Steve Vizard reveals: I was forced to ‘ESCAPE’ from Kerry Packer’s Sydney mansion after billionaire Nine owner tried to get me to change channels
- The iconic comedian was at the height of his powers when Packer called
- The legendary late 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 was at the height of his powers, juggling writing, producing and starring in the hit comedy sketch show Fast Forward with hosting his own highly rated talk show, Tonight Live with Steve Vizard, when he got a call from the late media -owner.
“In mid-1990 I got a call from Kerry Packer saying come to Sydney,” Vizard told the Herald Sun’s Fiona Byrne.
After flying into the port city, Vizard was met at the airport by a driver and taken to Packer’s sprawling Bellevue Hill palace in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
‘I thought it was going to be a business meeting and when I walked in there was Kerry standing in shorts and he said, ‘Do you want to come and watch TV?’
‘We went into his study and he put his feet up on the coffee table, told the butler to bring him 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 fronted 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 gave chase and told the comedian why he was there.
βHe wanted me to come to Channel 9,β he told the Herald Sun.
“It got to be about 5 p.m. and I’m thinking, ‘How do I get out of here? I don’t know where I am in 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 amiable and very persuasive. He was also incredibly charming and powerful.β
The late billionaire Nine owner Kerry Packer wanted Vizard to join his stable of TV stars
Despite the request, Vizard decided to stick it out with Seven before retiring from broadcasting altogether just three years later, explaining that he wanted to spend more time with his family.
βYou get one chance with that stuff,β he told the Herald Sun.
“I was willing to do the show three nights a week, but the network wanted four, so we stopped.”