with you are our sleep. And we had two people like really loud ignored and then one reverse or who would breathe in and then on the way out, it would be.
Do they pay you danger money for this sort of a show, because I mean, you've done a few reality shows right now, so I guess when you're on the Bachelort it was your first reality experience. They probably wouldn't have paid you, you know, Motza like if THEYD you do a show like that again, I mean you've done on the Celebrity, you've done other shows. Is do you get paid a lot more for SAS because of danger money?
Probably? I mean everyone's on different things, but I think that's probably one way. You know, that's the longer you last, the better. And it's one of those those because even though it's only ten days, you're still getting a full those you probably I guess you'd probably get paid similar to other stories they go for five or six week right, So there's maybe there's that's positive in a way, But.
This would be your biggest payday there from a reality show, wouldn't it.
Maybe maybe I guess you haven't finished without going into it, but I remember talking to Abby who did fifty five days on Survivor, Yeah, and I think she was saying that this was harder.
Wow.
So you know, nine days on SAS compared to fifty five days on Survivor. I'm sure they think that you know, on six five days and survive and all that hell a lot more. But I'm a day to day grueling sort of thing. I think you were saying it was harder than you know.
Mental load though this show, the mental load would be really high. So when you returned, Laura, did you find that you behaved bizarrely or weirdly? Was there like a hangover period where you'd be a bit snappy or you didn't feel so motivated? Do you want to go catch the waves down and BONDI?
I think because I knew I did well.
I was.
I came back with like quite a bit of self belief. I was really happy that was something I got out of it. I knew how hard it was for me and how much I had to put through. That was quite a positive. So I came back really somewhat positive. I couldn't tell anyone anything though, but I was having a little bit of It's almost a bit of BTSD where I go to bed and every night for about two weeks, i'd wake up, like almost.
I'd wake up and think I'd strangle.
Yeah, I was. I was waking up thinking that I'm ready for another mentioning because you're constantly go, you know, I do this? Am I really my boots dry?
Try?
Is that right? And I'd wake up and it'd be in a fluster. I'd be like I'm actually I'm back home.
I'm okay, I'm okay, you're okay.
And that went on for about two weeks. Wow, you can only imagine what it would be like if you were actually you know, you'd actually gone through war until different autrocities and all that, and did this for months, Like I can understand how my little taste of it. You know, there's a lot of you know, potentially people see real bad dust would need a lot of support.
Well, Jackie came out today saying that, you know, she's like as if these any of these celebrities could get into sas you know, she took you all the task. But what are your thoughts on that? Do you think that you would be able to officially get into the SASH?
I think, like doing their stories, what they go through is so much tougher. I think I in a younger time would have had maybe the physical ability and stuff that you've really got to have the mental want to put through like they go through six months and that stuff. You know, you've you've really got to be sort of a different build or like Ant says, he sort of says like we you know a lot of us to dig dinners where the some of the earth. If we
weren't doing this, we'd probably be big drug dealers. I'm pretty sure I've heard him say that before. We'd be not drug necessarily drug dealer, but like we'd be.
I'm like, if you weren't a million dollar island and being on sas, I'm pretty sure you would be in a lineup possibly.
Yeah. So, like you know, a lot of these people come from sort of you know, foster families and broken families and this, and that they actually do really well with a real sense of structor, probably people who haven't grown up with my structor in their life, and what the military offers is a real center of structor, but also that achievement and knowing you know, some of them might be super patriotical I didn't want to help, but there's also that level of like kinding all that kind
of energy, and there's there's all of that so that that is a different person there's generally in the s So I think you have to have a lot of testos thrown, you have to have a lot of that, you know, that right kind of energy. So look, I think I if I had the want to be there, I reckon I can I could put myself through that pull degree. But as they said, you know, like I remember when Aunt went through, he said there was like
two hundred and something people in three pasts. I think, wow, you know, so that's I don't know if I'd fully passed, but you know, i'd give it a red hot craft.
I think you did pretty well. You did get to meet some very amazing people. And the cast that they put together for this show is always very complex because you're looking for people who might have had a check a past, or they might have had had something happen in their lives that they really need to face. Who surprised you the most when it came to the day to day and getting to know these people up close.
Everyone for sort of different reasons, But.
Yeah, was there somebody in particular you were like, Wow, I got really close to this person and it wasn't who I thought they were from my own interpretation, you know, from my own reading of the news or seeing them on shows.
I mean, yeah, I had a lot of that with a lot of them. There wasn't necessarily a stand. One thing I did love about everyone in there was everyone kind of allowed everyone to come in with a clean slate and it was open to you know, they weren't quick to judge and they're preconceived ideas. I think we kind of all just left them and we're like, right, let's just be open to you know, we've we've all probably read things about each other, but let's be open to just a clean slate and get to know you
for who you really are. Because I think everyone was kind of there's a lot of people in there for that, and that's one thing I really appreciated about it, and I thought it was really nice and not sort of said a few times, and I think we need a bit more of that in the world. You know, everyone's so quick to label and judge, and I think that was nice to go in there with a clean slate.
I did, you know, I think initially I'd seen Cathy you know, talk over the over the time, so different interviews, and it was nice to see her at a point where things in her life it can be, you know, more open and honest, and she was quite a really nice person and very giving as much as he could.
Like he was having a struggle in there because it was bringing back a lot of memories and things I think for it from when he was overseas in prison, but he was a really sort of central goal and you can seek he's been through so much, he's been really lovely. They also really wanted to know that they've turned the corner and they've you know, they've more to them than like expectively say heard through this label of cocaine passy that he's got to kind of live with.
The person who I was thinking about was Craig McLaughlin after hearing his story and as much as we've known about what had really happened to him after he'd been in the Rocky Horror Picture Show and he was almost you know, completely his career just came to a grinding halt. After hearing his story up close, How do you feel about him now? I mean, what was that experience like to watch him processing something very hard? Was that hard for you to watch it up close?
Yeah? Look, I think Craig was a real great support in that he brought a great energy. He was always sort of entertaining us. He was he was a good support to me. He was like a father figure in there in a way. In some bits you know, that was really nice, Like I really got along well with Craig, and he was he was great having there. I know that you could tell like he's been through so much, so he did have and he wanted to kind of tell his story being there, use this as a way
to go what he's been through. And even though he was acquitted of everything, the damage has got it done to his brand. You know, he hasn't been able to work for five years, and you know, I know how challenging that must because this was an opportunity for him to try and go again who he really is, or at least you know, kind of like get redeem himself
for what been put out there in the media. And I know he'd been through such a struggle like he has could have said, you know, he struggled to like just go down to a coffee, grab a coffee because he's worried about you know, he would see people were saying what they were the look he was getting all of that, and I can only magine how horrible that was. And he'd become a real bell and had that obia
of local phobia. So I think for him, he was just so great to like so appreciative to be able to talk the new people again and open himself up again. I think so. I think it's been a really positive thing for.
Him doing a show like this, though, do you think it could change someone's profile? Like, do you think if you've been scrutinized this hard for so long and even though he's acquitted, there's still so much noise that's there. Do you think going on says and facing your demons and showing the pain up front and on you know, a national program like this, is there a possibility that you can get a redemption store and go back to work, Like what do you think?
Now? There will always be people on both sides, probably for him, where someone will just wether either team Craig
or they're not. And yes, I think something like this could definitely bring people more people honest, Actually maybe people are sort of fitting the fans or don't know much, but you know, you know, I heard him speak and I like or at least there's always going to be people on both sides of the fence, So yeah, I think there's I think there's been a lot of people who liked watching his journey and he's got a lot
more respect from a lot of people. And then you'll probably always have some people who just got things on on their own life, they're never going to accept any of it.
And Matthew was the other person. You know, he completed the course with you, and you guys are going to share that for a long time, which I think, you know would be a very special bond. Have you kept in contact with him? And I was curious to know how he went. His revelations were in his interrogation episode
were so honest and so brutal. Do you know much about how he went returning to his life and how his husband's had taken that on board, how people had absorbed his like his revelations or he's honesty.
With Matthew, I mean, yeah, he had some really open and honest acts on there, and you know, how to off him for being so vulnerable, for putting it out there, and you know, I think, I think you know, he's he's in a good place at the moment. And and I think sometimes you know, listening going on these shows, they make you accountable because you know thee an audience watching, and I think by bringing that up, it's probably made
him extra accountable to stick to it. Yeah, I'm not I've told everyone that I you know, I have had a tendency to lie in the past, and now that's out there. Now I have to stick to not lying because I've put it out there.
You know, I think he'd been masking something. You know, when you're masking some secrets, you've developed these habits to keep them a secret. And when you unmasking like this and tell people what's actually going on, and it's so visible to everyone, you know, it becomes so palsiful. You've got nowhere to hide. So I think, you know, what he did in that was was phenomenal. I think a lot of people also commented that you didn't dig as deep.
Now I don't want I wanted to ask you about this because is that because you have less to confront than say, some of the others, or did you actually go through that while they were filming? Did we not see all the work that you did in the interrogation room. I've kind of felt like there's kind of a possibility of things happening here, a.
Mixture of both. I felt like my I didn't have the big traumatizing backstory that a lot of people have got going in there. I haven't been in jail, in a comby in prison. I don't have haven't had sexual assault, so it's me. I haven't that, and I could be got all those things, but my stuff is relative to me. I've had my challenges and my challeent is getting in there, but they're just not as they haven't been as headline
worthy and so there's that. But then also watching it back, I found in the edit they've kind of really someone in there has gone right, let's pitch him as Ken who you know whose job is beach and so that's seen. That was a bit frustrating where they wouldn't really one. I knew they wouldn't show because they're focused on all the others two people who as the evening they're selling a lot more of them and their struggles doing the
gaftical individual challenges and things. They weren't really showing me. There's so many sort of finish but that was it, and I wasn't. I was actually really mean to what someone might run back because I want to experience them again,
but I just wasn't really going to sign. There was that, But then a lot of times when you just see me, they'd sew me in the background having a shower with my third off and not really involved in some of the conversations I were selling and I kind of looked like this liner in the background, and I'm like, that's not how it was at all. I was given chiropractic
to people of last making jokes. I was supporting. But they never saw that until basically they started to show it on the final episode that there wasn't month before then my actually interrogation. But they came in because, you know, they have a bit of an idea beforehand. We have some meetings with producers and about different things, so they have an idea a little bit about background, and they've
got stuff they need to point out. And you know, the des told me after that they were looking to They kind of came in at me hard rather than just what to say. They were looking for it on me, as they quoted, and they said, we literally couldn't find it. And you know, you just a genuinely nice guy. And you know, and I think part of in this everyone's looking big story and sometimes I'm like, isn't it enough to just be a nice guy who did wants to do well? You know, And that's my story.
So it would have opened up and revealed more about there's a particular point in your career though, and it was when you were doing Neighbors and there was a lot of screwed in Carle and Jackie O brought up that,
you know, your marriage was in trouble. You know, you've been separated from Anna for a period of time there, and there was so much media speculation and I think people I think at one point, and forgive me if this is not a headline that happened, but I remember someone saying it had like a bit of a mid
life crisis or something. At some point, I thought that was going to be the sweet spot for what they were going to try and dig out of your make you confront And because you never dressed any of that when it all was going down, you know you kind of I mean you did leave Neighbors. Could they have delved a little bit deeper into what was going on in your life during that time?
Maybe, But you know what, it wasn't that. The most of that was just bookhit headlines. And that's where I remember calm jack brought it up there like is this stuff real or is this not? And it was all tot of rubbish, So that really wasn't it was all it was all just it was all just bs really, so it wasn't an honest thing to go through. As far as the midlife crisis, yeah, a little bit. There was a little bit of that with because you know
going through Yeah, like what am I like? You know, I'm working as an actor, but I haven't worked for you know, it's been a while now. There's some challenges with that because of my history has looks of different things. So there's there's my journey, but it's just not as we did delve into a lot of that stuff. But they've sort of pitched me in a certain way, and they've shown certain bits of my story and left certain bits out.
So I think your story is still so fascinating and still open because so many people like yourself. I mean, you were a chiropractor, You're an everyday guy. I mean, a very good looking, handsome man of course, so accessible and so right to be the bachelor at that time of your life. But then you're on a TV show, you're now kind of a celebrity. Do you go back
to being a chiropractor? And I'm not now talking about you, I'm talking about all the people that got reality television and then have this expectation they've got to still be in the media somehow, you know, wouldn't it have been good to unpack the pressures that you might have had after the Bachelor of a Crossroads? Do I now continue to push this life everybody?
You know?
I think there's some really decent exploration of who we are once having that media exposure. Do we return to who we really are? Or do we try and chase something else?
Yeah, I think they kind of they came in with that, but it was in a way instead of like, let's explore this, it was like, let's try and pull them down with this a bit. So they did a bit of oh, so you're just an actor. We freaking hate actors, you know, are you acting on this course that kind
of thing? And oh, your reality starts you're just on the same So there was a bit of that, but that was pretty quickly squashed, and I think they've not used that, but it was it was kind of they sort of come came at that with trying to I try to suss out here for the right reasons, rather than actually, yeah, explore that, like you're saying, on that angle of thing.
I think it would have been really fascinating. I think really missed opportunity because for you, how did that feel? I mean, at one point, you know, you're the most You're the pin up boy of Australia that first season that I mean the rebooted Bachelor that you did. When that season when The Bachelor came back on ten was just huge. It was massive, and you were everywhere after that show.
And then what do you do?
You're the guy that gets the girl and most stories we don't see what happens next.
Well that's what. Yeah, so on the air, like I did, I've never like The Bachelor and stuff like that. We we felt this pressure to continue, like so many people invested in it. So he thought it a little bit through Instagram show where it goes. But I never thought this pressure to stay in the media as such. But I did actually enjoy some of the creative that I
was working with. It was a good balance from you know, being in a clinic by myself with Patent and papin out and I started to enjoy some of that stuff. And yeah, I did a little bit more reality where I really want to go and what I love is is the acting world. And I guess frustrations over the time is here I'm always sort of put into that he's just a pretty boy. Probably his brand sicken and rice and broccoli, and there's not much steps to him. And liked in some of the episodes they tried to
be like, you know, play on that intelligence. Well you think through intelligis you know, they're just having a crack at year. But like there was you know, I was painted a bit of that kindle and there's there is a lot more to me and and I guess there was a part of me that doing this, So there's a lot of personal stuff, but I guess from the public point of view, I was like, I actually like to throw the public a little more of who I really am, and this might be a show where I can do that.
Well, I think it makes for more conversations, I mean, more reality for you, but then more opportunity for you to share and stead of peel the onion.
Well now I think, you know, my reality TV days are over and I'm just focused on the reacting. Then I can be I can be vulnerable and open with my acting playing other characters.
Of course, of course, now I've got to wrap this up really quickly, but everyone the dron the podcast gets asked this one question, what is something from behind the scenes, something from says that audiences won't see, but they might be interested to know with what it's like to make this show.
The way they put the fear in you and that constant stress and anxiety is you throw something up, everyone else will suffer. So there's so many times where they's a beating or in between other bits where they'll make other people suffer because of one little thing that you've
done wrong. That's how they put this constant fear in you, in this constant prospecting everything, because at the end of the day, you don't want to be the other one, putting the person responsible for putting other people through pain. But people like wouldn't you did laugh? And they pull off their head thing and they're all sitting there like wouldn't you did laugh? I'm like, no, they put the fear of God in you because they can do that because they will make everyone suffer.
Absolutely, that's yeah, yeah, absolutely. I mean I guess you've got to be in those positions to be able to understand it. Tim. I have really enjoyed talking to you, and I really do appreciate how open and honest you've been and the generosity with your time. So thank you so much. You know, I look forward to talking to you when you're when you're on your press tour for the next acting role.
Yeah. Thanks, I I'm look forward to that as well.
It will happen, so while I'm in your audience, taking care about it. Enjoy chadding to the meet see your buddy.
Yeah, thanks buddy. Yeah.