Wil Anderson has hinted that Gruen could be going off air next year, after admitting that it’s getting harder and harder to produce.
The host said the ABC panel show, which takes a look at the world of advertising, may take a ‘considerable break’ or even ‘finish up’ in 2019.
The 44-year-old comedian, who told an audience member to ‘f**k off’ during a taping of Gruen this year, said it was a ‘miracle’ the show had lasted 10 seasons.
Is Gruen going off air? Wil Anderson has admitted that the ABC show may ‘finish up’ next year as it’s getting harder and harder to make
‘After this year, we may have a considerable break. Or, if not, finish up because it gets harder to dig deeper,’ Wil told TV Week on Monday.
‘The world has become so much more intertwined with marketing and advertising that it gets harder for us to be unique and distinctive.’
He added: ‘It’s a miracle we’re still here 10 seasons later. When we started, there were so many complaints about it I wasn’t even sure it would air.’
It comes after Wil defended telling an audience member to ‘f**k off’ during a taping of Gruen earlier this year.
Oh dear: The host said the ABC panel show, which takes a look at the world of advertising, may take a ‘considerable break’ in 2019 and said it was a ‘miracle’ the show had lasted 10 seasons
News.com.au reported that he had a ‘meltdown’ because the crowd weren’t laughing at his jokes during a segment about the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal.
But speaking on his Wilosophy podcast, Wil claimed his outburst was an ‘act of kindness’ on behalf of the show’s cast and crew, who were not being properly ‘supported’ by the audience.
Speaking with his guest, 2Day FM radio host Em Rusciano, Wil explained: ‘A TV studio audience is very different to a stand-up audience, where they’ve paid their money and they have the right to enjoy it or not enjoy it.’
‘If you’re (watching) a free TV show, unfortunately you’re just part of the making of the TV show,’ he added.
‘Don’t be s**t!’ It comes after he defended his ‘meltdown’ during a recording of ABC’s Gruen earlier this year, which saw him describe his studio audience as the ‘the worst he’s ever seen’
Wil claimed that half-way through the taping, the audience was not energetic enough and so he ‘cajoled, pleaded and joked’ with them to improve the situation.
But eventually he had to resort to desperate measures.
‘Sometimes, when worse comes to worse, you’ve got to give them the classic, country footy coach half-time spray, and go, “Sorry you’re being s**t”,’ Wil said.
‘And somebody in the audience was like, “I thought it was a bit boring”. And I said, “If you think it’s boring, then f**k off!”
‘It was in jest, it literally was in jest,’ he added. ‘I didn’t call security. I didn’t actually make them f**k off.
His side: Speaking on his Wilosophy podcast on Tuesday, Wil claimed his outburst was an ‘act of kindness’ on behalf of the show’s cast and crew, who were not being properly ‘supported’
‘I’m the host and producer of the show, I could have got them (removed) . I could have done my secret signal to the “F**k off Police” and all of a sudden they would f**k off. But no, all I was asking of them was, “Don’t be s**t”.’
It comes after multiple audience members told News Corp that Wil berated the crowd for sitting back in their seats and not laughing.
He also told an audience member to ‘f**k off’ after she called a segment boring.
Once filming wrapped, Wil apparently left immediately and didn’t bother waiting around to meet the audience or take photos.