Peter Helliar never imagined that, after a 30-year career as one of Australia’s best-loved comedians, he’d wind up taking a gig on a cruise ship.
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he → imagine → ship
Yet here he is, aboard the Sun Princess, hosting new TV series Chefs Ahoy.
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he → host → Ahoy
Over four episodes, Helliar will emcee culinary duels between Australian chefs and cooks, as they vie for the approval of guests at the “captain’s dinner”.
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they → emcee → dinner
“You hang around this industry long enough, and you get these lovely little surprises,” says Helliar.
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Helliar → hang → surprises
“It was a pretty quick ‘Yes!’, I have to say.”
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I → have → ?
The series, premiering this week on Nine (the owner of this masthead), hinges on a series of rivalries.
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series → premier → rivalries
But there is also ample air time for showing off the facilities and attractions on the ocean liner, and the ports at which she docks – in Greece, Japan, Spain and Korea.
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she → be → Greece
The promotional aspect – the show is made in partnership with Princess Cruises – initially bothered Helliar “to a small degree”.
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show → make → degree
“I think a few years ago, [warning] bells might’ve been louder,” he says.
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he → think → ?
“But you watch free-to-air TV now, and so many shows are obviously sponsored.
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shows → watch → TV
The Block is one that comes to mind.
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that → come → mind
You don’t blink at it any more.
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You → blink → it
And for these shows to exist, they really do need a sponsor to come on and say, ‘We’ll foot the bill’.”
“I made a choice to make my Instagram page an apolitical space.
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page → exist → choice
It also makes for an upgraded travel experience from other reality shows Helliar has appeared on.
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Helliar → make → shows
Since leaving The Project in 2022, he’s done I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!; Taskmaster Australia, filmed in New Zealand; and The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition, on which he came fourth with his wife, Bridget.
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he → leave → wife
“It was the reason I left [The Project],” Helliar says.
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Helliar → leave → Project
“I was having to pass on too many things.
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I was looking over my shoulder at what others were doing and had this degree of envy.
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others → look → envy
And I never wanted to be like that because The Project was such an amazing job.”
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Project → want → that
It was also a relief, he says, to retreat to “the silly corner”.
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he → say → corner
“I made a choice to make my Instagram page an apolitical space.
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page → make → choice
I’m not saying there won’t be something in the future that might turn my head, but I think there still needs to be space, particularly for comedians, to just entertain.”
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I → say → comedians
He jokes that he’s “conducted some welfare checks” on Dave Hughes, whom he replaced on The Project.
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he → joke → Project
Hughes has made headlines over the past few months for his increasingly political social media presence and furious criticism of the government.
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Hughes → make → government
“Dave’s passionate,” says Helliar.
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“He’s honest.
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He → ’ → ?
He’s generous.
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He says what’s on his mind …
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what → say → mind
The people that I hang out with [including ex-Project panellist, conservative broadcaster Steve Price], I don’t always share the same opinions.
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I → hang → opinions
I think there’s some truth to what [Hughes] is saying.
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Hughes → think → [
Would I go about it the same way? ...
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I → go → it
We’ll see where it all ends up, but he’s a great mate and always will be.
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he → see → ?
”
Helliar has his plate full without the politics.
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plate → have → politics
Currently, in the middle of a national stand-up tour, he has also written a feature-length thriller with actor Damon Herriman and a dark comedy/action series with his How To Stay Married co-writer Trent Roberts.
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he → stand → Roberts
He’s planning more instalments of Frankie Fish, his tween adventure novels, and he has a golf podcast with fellow comic Lehmo and former cricketer Damien Fleming.
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he → plan → Lehmo
Helliar says he would also love to revive his ABC anthology comedy It’s a Date, to reflect modern dating.
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It → say → dating
And of course, his footy-bogan alter-ego, Strauchanie, endures.
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ego → endure → course
Helliar recently treated Melbourne fans to some in-character shows at the Basement Comedy Club ahead of the AFL grand final.
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Helliar → treat → final
“I still get asked about Strauchanie a minimum of six times a week …
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I → ask → times
To be honest, now I just choose what I want to do based on, ‘Is it going to be fun?’”
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it → choose → what
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
