THE INSIDE WORD

LUKE WORTH HIS WEIGHT IN MICROPHONES

WHEN you watch the weather on Nine Gold Coast News it all looks quite simple with Luke Bradnam broadcasting from an outside location telling us about the expected forecast.

What you don’t see is the large amount of gear needed to produce the coverage which has to be transported from the camera truck to the site.

Last week Luke and his cameraman Mark Hanrahan arrived to set up and while Mark was loading everything into a trolley, Luke, holding his microphone, was on the phone.

“I hope that microphone isn’t too heavy,” said Mark dryly.

Absent-mindedly Luke said it was OK and then was mortified to see his mate towing the trolley and with a camera and tripod on the other shoulder. Some hurried load sharing and a big laugh later they set off. Live TV is always fun.

AWARD WINNERS FOR SLEEPING ON THE JOB

WHEN you gather a large group of relative strangers and get them to bed down in a giant sleepover there are sure to be some standout performers on the night.

So it was at the Vinnies CEO Sleep Out last week and after some discreet calls we have the Best on Floor Awards from the night.

The Steam Train gong for best snorer goes to Geoff Smith – he redeemed himself by bidding bigly at the charity auction.

Bailey Rodriguez gets the

Insomniac Award for staying up all night and chatting away to anyone else who was awake. Alfred Slogrove scores the Sleep Walker prize. He was spotted p wandering wa aimlessly about at 3.30am while Karen Phillips is the Florence Nightingale winner for being the lady with the lamp l at 4am and c checking that everyone e was safe and a sound. The Sleeping B Beauty was Angie A Bell MP who had to be roused after almost everyone else had left.

Lou Mcgregor and CourtAfter get- ney Scott (pictured) were Best t i n g Dressed for their matching pythrough h jamas while Most Popular was Covid the e Tweetie Bird who had many show is s requests to stay the night. going to o

It must be those soft, warm be huge e yellow feathers because he/ this year r she is not a great converw i t h sationalist. everything from f the Triple M stage to the wonderful home crafts and arts.

“There’s also a cute bit of history because I am working with Christophe Broadway, whose father Johnny was a fabulous juggler and worked with Dad back in the late 1960s. There will be no Music Hall but it will be brought to you, of course, at enormous expense,” she laughed.

Paul would be proud.

SHOWMAN’S DAUGHTER JOINS GOLD COAST SHOW

JESSICA Sharratt, daughter of the late Paul Sharratt, Mr Showbiz himself, has signed on to the Gold Coast Show in a partnership and marketing role.

“The idea is to bring in new partnerships and sponsorship for things such as equestrian, show dogs and the fireworks.

TODAY’S trip down memory lane is with Britt Ekland in 1999 when she toured Australia in the Daphne du Maurier play September Tide.

Considered to be one of the sex symbols of the 1960s and ’70s, she was close to 50 when we took this at a press call at GCAC.

Britt first jumped into prominence as Michael Caine’s girlfriend in Get Carter, participating in the first cinematic example of telephone sex. She married Peter Sellers after he saw a photo of her in a UK newspaper and pursued her. Britt also had a two-year relationship with Rod Stewart and was the inspiration for his hit single Tonight’s The Night.

Two things stand out about the photo shoot. She was insistent on posing her way and was miffed that we were shooting film and not digital. She wanted to vet the images before they went to print.

SPIN DOCTOR ON THE FAST TRACK

MAYOR Tom Tate will be hard pressed to get any advice from his media manager Warwick na Sinclair this weekend.

The fitness fanatic has his sights set on a sub 2:56:00 finish and an age group podium place in the Gold Coast Marathon.

Affectionately known as Chickenlegs by family and friends, he has been clocking up 100km a week in early morning training in readiness for the big race.

Having completed multiple triathlons and six ironman races, including the sport’s pinnacle event, the Kona Ironman in Hawaii, his next goal is a 100km trail run in the Blue

Mountains. They may be ‘chicken legs’ but they can motor.

Get out and support all the runners this weekend.

CARNAGE ON LIFE AFTER THE ELBOWS

IT’S not every day you hear the words – “I miss striking people!”

The speaker is 11-time Muay Thai world champion and former Gold Coaster Nathan ‘Carnage’ Corbett chatting to us from his home in Newport Beach, California, before his return to Australia in August.

“It took me a while to get used to not competing. My life has been training and fighting for nearly 30 years and when I retired it did leave a huge hole in my life. I fought 65 times at various weight divisions and my training was always about the next fight.

“The structure, discipline and team were a huge part of everything and like all athletes you do struggle a bit when you stop.”

Known among his peers as The Man with the Golden Elbows for his precise and effective striking, Nathan these days is still involved with martial arts.

“I am a colour commentator for Lion Fight Promotions on CBS, work with specific, highly skilled fighters, own a gymnasium and do seminars around America teaching my techniques.”

Passing on his skills is what is bringing him home, with a series of seminars planned for around the country.

“It has been four years since I have been back due to Covid restrictions, so it will be great to catch up with friends and family. It will also be nice to go for a swim on the Gold Coast,” he laughed. “Newport is very similar but the water is freezing all year r round – horren- d o u s tempera- ture.”

T h e champ is s coming home.