Chagrined charities
And now to the Land of the Long White Cloud via this feel-good travel show broadcast on Channel Seven.
TROY GRAY: … I'm Troy Gray and welcome to New Zealand, over the next five days we'll spend most of our time in Auckland and the surrounding areas.
- Adventure All Stars, 7Plus
Adventure All Stars also streamed on Seven Plus is hosted by former AFL journeyman Troy Gray and takes charity workers on journeys of personal growth in which they overcome physical challenges in spectacular locations.
CAROLINE LYTHE: If you're thinking about doing this, then please go ahead and do it… you'll never regret it …
RACH MAC: I could summarise this exact trip as an absolute powerhouse of emotions.
- Adventure All Stars
Troy Gray who in the 1990s donned a guernsey for the Sydney Swans and the St Kilda Saints parlayed his football fame and bold personality into a media career as an announcer on commercial radio and sports presenter on Channel Nine News in Adelaide.
But Gray's star reached its zenith with Adventure All-Stars in which he raises money for charity.
TROY GRAY: we've created a proven groundbreaking fundraising project for charities worldwide …
- Introductory Video Charity TV Global, Vimeo, 4 May 2020
Since 2019 Gray has boasted of raising millions for domestic violence, animal welfare and mental health causes through what is it must be said a rather interesting operating model.
To get onto the show each charity worker must themselves raise $10,000.
It's only once Troy Gray's outfit takes its cut that the charities get what's left or at least they're meant to:
Ex-AFL star leaves DV victims in lurch:
Adelaide Magistrates Court has ordered Gray – host of Channel 7's Adventure All-Stars – pay more than $60,000 to the Broken Crayons Still Colour Foundation.
- The Advertiser, 17 May 2025
The Adelaide Advertiser tore away the veil last month reporting a default judgment against Gray's company after a lawsuit brought against it by a domestic violence charity whose founder Rach Mac told the paper:
'… we were raising that money to create our third safe haven for survivors,' …
'We can't do that because Troy Gray hasn't paid …'
- The Advertiser, 17 May 2025
And if stiffing a DV charity wasn't bad enough a week later there was more bad news for the Channel Seven star:
Nine charities from around Australia say they are owed more than $370,000 by former AFL footballer Troy Gray:
… the charities – which aid people living with illness, survivors of exploitation, and animals – say their work has been 'significantly' affected by not receiving the money.
- The Advertiser, 24 May 2025
Two weeks ago Gray's company was placed into liquidation with two dozen charities which provide everything from cancer support to emergency shelter claiming they've been left high and dry.
Rebecca Miller claims her charity which rehomes greyhounds is owed more than $100,000. She says she trusted Troy Gray because of his association with Channel Seven:
It looked legit, we watched some previous shows, so we thought it was above board.
- Phone, Rebecca Miller, 26 May 2025
In July last year things came to a head.
Gray missed another deadline to repay money he owed and Seven told him it wasn't going to pick up a new season of his show.
Gray circulated a private video message to several aggrieved charities:
TROY GRAY: I know you're disappointed …
… I want to correct this soon and put a smile back on your face, and put a smile back on my face too.
- Charity TV Global, (Mea Culpa), 5 July 2024
No-one it seems is smiling, because instead of being repaid the money several charities have now filed complaints with police and regulators against Troy Gray and his company Charity TV Global.
We asked Troy Gray what happened he told us:
I worked tirelessly to secure new sponsors and brand partners to help bridge the gap – but despite my efforts, support didn't materialise in time …
- Email, Troy Gray, 3 June 2025
Rach Mac told Media Watch she had twice complained to Channel Seven in February and August last year to alert them to these irregularities.
Despite this Troy Gray's TV show remained online until last week that is when we sent questions to Channel Seven.
Adventure All Stars is no longer available on 7plus.
Seven did not pay Charity TV Global for any seasons of Adventure All Stars.
- Email, Seven spokesperson, 4 June 2025
Troy Gray might have had noble intentions in creating his reality TV show and his is certainly not the first media venture to find itself in too deep with creditors.
But when those creditors are charities devoted to good works it's a rather more tawdry episode isn't it, with Channel Seven surely ruing its decision to have ever lent Gray its precious brand.
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