Seven months after Channel 10 announced they were cancelling The Living Room, longtime host Amanda Keller has revealed that it is unlikely the show will ever be revived and brought back to air.
Speaking candidly on her WSFM radio show Jonesy and Amanda, the 61-year-old said The Living Room was very much dead.
“But so much for Channel 10 ‘resting’ the show – I think it’s a bit of a death knell,” she said.
WATCH NOW: Amanda Keller on the TV Week Logie Awards red carpet in 2019. Article continues after video.
After 11 years, the unexpected news of the show’s apparent cancellation was revealed by Amanda live on her radio show, who alongside fellow co-hosts Barry Du Bois, Chris Brown, and Miguel Maestre, said she would “hope and pray and assume” that the show would return to the air in 2024.
“Well, I’ve said I’ve got a big announcement….it’s about The Living Room. It’s going to be rested next year,” she told Brendan “Jonesy” Jones.
“It feels that it’s time to take a breath. We’ve been on air for 11 years, 30 [episodes] a year is a lot to produce. So we’re going to take a breath…and take next year off.”
When pressed on the issue, Keller elaborated: “It’s a network decision. They want the show to continue, as do we.”
“So we are working on tweaking it, taking a breath….I’m desperate to come back so we will.”
One month on from the news being announced, Barry shared in his devastation with our sister publication TV Week.
“I’m desperately disappointed. Literally every day since we were told, I think that they’re going to send us an email and say, ‘Hey guys, we made a mistake – let’s get you back on.”
“I think there are a lot of people who rely on the laughs they have with us on a Friday night.”
Since it began airing in May 2011, the show has been nominated for seven Logie Awards across the Most Popular Lifestyle Program and Best Lifestyle Program and has taken home four trophies.
The show was previously axed in November 2019 as a cost-cutting measure after eight seasons, only to return to the air in December of that year with a Christmas special.
Network Ten then revealed that after time off, the show would return to a Friday night timeslot in July 2020 in a “revamped” format, without a live audience.
Keller admitted that the decision to “take a break” was not one that she nor her co-hosts were comfortable with, the news leaving an air of uncertainty in the air.
“I’m very sad, it’ll take a few days to get used to the idea”.
She also added that she was thankful to avid watchers who have supported the long-running program.
“People love The Living Room, and I love that they do. I’ve never worked on a show that’s had more comments on the street from people about how much they love it,” she said.
“It’s been brilliant and it will be again.”
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