- The iconic comedian was at the peak of his powers when Packer called
- Legendary media owner tried to lure Vizard away from Seven
Australian comedy icon Steve Vizard has revealed he was forced to flee Kerry Packer’s Sydney mansion after the billionaire broadcaster tried to lure him to Channel 9.
Vizard had been at the peak of his powers, juggling writing, producing and acting on the hit comedy show Fast Forward with hosting his own top-rated talk show, Tonight Live with Steve Vizard, when he received a call. of the deceased owner of the medium.
“In the mid-1990s I got a call from Kerry Packer telling me to come to Sydney,” Vizard told Fiona Byrne of the Herald Sun.
After being flown to the port city, Vizard was met by a chauffeur at the airport and taken to Packer’s sprawling Bellevue Hill palace in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
“I was thinking it was going to be a business meeting and when I walked in there was Kerry in a pair of shorts and she said, ‘Do you want to come watch TV?’
“We walked into his study and he put his feet up on the coffee table, told the butler to bring some sandwiches and we sat there drinking orange juice, watching and talking about TV.”
Steve Vizard was writing, producing and starring in Seven’s hit comedy series Fast Forward when he received an unexpected call from Kerry Packer asking him to fly to Sydney.
The comedian also headlined his own late-night talk show, Tonight Live with Steve Vizard.
The 68-year-old said it took Packer about three hours before he finally got to the point and told the comedian why he was there.
“I wanted him to come to Channel 9,” he told the Herald Sun.
“It was around 5 p.m. and I was thinking, ‘How am I going to get out of this?’ “I don’t know where I am on Bellevue Hill, I don’t even know where the front door is.”
“I was literally there for eight hours before I escaped.
‘I found him incredibly kind and very persuasive. “He was incredibly charming and forceful too.”
Nine’s late billionaire owner Kerry Packer wanted Vizard to join his stable of TV stars.
Despite the plea, Vizard decided to stick it out with Seven before completely retiring from on-air roles just three years later, explaining that he wanted to spend more time with his family.
“With those things you have a chance,” he told the Herald Sun.
“I was prepared to do the show three nights a week, but the network wanted four, so we left it.”
