Speaker 1: It's in the news today, but it was actually on
Speaker 1: TV Reload the podcast last week Airline. Welcome back to
Speaker 1: TV Reload. My name's Benjamin Norris and on this podcast
Speaker 1: I go behind the scenes with the biggest players in television.
Speaker 1: Each episode you will get a front row seat with
Speaker 1: content makers like executive producers, writers, editors and casting agents,
Speaker 1: plus the talent we see on our screens. TV Reload
Speaker 1: reloads the shows that you're currently watching and gives you
Speaker 1: a better insight into our television industry and our streaming
Speaker 1: services today. On the podcast, I have one of Australia's
Speaker 1: most celebrated athletes who has braved the mass singer Australia
Speaker 1: and one over more fans with her emotional performance. It
Speaker 1: is Lisa Curry. While the Caterpillar had the panel stumped,
Speaker 1: it was high emotions when the gold medalist was second
Speaker 1: to be booted from the hit show. I think there
Speaker 1: wasn't a person in the audience that wasn't crying, and
Speaker 1: I for one had the tissues out. The country has
Speaker 1: been following Lisa's journey for decade, but with a family
Speaker 1: tragedy recently, we have all watched as she has tried
Speaker 1: to put her life back together. The show was an
Speaker 1: emotional way for her to express her emotion and it
Speaker 1: certainly looked like a challenge for her, and it appeared
Speaker 1: to be maybe a little bit cathartic at the same time.
Speaker 1: We will talk about the reasons why she chose to
Speaker 1: do the show, the upfront approach with Hughsey, how she
Speaker 1: felt singing without a mask, and if she's still second
Speaker 1: guessing saying yes to the whole thing. However, let's get
Speaker 1: started with today's special guest, Lisa Curry, who is ready
Speaker 1: to unpack her unmasking on the Mask Singer Australia.
Speaker 2: I couldn't be further from my comfort zone. The master back, bigger, better, maskier.
Speaker 1: Than ever.
Speaker 2: That mask I couldn't move around in much.
Speaker 1: Well may be able to work out which celebrity is
Speaker 1: behind each mask.
Speaker 2: I really loved my second song that I'd practiced.
Speaker 1: I feel like I definitely got your beautiful full spirit
Speaker 1: coming through way.
Speaker 2: Some really good singers on there. What the heck was
Speaker 2: I doing on there?
Speaker 1: So much riding?
Speaker 2: They came over on the pretense that might have been
Speaker 2: my son.
Speaker 1: Hi, Lisa, how are you a caterpillar?
Speaker 2: To you? Thanks? Ben?
Speaker 1: How are you feeling after watching the show back last night?
Speaker 2: Well, I watched it with about twenty friends. So they
Speaker 2: came over on the pretense that might have been my
Speaker 2: son on the show. But as soon as Caterpillar started singing,
Speaker 2: they all just started cheering and jeering me and they said,
Speaker 2: it's you. It's you, because I know my voice. So
Speaker 2: if we had a big night and it was so
Speaker 2: much fun. I had my grandson, my four year old grandson,
Speaker 2: sitting in my lap and he said, Grannie, that's the
Speaker 2: song that we sing in the car. He said, that's Grannie,
Speaker 2: that's Grannie, And it was so it was so much fun.
Speaker 2: And I think the most fun part for me was
Speaker 2: hearing Osher announced it was me. It was like better
Speaker 2: than any swimming race call that I've ever had. So
Speaker 2: it was fun. It was so much fun.
Speaker 1: You know what, Your supporters get so much joy out
Speaker 1: of your adventures. And it was only a little while
Speaker 1: ago with the Australian story where you talked about, you know,
Speaker 1: needing to get out and have some adventures. There is
Speaker 1: something quite joyous about seeing you succeed.
Speaker 2: Well, I mean, yeah, I know I get the support
Speaker 2: and I love people. Is this what I've been doing,
Speaker 2: and I am a real people person and I've tried
Speaker 2: my best to with everything that I do try and
Speaker 2: leave a message of some sort so that people know
Speaker 2: that no matter what they're going through, they're not alone.
Speaker 2: And we're very understanding. We have a lot of empathy
Speaker 2: and it's what I do in my business as well,
Speaker 2: where we have over half a million women in our
Speaker 2: Facebook group pages on Happy, Healthy You, and we talk
Speaker 2: to them every day about you know, life in general
Speaker 2: and getting outside your comfort zone and looking after yourself.
Speaker 2: You're not alone, all that sort of thing. So it is, yeah,
Speaker 2: it's lovely to have the support. I was completely completely
Speaker 2: outside my comfort zone though I couldn't be further from
Speaker 2: my comfort zone than singing and you know, on national television.
Speaker 1: To be as emotional as I was watching the show
Speaker 1: seemed really out of left field. But I just want
Speaker 1: to say thank you for saying yes to this opportunity,
Speaker 1: as it really touched me personally. It provoked a huge
Speaker 1: response from everyone I know who watched it, So thank.
Speaker 2: You, really. I mean, I know Chrissy got quite emotional.
Speaker 2: I couldn't look at her. I couldn't look at her.
Speaker 2: I would have burst into tears and knowing that I
Speaker 2: had to sing again, I just wouldn't have been able to.
Speaker 2: So I had to, you know, I had to put
Speaker 2: on my other mask, which was being really strong when
Speaker 2: you don't feel like being really strong. And you know
Speaker 2: that's the case with a lot of people walking around
Speaker 2: the streets too. You know they're all wearing a mask
Speaker 2: of strength, and you know you laugh and have a
Speaker 2: good time, but then you feel guilty for having a
Speaker 2: good time. So there's lots of different different emotions and
Speaker 2: masks that we wear every day.
Speaker 1: I guess for some context, I lost my brother in
Speaker 1: law last year in October, and I've watched my mother
Speaker 1: in law really struggle with this, and I'm searching for
Speaker 1: a way in which I can say to her to
Speaker 1: be happy and wanting her to still get on with
Speaker 1: her life.
Speaker 2: It's so hard to just go back to being yourself.
Speaker 2: I think sometimes just getting out of bed and getting
Speaker 2: one thing done is a real success. So if you
Speaker 2: can just give her a really big hug from me,
Speaker 2: and I will do it. And I do know, like
Speaker 2: I do know, everything will be okay in time. It
Speaker 2: just takes time, you know.
Speaker 1: Well, that's what's on your face. That's what was on
Speaker 1: your face last night. But to give you that context,
Speaker 1: it was so powerful. It was really powerful for you
Speaker 1: to be on a show and to continue to share
Speaker 1: your story. I think a lot of people who have
Speaker 1: lost or are suffering from a loss in a family
Speaker 1: got something out of your bravery last night.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well that's it's nice to hear. Thank you for that.
Speaker 2: It was you know, like I said, I needed a
Speaker 2: bit of joy in my life, and singing does that.
Speaker 2: Music can do that for you. My husband's and entertainer,
Speaker 2: so when I go to his gigs, you know you
Speaker 2: can sing along. You can have I've only just started
Speaker 2: getting up and having a little bit of a jig
Speaker 2: again because I couldn't. But singing is it is joyful,
Speaker 2: and I sing out. I think I represent all the
Speaker 2: people who think we can sing. We sing out loud,
Speaker 2: We sing in the car, in the shower, I sing
Speaker 2: on the mower. And then when you hear yourself back,
Speaker 2: oh maybe I shouldn't sing at all. I actually said
Speaker 2: to the producers, I'm not offended at all if you
Speaker 2: want to get somebody else, because that sounds awful, And
Speaker 2: they said, no, no, no, you've got to keep practicing,
Speaker 2: and you know, so I did keep practicing to the
Speaker 2: point where probably was quite reasonable for me. But even
Speaker 2: my son he said, oh Mom, that's actually better than
Speaker 2: I thought it. Like, the whole experience was just it
Speaker 2: was just one of the best things that I've done.
Speaker 2: It was so much fun.
Speaker 1: Well, that song by Tones and I really an emotive
Speaker 1: song for you. Had you had a relationship with that
Speaker 1: song prior to the mass singer.
Speaker 2: No, I'd never heard that song before. The producers sent
Speaker 2: me that song and they said, do you like this song?
Speaker 2: Would you like to sing it? And so I googled
Speaker 2: it and it was so fun. It was a you know,
Speaker 2: uplifting sort of song. You know, it was a cartoon.
Speaker 2: She was in a coombe and I have a comby
Speaker 2: and you know, the words were lovely to find the
Speaker 2: Sun on a cloudy day, and you know, it just
Speaker 2: sort of resonated with me and everyone else, and I thought,
Speaker 2: you know what, that's a that's a fun song to sing.
Speaker 2: So I was really happy about it.
Speaker 1: You've been in the public eye for most of your
Speaker 1: life and we have watched your highs and lows. Is
Speaker 1: it hard to have an audience or does it feel
Speaker 1: surreal to still have this audience that follows you after
Speaker 1: so many years.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been a long time, you know, forty years
Speaker 2: I've actually been in the public eye. And that was
Speaker 2: my comment to Melby last night when she said something.
Speaker 2: I thought it might have been a swimmer, and I said,
Speaker 2: I'm old. But to put that in context, what I
Speaker 2: meant was, I've been around probably more than she's been alive.
Speaker 2: So I didn't know if she even knew who I
Speaker 2: was from so many years ago. And I said to
Speaker 2: Abby that, you know, she wasn't even born when I
Speaker 2: was in the public eye, so I was unsure whether
Speaker 2: they would even know who I was. But I took
Speaker 2: the mask off. But I've had a great life, and
Speaker 2: I you know, I've just released my book, which has
Speaker 2: been amazing, and you know, I hope that I can
Speaker 2: write another book, you know, in thirty years time. I
Speaker 2: have every intention of you know, living a long life,
Speaker 2: but you just never know when your last day is.
Speaker 2: And as we know that from Olivia Newton, John Passing,
Speaker 2: and Judas Durham passing, we're all going to die at
Speaker 2: some point, you know, and we don't let last forever,
Speaker 2: so we do have to make sure that we wake
Speaker 2: up and have the best day that we can and
Speaker 2: find the sun on the cloudy day.
Speaker 1: Did you get a chance to chat with Chrissy Swan
Speaker 1: after the show? I mean, I know, she's so great
Speaker 1: with her words and what we got to see was
Speaker 1: quite powerful, But I don't know, did you appreciate her
Speaker 1: ignorre knowledgement of your situation?
Speaker 2: Yeah, of course. And when she came over, you know,
Speaker 2: she was still very emotional, and you know, everyone came
Speaker 2: and gave me a big hut and we had a
Speaker 2: selfie together, and then Chrissy and Abby were singing. Those
Speaker 2: two can both sing very well. Yea, but yeah, it
Speaker 2: was just it was just really nice. And the panel
Speaker 2: I think are amazing, as much as I love the
Speaker 2: other panel as well. Mel and Abby and Chrissy are
Speaker 2: just just beautiful, beautiful people. And Husey, I mean, who
Speaker 2: doesn't love Hughsey. For whatever people have seen of Abby
Speaker 2: in the past, she's doing a really good job. She
Speaker 2: comes across so well on TV. And Melby is just
Speaker 2: she's a beautiful human being, and Chrissy is I just
Speaker 2: I love all of them. They're just great.
Speaker 1: There's some serious warmth to those women. The interaction though
Speaker 1: with Hughsey was really funny and honest, because that's got
Speaker 1: what we kind of expect from you in a way.
Speaker 1: Were you just on autopilot or were you secretly hoping
Speaker 1: you could have that moment with Hughsey The way that
Speaker 1: it played out, Oh, it just.
Speaker 2: Well, everything just happened. It just all happened so quickly,
Speaker 2: like you take your head off and my head just
Speaker 2: wouldn't come off. It just was kind of stuck. I
Speaker 2: had to sort of undo things underneath. And because that mask,
Speaker 2: I couldn't move around in much. I could use my
Speaker 2: hands as like little slippers, and it was like it
Speaker 2: was quite a heavy mask. I was weighing heavily on
Speaker 2: my shoulders, but trying to get the head off was hard.
Speaker 2: And then once you're out and everyone's so excited it
Speaker 2: so everyone's throwing questions at you, and it's like, oh,
Speaker 2: you know, it just all happens in the moment. It
Speaker 2: was pretty funny actually, And there.
Speaker 1: Were some real really serious curve balls in those clues.
Speaker 1: Did you think they were well done or were even
Speaker 1: you confused listening to those those confusing questions that were
Speaker 1: supposed to allow audiences to guess that it was you.
Speaker 2: Well, when they do the clues package, that's when I've
Speaker 2: just walked out on stage, so of course my heart
Speaker 2: was raising, my legs were jelly, you know, I was
Speaker 2: ready to sing so and the crowd was loud as well,
Speaker 2: so it was hard to actually hear the clues. And
Speaker 2: even here at home last night, everyone was chatting and laughing,
Speaker 2: you know, through the whole thing. So I did see
Speaker 2: someone ironing which looked like a crowched rug, which I
Speaker 2: eye croacheder, and I'm thinking that iron was maybe an
Speaker 2: iron man, which is probably grand. Yeah, so I was thinking,
Speaker 2: maybe that's the connection. So but I have to watch
Speaker 2: it back again because I kind of I need to
Speaker 2: watch it on my own because there was so much banter,
Speaker 2: and once they heard me start singing, they knew it
Speaker 2: was me because of my voice, and everyone was high
Speaker 2: fiving and cheering and slapping me on the back and
Speaker 2: carrying on. So, yeah, it was pretty funny.
Speaker 1: Well, I laughed out loud when you said that you
Speaker 1: were starting to second guest saying yes to the show,
Speaker 1: But then talking to you this morning, you know, it
Speaker 1: sounds like you've really decided it was a good thing.
Speaker 2: Well, it was. It was fun, but I was very
Speaker 2: conscious of how I sounded like. I didn't do you
Speaker 2: know what I mean like this, Now that I've seen
Speaker 2: obviously two shows, and I was leading up to the shows,
Speaker 2: I saw the promos and I thought, wow, I had
Speaker 2: some really good things. Is on there? What the heck
Speaker 2: was I doing on there? But at the time, you know,
Speaker 2: I was very conscious of how I was going to
Speaker 2: come across and how I was going to sound, because
Speaker 2: they did film me in my rehearsal, and to be honest,
Speaker 2: I sounded like shit. It was really bad because you
Speaker 2: know you've got to get it right, and it's just
Speaker 2: it's like swimming at the Olympics. You know, you get
Speaker 2: one shot at it and you've got to make sure
Speaker 2: that everything works out perfectly. And so in my change room,
Speaker 2: I was singing in my head. I had my eyes closed.
Speaker 2: I was doing the actions, but then you have to
Speaker 2: put the costume on and you're sweating. It's heavy, the
Speaker 2: crowd's going nuts. I nearly missed my queue to start
Speaker 2: because I couldn't hear. And you just hope that everything
Speaker 2: works out well because you only get one shot at it,
Speaker 2: and if you mess it up, it's the moment's gone. Well.
Speaker 1: I can't speak for everyone, but I really like anyone
Speaker 1: being authentic, and I could hear the authenticity in your
Speaker 1: voice and in your singing. And whilst yes, you might
Speaker 1: not be one of the trained singers that's been hidden
Speaker 1: amongst these masks, you're performing has been the best thing
Speaker 1: we've seen this year, which might be a shock to you,
Speaker 1: but it was because it came from a place of genuosity.
Speaker 2: I guess, yeah, thank you. You're making me want to cry.
Speaker 1: I cried when you took the mask off and I
Speaker 1: watched you sing it, and I just looked at your face,
Speaker 1: and I mean, I'm in my forty so I grew
Speaker 1: up with you. I mean I had breakfast with you
Speaker 1: every morning. You're my mom sent me off to school
Speaker 1: with Uncle Toby's music bars, like I've been in your
Speaker 1: audience for so long. And yeah, I mean when you
Speaker 1: took the mask off and you had to sing without
Speaker 1: the head on, was that a different emotion again? Was
Speaker 1: that a different experience again? Having to sing that a
Speaker 1: little bit without the mask on?
Speaker 2: Yes, that was terrifying. And that's one of the reasons
Speaker 2: why I couldn't look a Chrissy Tips. I thought, now,
Speaker 2: don't get upset, don't cry, because I knew I had
Speaker 2: to sing again, and you can't sing when you're crying.
Speaker 2: You just can't. So I had to, you know, I
Speaker 2: had to put with that wall up, and I had
Speaker 2: to think, right, I had to do my job here
Speaker 2: and I have to sing again. But funnily enough, I
Speaker 2: actually really enjoyed it, even though it was terrifying. I
Speaker 2: enjoyed it because all I had to do was what
Speaker 2: I've been to sing for weeks and weeks and weeks.
Speaker 2: On end, I was a little bit disappointed that I
Speaker 2: went out, only because I really loved my second song
Speaker 2: that I'd practiced and I wanted the chance to sing
Speaker 2: that as well. But you never know, it might come
Speaker 2: out on my new album or something.
Speaker 1: Tell me what is it? I mean? I got to
Speaker 1: ask Ryan Maloney yesterday and he was disappointed with his
Speaker 1: second song. Can you tell me what that second song
Speaker 1: was going to be? What do we miss out on? Yeah?
Speaker 2: It was ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gay. Oh,
Speaker 2: I love that song.
Speaker 1: Love that song. Put that on the edge of the.
Speaker 2: Song that can go on the album?
Speaker 1: Yeah?
Speaker 2: Yeah, what's an EP? Is that like three songs or
Speaker 2: six songs? Three songs?
Speaker 1: Maybe you look it sounds like I should know what
Speaker 1: that kind of lingo is, but I am just that
Speaker 1: little bit too old to have no idea what you're
Speaker 1: talking about. But yes, definitely release an album.
Speaker 2: See, my husband is an entertainer, so he's on stage
Speaker 2: every weekend, and every now and again he comes and
Speaker 2: puts the microphone in my face, and I just like, no, no, no, no,
Speaker 2: I don't sing. I don't sing. I'm not singing, you know.
Speaker 2: And you know, with the sad passing of Olivia Newton
Speaker 2: John today, you know, Mark does Danny Zuko as well,
Speaker 2: and there's a great grease and every now and again
Speaker 2: he comes and puts the microhross come on, be sandy
Speaker 2: for me, and I can't be sandy.
Speaker 1: I can't.
Speaker 2: I don't sing. But maybe for a tribute to Alviya Old,
Speaker 2: I might try and give it a go at some point.
Speaker 1: Please, do I think if you put that the entry ticket,
Speaker 1: you are going to sell that out, girlfriend, like people
Speaker 1: will come in grooves and just remember us, people don't
Speaker 1: necessarily want to hear the best singers when it comes
Speaker 1: to entertainment. We want truth. We want honesty. There's more
Speaker 1: to entertainment than being a pitch perfect singer. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, And sadly Judith Durham passed away as well from
Speaker 2: the Seekers. Now, I grew up with the seekers. And
Speaker 2: I saw her at a conference that I was at
Speaker 2: and she got up and sang, and I went and
Speaker 2: saw her afterwards, and I said, oh, my god. You know,
Speaker 2: it's amazing how beautiful your voice still is. Because swimming
Speaker 2: is something that you do for a moment in time.
Speaker 2: It's not something that you continue for the rest of
Speaker 2: your life. But singing you can sing forever, you know.
Speaker 2: And that's what I learned from her on that day,
Speaker 2: that singing is such a gift to have. And you know,
Speaker 2: my husband does it every weekend, so I get to
Speaker 2: listen to him every weekend. So maybe maybe I should
Speaker 2: find a little bit more confidence. And when he puts
Speaker 2: that microphone in my face, maybe next time I will
Speaker 2: stand up and have a go.
Speaker 1: Have you forgotten how many people in Australia rewatch your
Speaker 1: swims like the Commonwealth Games? My goodness, Like, I think
Speaker 1: I've watched that so many times in my life because
Speaker 1: it's so inspiring. It might not be music. But you
Speaker 1: have been immortalized on YouTube forever with people being inspired
Speaker 1: by how amazing it was for you at that time
Speaker 1: to get back in the pool after having your daughter
Speaker 1: and being able to swim. I mean still to that day,
Speaker 1: you are impressing your audience like.
Speaker 2: It has been a real journey. And luckily I was
Speaker 2: able to put it all into my new book, which
Speaker 2: you know, I'm still doing really well. And you know,
Speaker 2: I can at least my kids know my story. At
Speaker 2: least my grandchildren will oh my story, and I'll never
Speaker 2: have to wonder what granny thought or you know anything
Speaker 2: about my sport. And you know, I had such a
Speaker 2: great career. I loved it so much, and I only
Speaker 2: did it. I continued with my sport because I felt
Speaker 2: like I had more to give, regardless of whether you
Speaker 2: have children or not. And to be honest, if I
Speaker 2: could do, if I could have my career all over again,
Speaker 2: I would start tomorrow. That's how much I loved it,
Speaker 2: Loved every moment of it. Loved the people, love my coaches,
Speaker 2: love the you know, there's stress and anxiety and the
Speaker 2: jelly legs and nerves before getting up onto the blocks,
Speaker 2: and but there comes a time when you can't do
Speaker 2: it anymore, So just have to take on new opportunities.
Speaker 2: And that's what the singing the mask singer gave me.
Speaker 1: Well, there's more races for you may not be in
Speaker 1: the pool, maybe not singing, but I know and you
Speaker 1: can hear it in your voice. They've got plenty still
Speaker 1: left in you. Something that I always ask everyone who
Speaker 1: joins the podcast is what is something from behind the
Speaker 1: scenes that we as an audience did not see that
Speaker 1: we would love to know from behind the scenes of
Speaker 1: your time on the masting In Australia Season four.
Speaker 2: I had an ex sas minder who used to check
Speaker 2: the toilets to make sure there was no one in there.
Speaker 2: When he had to take me to your peak. There
Speaker 2: you go, and of course because I was so hot
Speaker 2: in the mask, he'd stick a tube in for me
Speaker 2: so I could drink some water. But then when you
Speaker 2: drink a lot of water, you've got to go to
Speaker 2: the toilet. So I was constantly going to the toilet.
Speaker 2: This poor guy had to sort of like scan the
Speaker 2: corridors to make sure there was no one there so
Speaker 2: I could go to the toilet. And in fact, I
Speaker 2: said to him, this is this is terrible, terrible thing
Speaker 2: to ask you. But I said maybe I should just
Speaker 2: pee into a bottle or something, you know, in the
Speaker 2: suit because it was too it was too hard to
Speaker 2: take on and off just to go to the toilet.
Speaker 2: So we had a cup on standby, but I didn't
Speaker 2: have to use it, thank goodness.
Speaker 1: It's kind of like you never want to see that
Speaker 1: person again as well, you know, someone that helps you
Speaker 1: out like that, You're like, thank you so much, You've
Speaker 1: been amazing. Now never, I never want to see you
Speaker 1: again because you know too much.
Speaker 2: Yeah, now, look everyone, everyone and there was so accommodating,
Speaker 2: and you know, because I'm really friendly, I'll say hello
Speaker 2: to anyone. But it felt really weird not being able
Speaker 2: to converse with anyone, Like I wanted to say morning
Speaker 2: or how are you? But you can't even you can't speak,
Speaker 2: You can't look at anyone. You know, You've got to
Speaker 2: keep your head down, your mark. We had these like
Speaker 2: these hooded black coats on, so we looked like you know,
Speaker 2: space aged Ninja's or something, so no one knew who
Speaker 2: we were. Yeah, it was all very very secret.
Speaker 1: He well, I just want to say thank you so
Speaker 1: much for your time. To come and chat and unmask
Speaker 1: the mask singer with me and unpack a little bit
Speaker 1: of that. It was a fantastic experience watching you and
Speaker 1: being in your audience for as long as I have been,
Speaker 1: So thank you. This has been an amazing opportunity to
Speaker 1: chat with you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you so much. Ben appreciate it.