The Chase host Larry Emdur talks about biggest win ever on popular Channel Seven game show
Having been a game show host for more than three decades, Larry Emdur is no stranger to delivering life-changing news. But his latest, awarding the biggest prize ever won on The Chase, was an 'unreal' feeling.
One of Australian television's best-known faces — thanks to game show compere roles dating back to The Main Event in 1991 and including Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right, and now the popular Seven afternoon quiz show — the 60-year-old said hosts got to know contestants in the studio, making major victories special moments.
The latest major winning episode of The Chase will go to air next week and will forever change the lives of four contestants.
Emdur, also the co-host of The Morning Show, said the big prize meant a lot to the lucky winners, given the cost-of-living crisis affecting so many families.
'For some people it's going to make a whole lot of difference,' he told The Sunday Times.
'Everyone has different needs and wants in their life, but when you start talking money like that, you know you're gonna make a big difference to somebody — and as a game show host for like 30 or 40 years that's a really special place to be.
'I really love being there for those moments.
'In this environment, in this climate, I think it's great, everyone's looking for a bit of extra cash, and I just think it was a terrific opportunity,' he said.
'It's such a big milestone for The Chase, I think now people know they can come in and play for proper money . . . if they have a good go in there, they can walk away with a whole lot of money.'
Emdur said the cash gave the contestants, everyday Aussies, a chance to achieve bucket-list activities or pay off a mortgage.
'Some people ordinarily will have a mortgage or some credit card debt they've desperately been trying to clear, or often you hear people who've got an old car they haven't been able to replace,' he said.
'It's not a $70 million Lotto win, I know that but you come in to have fun for an hour and then walk away with something that can absolutely make a difference,' he said.
'When I started I was young and didn't really appreciate it. It hasn't been until lately — people I see at the airport, at the shop or online — (where it's) getting to me.
'That for me is very special. I feel very lucky to be in that position.'
Emdur has hosted The Chase for the past four years but has confirmed he doesn't have a favourite of the show's experts, known as Chasers, who challenge the show's contestants.
'I love them all for their qualities and what they bring to the table, and I'm usually surprised to know who's coming out most of the time,' he said.
Winner of last year's Gold Logie for most popular personality of Australian TV, Emdur says life has changed little since his victory, apart from the tattoo on his backside. He promised to tattoo his bum with the initials of his fellow nominees and her pulled through, getting the ink on live TV.
'That was weird but it was really special to me,' he recalled. 'I've been in Sydney for a long time and it was very, very special to be recognised in that way.
'Both of those Logies mean a lot to me and and aged 60 I never thought I'd be celebrating that sort of thing and it was a very special moment
'I was basking in glory for a long time but now back to normal running and my mate's are like, 'Shut up, we never wanna hear about the Logies again'.'
As for the trophy itself, Emdur's wife Sylvie 'keeps moving it around' and it may be at the 'back of the bar'.
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While 71 per cent of listeners love to hear Australian tunes, and two thirds want to hear more, only one in three music fans make an effort to seek out new Australian music. It's a big contradiction revealed in landmark research by Music Australia, the federal government's music development and funding body. A massive 98 per cent of local listeners discover musicians via streaming, but more than half (51 per cent) don't think about whether an artist is Australian when they are looking for new tunes. Of the top 10,000 artists streamed in Australia during 2024, just eight per cent were Australian, while more than half were from the US, according to entertainment analytics firm Luminate. It seems the sheer convenience of personalised playlists delivered via an algorithm might be stopping music fans discovering Australian artists - and that's a problem for musicians like Sara Storer. The ARIA-award winning country musician is releasing her eighth solo album titled Worth Your Love, and says the music industry has completely transformed since her first release back in 2001. "For a young person, especially a young Aussie artist trying to get out there, I'd be terrified. Where do you start?" she said. Despite building an inter-generational audience over decades, the Darwin-based musician can no longer rely on album sales, and even solid streaming figures don't add up to a viable income. "There's no income from streaming. It looks good on paper and you think, well, I should be making a few bucks, but you don't see anything," said Storer. "All my money is made through live performance. I rely heavily on ticket sales, which is like a roller coaster." The contradiction between listener sentiment and behaviour could be the basis of a campaign for actively discovering local music - a bit like the 'Life. Be in it' health campaign of the 1980s - suggested Music Australia director Millie Millgate. "We can remind Australian audiences what these bands are doing overseas and encourage them not to miss out - like, don't miss out on your own party," said Millgate. "There's no one single bullet, but if audiences can be mobilised to do their part and really seek out Australian new music, it would go an incredible way." And the Music Australia research suggests we could potentially Aussify Spotify: listeners like the idea of a dedicated Australian music streamer, with 42 per cent saying it's something they would pay for. Melbourne rock band Amyl and the Sniffers are one act making it big on the global stage, and when the band appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon recently, singer Amy Taylor's top was made from two classic Aussie thongs. It's a big effort to demonstrate a sense of national pride - but it seems many Aussie musos are actually getting more love overseas, with more than 80 per cent of royalties for local musicians coming from international listeners in 2024, according to figures from Spotify. The research also found radio still plays a role. A quarter of music fans still tune in to discover new music, with ABC station triple j a popular source. An economic snapshot of the local sector showing a direct contribution of almost $3 billion to the national economy was part of three industry research reports released on Thursday. Aussie music lovers feel a sense of pride when they hear Australian music, but their playlists are actually dominated by pop from the US and Britain. While 71 per cent of listeners love to hear Australian tunes, and two thirds want to hear more, only one in three music fans make an effort to seek out new Australian music. It's a big contradiction revealed in landmark research by Music Australia, the federal government's music development and funding body. A massive 98 per cent of local listeners discover musicians via streaming, but more than half (51 per cent) don't think about whether an artist is Australian when they are looking for new tunes. Of the top 10,000 artists streamed in Australia during 2024, just eight per cent were Australian, while more than half were from the US, according to entertainment analytics firm Luminate. It seems the sheer convenience of personalised playlists delivered via an algorithm might be stopping music fans discovering Australian artists - and that's a problem for musicians like Sara Storer. The ARIA-award winning country musician is releasing her eighth solo album titled Worth Your Love, and says the music industry has completely transformed since her first release back in 2001. "For a young person, especially a young Aussie artist trying to get out there, I'd be terrified. Where do you start?" she said. Despite building an inter-generational audience over decades, the Darwin-based musician can no longer rely on album sales, and even solid streaming figures don't add up to a viable income. "There's no income from streaming. It looks good on paper and you think, well, I should be making a few bucks, but you don't see anything," said Storer. "All my money is made through live performance. I rely heavily on ticket sales, which is like a roller coaster." The contradiction between listener sentiment and behaviour could be the basis of a campaign for actively discovering local music - a bit like the 'Life. Be in it' health campaign of the 1980s - suggested Music Australia director Millie Millgate. "We can remind Australian audiences what these bands are doing overseas and encourage them not to miss out - like, don't miss out on your own party," said Millgate. "There's no one single bullet, but if audiences can be mobilised to do their part and really seek out Australian new music, it would go an incredible way." And the Music Australia research suggests we could potentially Aussify Spotify: listeners like the idea of a dedicated Australian music streamer, with 42 per cent saying it's something they would pay for. Melbourne rock band Amyl and the Sniffers are one act making it big on the global stage, and when the band appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon recently, singer Amy Taylor's top was made from two classic Aussie thongs. It's a big effort to demonstrate a sense of national pride - but it seems many Aussie musos are actually getting more love overseas, with more than 80 per cent of royalties for local musicians coming from international listeners in 2024, according to figures from Spotify. The research also found radio still plays a role. A quarter of music fans still tune in to discover new music, with ABC station triple j a popular source. An economic snapshot of the local sector showing a direct contribution of almost $3 billion to the national economy was part of three industry research reports released on Thursday. Aussie music lovers feel a sense of pride when they hear Australian music, but their playlists are actually dominated by pop from the US and Britain. While 71 per cent of listeners love to hear Australian tunes, and two thirds want to hear more, only one in three music fans make an effort to seek out new Australian music. It's a big contradiction revealed in landmark research by Music Australia, the federal government's music development and funding body. A massive 98 per cent of local listeners discover musicians via streaming, but more than half (51 per cent) don't think about whether an artist is Australian when they are looking for new tunes. Of the top 10,000 artists streamed in Australia during 2024, just eight per cent were Australian, while more than half were from the US, according to entertainment analytics firm Luminate. It seems the sheer convenience of personalised playlists delivered via an algorithm might be stopping music fans discovering Australian artists - and that's a problem for musicians like Sara Storer. The ARIA-award winning country musician is releasing her eighth solo album titled Worth Your Love, and says the music industry has completely transformed since her first release back in 2001. "For a young person, especially a young Aussie artist trying to get out there, I'd be terrified. Where do you start?" she said. Despite building an inter-generational audience over decades, the Darwin-based musician can no longer rely on album sales, and even solid streaming figures don't add up to a viable income. "There's no income from streaming. It looks good on paper and you think, well, I should be making a few bucks, but you don't see anything," said Storer. "All my money is made through live performance. I rely heavily on ticket sales, which is like a roller coaster." The contradiction between listener sentiment and behaviour could be the basis of a campaign for actively discovering local music - a bit like the 'Life. Be in it' health campaign of the 1980s - suggested Music Australia director Millie Millgate. "We can remind Australian audiences what these bands are doing overseas and encourage them not to miss out - like, don't miss out on your own party," said Millgate. "There's no one single bullet, but if audiences can be mobilised to do their part and really seek out Australian new music, it would go an incredible way." And the Music Australia research suggests we could potentially Aussify Spotify: listeners like the idea of a dedicated Australian music streamer, with 42 per cent saying it's something they would pay for. Melbourne rock band Amyl and the Sniffers are one act making it big on the global stage, and when the band appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon recently, singer Amy Taylor's top was made from two classic Aussie thongs. It's a big effort to demonstrate a sense of national pride - but it seems many Aussie musos are actually getting more love overseas, with more than 80 per cent of royalties for local musicians coming from international listeners in 2024, according to figures from Spotify. The research also found radio still plays a role. A quarter of music fans still tune in to discover new music, with ABC station triple j a popular source. An economic snapshot of the local sector showing a direct contribution of almost $3 billion to the national economy was part of three industry research reports released on Thursday.
