[rove home] [rove episode guide] [rove transcripts] [rove/pete/corinne/dave pics] ROVE CHATS TO RAY MARTIN (ROVE 1999) [Before the interview, Rove saved Ray Martin with his celebrity senses from being hit by "a really big weight"] ROVE: *crisis over*crisis over*...Ray Martin, how the damn well are you ? Ray: You're a hero, you're a hero... ROVE: Well you know, I do what I can Ray. do what I can, wouldn't do it for anyone else... Ray: Fantastic... ROVE: Are you well ? Ray: I'm excellent. I'm excellent. ROVE: now, I must get this out of the way right at the top...can I touch your hair ? The nation wants it touched...may I ? Ray: You promised no wig jokes, you said no wig jokes... ROVE: No, it's not a wig joke...it's authentic...I want to touch it...may I ? may I ? Ray: Go for it... ROVE: [touches Rays' hair]...awwww...I'll never wash again...thanks very much... Ray: My pleasure... Dave: Ray, Ray...sorry to interupt, but can I just say I love the Latino sensation you've created across the world and whenever 'Living La Vida Loca' comes on, I always have a dance. ROVE: [whispers to Dave]...Ricky Martin... Corinne: Ricky Martin... Dave: Oh Ricky Martin, oh! Ray: Dave, it's a very easy mistake mate, very easy... ROVE: Now, I've gotta ask, do you get...honestly do you get sick of the hair jokes...I mean, not that that was a joke 'cause I love it, I adore it, I worship it like a god, but do you sometimes just think what's the fascination... Ray: I don't know, I mean why would you have a wig like this ? If you were going to get a wig, you'd get a good one wouldn't you, you wouldn't get one like this... ROVE: But it's stood the test of time I've gotta say, the hairstyle - have you ever really changed it at all... Ray: No, wigs are very expensive...you can't just chuck them out, you've gotta hang onto them... ROVE: Do you find other people get jealous of it ? Ray: I there was a rule at Channel Nine where you actually had to have a transplant or hairpieces, much like yourself... ROVE: Yeah, well you know, it's all stuck in nicely... Ray: You work at Channel Nine, so to get hair was quite different... ROVE: Yeah... Ray: So they tell me, I mean have a look (points at Dave...) ROVE: Well that all comes off at the end of the night doesn't it Dave? The other thing I find speaking of hair...I think the other great journo who had great hair was probably Mike Moore from Frontline. Now, a lot of people have...oh my gawd..I've somehow cut my finger, can you see that ? I don't want to get all panicky at the top of the show... Ray: Just being a hero... ROVE: I bled for you Ray, okay - I wouldn't do that fo anyone else, I didn't bleed for Alan Brough first show, didn't even bleed for Tasma Walton... Ray: Kerri Anne ? ROVE: No Ray, only you...now, as I was saying...now I won't wash this one either...but when "Frontline" came out, a lot of people, even when the show was on saying that it was possibley drawing comparisons with your good self. When it first came out, before it actually came out, how did you react to it ? Ray: Robs' hair...Rob Sitch, who doesn't have much hair - it got biggr and bigger every week ! ROVE: It was incredible wasn't it ? But how did you find when it was first coming out, the whole FRONTLINE thing, were you concerned as to whether it would be a personal attack? Ray: Well, we know it would be against current affairs and I think they're a fair target, current affairs programs...but I feared it was going to be bad, I mean I put the flak jacket on and put the helmet...I waited for the first one and I thought, Jesus that's alright, that's easy - we do much worse than that ! ROVE: So, how close was it in all reality... Ray: Oh no, it was a good joke, much the same as I understand they're doing a program on you... ROVE: Oh yeah, very much so...It's got to be the highest form of flattery, though in some cases... Ray: It was good fun, I mean I've got a "Frontline" t-shirt that I wear around the place, so what else can you do ? ROVE: Well, face it head on I would say...now you used to work live on Midday, much like we are now...we are very live, we are so live, it makes me bleed, it really does - literally...it's only backfired on us ah, half a dozen, maybe fifty times, did it ever backfire for you on the day of Mid ? Ray: It did indeed, in fact we did it here, we had a show here...the audience were over there and we had a doctor on the program sorta sitting where I'm sitting and a woman had a heart attack in the audience... ROVE: Really ? Ray: Fair dinkum... ROVE: Live ??? Ray: Live heart attack and this bloke took about two milliseconds, was over the fence up there doing mouth to mouth...the full punt, and then she woke up, they carted her off...he came back and it looked like it was planned in the audience, but it was actuallly fair dinkum... ROVE: That's amazing, so how did you yourself handle that ? How was it for you the whole time ? Ray: I collapsed, I just feinted at the sight of blood... ROVE: He should have got out the jaffle maker and just bought her back to life...and obviously you've interviewed a lot of big name people in your time, but I think to me obviously Bradman...to me Ben Elton's a big deal... Ray: Great fun... ROVE: Richard Nixon, you've interviewed Richard Nixon haven't you ? Ray: A long time ago, that was sad... ROVE: Was that during Watergate ? Ray: Yes, that was sad... ROVE: Did you grill him, did you bust his chops?! Ray: No... ROVE: That's alright, but what about, what's the worst person you've ever spoken to ? Ray: Val Kilmer was pretty bad... ROVE: Oh really ? ooooh... Ray: He was just in Batman right so he had just come out from Batman and we interviewed Nicole, interviewed Jim Carrey...they were both fantastic...so they say, interview Val, he's just had a son and he wants to talk about the son...great , new baby...so I say...thanks for coming on, say, new boy....................yes..............first male child, you must be very excited............yeah...............it went on like that for four minutes....Batman, great you're enjoying Batman ? ..............We never got Batman, we said thanks very much and I think we cut it up and it ran for about thirty seconds... ROVE: ...and that was a good thirty seconds I'm sure... Ray: But the other one was Whoopi Goldberg, she came out with the Reverend Fred Nile on the program...and she actually at one stage...now, you know he's a bible basher in the NSW parliment, and she gave him a condom... ROVE: Right... Ray: We're talking about aids and how I've never had that on television where...this was an unused condom...and she... ROVE: Thank gawd... Ray: Kept it clean... ROVE: Yes, good... Ray: ...and she gave him the condom and he didn't quite know what to do, I don't think he'd ever seen a condom in his life before...a black American woman gives him a condom - great television... ROVE: Now, just before we go, I just want to ask you very briefly, I'm sure everyone's very fascinated to know as I am..do you find it at all disconcerting, disturbing, maybe fascinating that someone like John Saffron would be interested in your garbage ? Ray: John who ? Whatever happened to John Saffron ? ROVE: I don't know, I don't know where he is...did you have him taken out ? Ray: Absolutely... ROVE: Good job...Ray Martin, thank you Ray, thankyou very much [rove home] [rove episode guide] [rove transcripts] [rove/pete/corinne/dave pics] |
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