Larry Emdur
Encyclopedia
Larry Emdur is an Australian television personality. He is currently co-hosting Saturday's Weekend Sunrise
alongside Samantha Armytage
.
He is perhaps best known to Australian audiences for his hosting duties on several game shows, including Cash Bonanza
(Channel Nine), The Price Is Right
(Channel Nine) and Wheel of Fortune
(Channel Seven).
Larry hosted Hey Hey it's Saturday
twice in 1998, and substituted as host of It Takes Two once in 2006 and again in 2007. He has also hosted Celebrity Dog School
on Channel Ten.
, before moving into television, where at age 17 he became Australia’s youngest national newsreader, presenting the overnight news for Seven Network
in Australia. After some time in news and current affairs as a reporter and newsreader, and presenter on Good Morning Australia, Emdur switched to hosting game shows and variety television.
on the Nine Network
, which he hosted for from 1993 to 1998, before its cancellation. It was then revived in 2003 and ran until October 2005 due to poor ratings and high costs of production.
To commemorate the United States version's 40th season
in 2011-12, on a July 2011 trip to the United States, Emdur called down a contestant and served as a guest host for Cliff Hangers, under recommendation of host Drew Carey
. Emdur will be one of numerous hosts who have hosted the format to appear as part of the 40th anniversary celebration.Larry's Still Got the Goods After All These Years, Herald Sun.
on the popular family show Hey Hey It's Saturday.
. His contract with Seven was signed mere hours after his deal with the Nine Network expired. While in the first few weeks of his run with Seven's Wheel in the weekday timeslot, Larry continued to appear simultaneously on Nine in re-runs of The Price Is Right, until Bert's Family Feud
took over the timeslot on Nine in mid-February 2006.
On 19 June 2006 news emerged of Wheel of Fortunes cancellation at the end of the 2006 season. Channel 10's Rove Live then started a campaign to "Save Larry Emdur", although Seven soon put an end to Rove's jokes by issuing a statement that Larry would be staying with the Seven Network. Emdur has also been a fill-in host for It Takes Two and has filled in for Andrew O'Keefe
on Weekend Sunrise and David Koch on Sunrise
. Although there was talk of Emdur being in line to host a new game show, Seven's reluctance to risk another game show failure (such as The Master
and You May Be Right
) has led to Emdur contemplating his career options.
In an article with The Border Mail
dated 7 October 2006, Emdur stated:
Emdur's latest ambition is to create his own production company.
in 2007. He had joined up to host a new show Celebrity Dog School
, which began airing in February. In March, the program came close to cancellation, after disappointing first fortnight ratings; however, it was instead moved to a different timeslot (it was originally Sundays, but moved to Saturdays).
The Morning Show Emdur is currently co-hosting The Morning Show
with Kylie Gillies
, a top rating morning talk show airing on the Seven Network
. The show began in mid-2007.
Larry was invited to participate in the 2009 Sydney to Hobart by finance commentator Anthony Bell. Upon reaching Hobart, Emdur said on The Morning Show
that he may never set foot on a boat again.
However, in 2010 Larry signed on to participate in the Sydney to Hobart again. His crew on the yacht 'Investec Loyal' finished second.
On 4 February 2011 Larry renewed his contract with the Seven Network
, reportedly worth in excess of $800,000 a year. This contract stopped him from defecting to the Nine Network
to co-host Today
. The contract allows him to stay on as co- host of The Morning Show
and 'other opportunities'.
Sunrise & Weekend Sunrise In February 2010, Seven announced that Emdur would co-host Weekend Sunrise
on Saturday mornings alongside Samantha Armytage
he held this position until the end of 2010. Now Andrew O'Keefe
presents both Saturday and Sunday.
Emdur is also currently a regular fill in co-host for David Koch on Sunrise
and Andrew O'Keefe
on Weekend Sunrise
if they are away on holidays, sick or on assignment.
. This started when Rove received an e-mail from a Wheel of Fortune audience member, who informed Rove that he was the butt of many jokes made by Emdur during breaks at Wheel tapings. Emdur has frequently been teased about his height, and in response, would make comments to the studio audience such as:
McManus confronted Emdur about his remarks when he was invited as a guest on Rove Lives "HelpDesk" segment. Emdur admitted to the jibes, but stated it was all in good fun, and offered an apology. McManus then challenged Emdur to a sumo fight backstage, where both men donned sumo suits, competing in what was billed as the "Smackdown Wheel of Destiny". The fight lasted 8 seconds, after Emdur managed to take down McManus to be declared the winner.
Weekend Sunrise
Weekend Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On Saturdays, it runs from 7am to 9am whilst on Sundays it runs from 7am to 10am.-History:...
alongside Samantha Armytage
Samantha Armytage
Samantha Armytage is an Australian journalist and television news presenter.Armytage is currently presenter of Seven 4.30 News , and co-host of Weekend Sunrise and she is also a regular fill-in presenter for various Seven Network programs.-Early life:Armytage grew up on a historic property, called...
.
He is perhaps best known to Australian audiences for his hosting duties on several game shows, including Cash Bonanza
Cash Bonanza
Cash Bonanza is an Australian game show broadcast on the Nine Network in 2001, associated with Movie World on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and the various lottery companies of the states and territories of Australia. The contestants of the show were chosen from a draw of scratch-tickets...
(Channel Nine), The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right (Australian game show)
The Price is Right was a television game show that has been produced in a number of different formats in Australia.-Original format:Two regional versions based on the original 1950s US format aired nearly concurrently - one aired on ATN-7 in Sydney, hosted by Bruce Beeby and Keith Walshe from...
(Channel Nine) and Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (Australian game show)
Wheel of Fortune was an Australian television game show produced by Grundy Television. The programme aired on the Seven Network from 1981 to 2004 and November 2005 to July 2006, and is mostly based on the same general format as the original US version of the programme...
(Channel Seven).
Larry hosted Hey Hey it's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
twice in 1998, and substituted as host of It Takes Two once in 2006 and again in 2007. He has also hosted Celebrity Dog School
Celebrity Dog School
Celebrity Dog School was an Australian reality series which aired on Network Ten. It was based on the original version aired in the UK. The show was hosted by Larry Emdur, who also hosted The Price is Right on the Nine Network, and Wheel of Fortune on the Seven Network...
on Channel Ten.
Childhood and early career
Emdur is of Turkish decent and was born in Melbourne. Growing up near the beach at Bondi NSW, he developed a keen interest in surfing from an early age. He dropped out of school at age 15. Emdur began his career as a copyboy at The Sydney Morning HeraldThe Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
, before moving into television, where at age 17 he became Australia’s youngest national newsreader, presenting the overnight news for Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
in Australia. After some time in news and current affairs as a reporter and newsreader, and presenter on Good Morning Australia, Emdur switched to hosting game shows and variety television.
The Price Is Right
Emdur is perhaps best known as the host of The Price Is RightThe Price Is Right (Australian game show)
The Price is Right was a television game show that has been produced in a number of different formats in Australia.-Original format:Two regional versions based on the original 1950s US format aired nearly concurrently - one aired on ATN-7 in Sydney, hosted by Bruce Beeby and Keith Walshe from...
on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, which he hosted for from 1993 to 1998, before its cancellation. It was then revived in 2003 and ran until October 2005 due to poor ratings and high costs of production.
To commemorate the United States version's 40th season
The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)
The Price Is Right is an American game show which was created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to...
in 2011-12, on a July 2011 trip to the United States, Emdur called down a contestant and served as a guest host for Cliff Hangers, under recommendation of host Drew Carey
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
. Emdur will be one of numerous hosts who have hosted the format to appear as part of the 40th anniversary celebration.Larry's Still Got the Goods After All These Years, Herald Sun.
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Emdur filled in twice for Daryl SomersDaryl Somers
Daryl Paul Somers OAM , is an Australian television personality. The son of a dairy farmer and a cabaret singer, Somers rose to national fame as the host of the long-running comedy-variety program Hey Hey It's Saturday.-Early life:Somers, who has an Irish Catholic heritage, was educated at...
on the popular family show Hey Hey It's Saturday.
Wheel of Fortune
After being "rested" by the Nine Network following the cancellation of The Price Is Right, Larry became host of the Seven Network's Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune (Australian game show)
Wheel of Fortune was an Australian television game show produced by Grundy Television. The programme aired on the Seven Network from 1981 to 2004 and November 2005 to July 2006, and is mostly based on the same general format as the original US version of the programme...
. His contract with Seven was signed mere hours after his deal with the Nine Network expired. While in the first few weeks of his run with Seven's Wheel in the weekday timeslot, Larry continued to appear simultaneously on Nine in re-runs of The Price Is Right, until Bert's Family Feud
Bert's Family Feud
Bert's Family Feud was the third Australian version of the game show Family Feud. The series was produced by Grundy Television in conjunction with FremantleMedia. It was broadcast on the Nine Network and hosted by Bert Newton...
took over the timeslot on Nine in mid-February 2006.
On 19 June 2006 news emerged of Wheel of Fortunes cancellation at the end of the 2006 season. Channel 10's Rove Live then started a campaign to "Save Larry Emdur", although Seven soon put an end to Rove's jokes by issuing a statement that Larry would be staying with the Seven Network. Emdur has also been a fill-in host for It Takes Two and has filled in for Andrew O'Keefe
Andrew O'Keefe
Andrew Patrick O'Keefe is an Australian entertainer, best known for being the host of the hit game-show Deal or No Deal. He is also the co-host of Weekend Sunrise....
on Weekend Sunrise and David Koch on Sunrise
Sunrise (TV program)
Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On weekdays the programme follows Seven Early News, and runs from 6am through to 9am.-History:...
. Although there was talk of Emdur being in line to host a new game show, Seven's reluctance to risk another game show failure (such as The Master
The Master (Australian Quiz Show)
The Master was an Australian quiz show that aired on the Seven Network on Wednesday 16 August 2006 and was cancelled after its premiere episode. The remaining episodes aired over the non-ratings period in 2006 and 2007...
and You May Be Right
You May Be Right (game show)
You May Be Right was an Australian television game show, jointly produced by dSPBeyond & the Seven Network, and was hosted by Dancing With The Stars judge Todd McKenney. The show was aired on Sunday nights at 7:30pm and premiered on 13 August 2006. The format pitted two teams of Australian...
) has led to Emdur contemplating his career options.
In an article with The Border Mail
The Border Mail
The Border Mail is a daily newspaper published in Albury-Wodonga, Australia, serving the twin cities and the surrounding region.The first edition was printed on 24 October 1903 by editor Hamilton Mott and his brother Decimus...
dated 7 October 2006, Emdur stated:
- “I have done all the stuff I have really wanted to do and there is nothing jumping out at me in the TV world. I am going to France (to the MIPCOM television festival) to have a look around at the upcoming trends and what’s going on around the rest of the world. I will see how I can contribute to that, whether it be in Australia or not.”
Emdur's latest ambition is to create his own production company.
Celebrity Dog School
Emdur signed up with Network TenNetwork Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
in 2007. He had joined up to host a new show Celebrity Dog School
Celebrity Dog School
Celebrity Dog School was an Australian reality series which aired on Network Ten. It was based on the original version aired in the UK. The show was hosted by Larry Emdur, who also hosted The Price is Right on the Nine Network, and Wheel of Fortune on the Seven Network...
, which began airing in February. In March, the program came close to cancellation, after disappointing first fortnight ratings; however, it was instead moved to a different timeslot (it was originally Sundays, but moved to Saturdays).
The Morning Show Emdur is currently co-hosting The Morning Show
The Morning Show (TV program)
The Morning Show is an Australian morning talk show that premiered on the Seven Network on 18 June 2007. The show airs between 9am and 11:30am weekdays and follows Seven's breakfast news program Sunrise, with both programs closely interlinked....
with Kylie Gillies
Kylie Gillies
Kylie Gillies is a television presenter for the Seven Network based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She currently co-hosts The Morning Show with Larry Emdur.-Career:...
, a top rating morning talk show airing on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
. The show began in mid-2007.
Larry was invited to participate in the 2009 Sydney to Hobart by finance commentator Anthony Bell. Upon reaching Hobart, Emdur said on The Morning Show
The Morning Show (TV program)
The Morning Show is an Australian morning talk show that premiered on the Seven Network on 18 June 2007. The show airs between 9am and 11:30am weekdays and follows Seven's breakfast news program Sunrise, with both programs closely interlinked....
that he may never set foot on a boat again.
However, in 2010 Larry signed on to participate in the Sydney to Hobart again. His crew on the yacht 'Investec Loyal' finished second.
On 4 February 2011 Larry renewed his contract with the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
, reportedly worth in excess of $800,000 a year. This contract stopped him from defecting to the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
to co-host Today
Today (Australian TV program)
Today and Weekend Today are Australian breakfast television programmes, the show is often referred to as The Today Show. The show has been broadcast live by the Nine Network each morning since 1982...
. The contract allows him to stay on as co- host of The Morning Show
The Morning Show (TV program)
The Morning Show is an Australian morning talk show that premiered on the Seven Network on 18 June 2007. The show airs between 9am and 11:30am weekdays and follows Seven's breakfast news program Sunrise, with both programs closely interlinked....
and 'other opportunities'.
Sunrise & Weekend Sunrise In February 2010, Seven announced that Emdur would co-host Weekend Sunrise
Weekend Sunrise
Weekend Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On Saturdays, it runs from 7am to 9am whilst on Sundays it runs from 7am to 10am.-History:...
on Saturday mornings alongside Samantha Armytage
Samantha Armytage
Samantha Armytage is an Australian journalist and television news presenter.Armytage is currently presenter of Seven 4.30 News , and co-host of Weekend Sunrise and she is also a regular fill-in presenter for various Seven Network programs.-Early life:Armytage grew up on a historic property, called...
he held this position until the end of 2010. Now Andrew O'Keefe
Andrew O'Keefe
Andrew Patrick O'Keefe is an Australian entertainer, best known for being the host of the hit game-show Deal or No Deal. He is also the co-host of Weekend Sunrise....
presents both Saturday and Sunday.
Emdur is also currently a regular fill in co-host for David Koch on Sunrise
Sunrise (TV program)
Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On weekdays the programme follows Seven Early News, and runs from 6am through to 9am.-History:...
and Andrew O'Keefe
Andrew O'Keefe
Andrew Patrick O'Keefe is an Australian entertainer, best known for being the host of the hit game-show Deal or No Deal. He is also the co-host of Weekend Sunrise....
on Weekend Sunrise
Weekend Sunrise
Weekend Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On Saturdays, it runs from 7am to 9am whilst on Sundays it runs from 7am to 10am.-History:...
if they are away on holidays, sick or on assignment.
Larry vs Rove
In June 2006, an on-air "feud" of sorts developed between Emdur and TV talk show host Rove McManusRove McManus
John Henry Michael "Rove" McManus is an Australian comedian, television presenter, producer and media personality. He was the host of the self-titled variety show Rove, and is the owner of the production company Roving Enterprises...
. This started when Rove received an e-mail from a Wheel of Fortune audience member, who informed Rove that he was the butt of many jokes made by Emdur during breaks at Wheel tapings. Emdur has frequently been teased about his height, and in response, would make comments to the studio audience such as:
- "Rove McManus picked a fight with me at the LogiesLogie AwardThe TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
. He came up to me, looked me right in the eye, and all the while, he was sitting on Anthony CalleaAnthony CalleaAnthony Cosmo Callea is an Australian singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in the 2004 season of Australian Idol when he became runner up. He was signed to Sony Music Australia until 2009 and is now an independent artist...
's shoulders."
McManus confronted Emdur about his remarks when he was invited as a guest on Rove Lives "HelpDesk" segment. Emdur admitted to the jibes, but stated it was all in good fun, and offered an apology. McManus then challenged Emdur to a sumo fight backstage, where both men donned sumo suits, competing in what was billed as the "Smackdown Wheel of Destiny". The fight lasted 8 seconds, after Emdur managed to take down McManus to be declared the winner.