Beauty And The Beast was a long-running daytime chat show that saw viewers write in asking for advice on a range of problems.
Hosted by a usually gruff and outspoken ‘beast’ – with the likes of Stan Zemanek, Doug Mulray and Rex Mossop taking on the role – their strong opinions were normally tempered by a raft of celebrity ‘beauties’.
The show sprung to life in Australia in 1963 and saw various iterations on the Ten and Seven networks, and later Foxtel, before wrapping up production in 2007.
Daytime drama: Beauty And The Beast was a long-running daytime chat show that saw viewers write in asking for advice on a range of problems. Pictured: ‘Beast’ Stan Zemanek
Stan Zemanek
Mouthpiece: Stan Zemanek was the 13th host of the popular show and its longest serving ‘beast’. Already known for his right-wing opinions on his 2GB radio show, Stan often stirred the pot with the often left-leaning ‘beauties’
Tragedy: In May 2006, Stan was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour. After chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery performed by famed neurosurgeon Charles Teo, Stan succumbed to his illness in 2007, passing away in his sleep. Pictured with wife Marcella
Stan Zemanek was the 13th host of the popular show and its longest serving ‘beast’.
Already known for his right-wing opinions on his 2GB radio show, Stan often stirred the pot with the often left-leaning ‘beauties’.
Unfortunately, in May 2006, Stan was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour.
After chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery performed by famed neurosurgeon Charles Teo, Stan succumbed to his illness in 2007, passing away in his sleep.
During his life, Stan had an ongoing feud with fellow 2UE announcer Mike Carlton, with Stan referring to Mike as a ‘turd’ and a ‘ponce’ during their publicised stouches.
Their acrimony continued after Stan’s death, with Mike announcing on air that he hated Stan and would only attend his funeral to make sure that he was really dead, which prompted the network to publicly denounce Mike.
Jeannie Little
Legend: Jeannie Little is the larger-than-life entertainer who brought her unique brand of effervescent humour to Beauty and the Beast, as well as daytime fare Midday and The Mike Walsh Show
Heartbreaking: Tragically, Jeannie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2009 and is currently being cared for in a nursing home
Jeannie Little is the larger-than-life entertainer who brought her unique brand of effervescent humour to Beauty and the Beast, as well as daytime fare Midday and The Mike Walsh Show.
Her quirky persona won Jeannie a Gold Logie award in 1976 for her work on The Mike Walsh Show.
Tragically, Jeannie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2009 and is currently being cared for in a nursing home.
Appearing on The Morning Show recently, Jeannie’s daughter Katie revealed the extent of her mother’s condition.
‘She’s OK, the only blessing is she doesn’t know what’s going on so she just kind of lies there a lot now and sort of drifts in and out of sleep,’ Katie said of Jeanne’s eight-year battle with Alzheimer’s.
‘I do think, ”God it’s such a horrible illness”, it just goes on and on and on and you think, ”Gosh, this is going to go on for years and years and years”.’
Rowena Wallace
Soap star: Rowena Wallace was a regular panelist on Beauty And The Beast, but was perhaps best known as Patricia ‘Pat The Rat’ Hamilton on popular TV soap Sons And Daughters
Hard times: Most recently, Rowena, now 69, reluctantly allowed friends to set up a crowd funding page on GoFundMe to help with an intended move to Brisbane, telling The Daily Telegraph she lives on roughly $400 per week
Rowena Wallace was a regular panelist on Beauty And The Beast, but was perhaps best known as Patricia ‘Pat The Rat’ Hamilton on popular TV soap Sons And Daughters.
Despite having appeared in a plethora of Australian dramas, Patricia remains Rowena’s best known role, winning her a gold and four silver Logies.
While the role made her one of the highest paid actresses on TV, Rowena fell on hard times after Sons And Daughters, eventually relying on a disability support pension.
In 2005, Rowena narrowly avoided jail time after she was charged with defrauding Centrelink of $30,000.
She was given a six-month suspended sentence and placed on a two-year good behaviour bond.
Most recently, Rowena, now 69, reluctantly allowed friends to set up a crowd funding page on GoFundMe to help with an intended move to Brisbane, telling The Daily Telegraph she lives on roughly $400 per week.
Derryn Hinch
Well known: Derryn Hinch hosted Channel Seven’s Beauty And The Beast from 1982 to 1983
Crusade: Now an Australian senator, Derryn recently used his parliamentary privilege to name a paedophile policeman who abused nine children, News.com.au reported
Derryn Hinch hosted Channel Seven’s Beauty And The Beast from 1982 to 1983.
Never afraid of controversy, Derryn served 12 days in prison in 1987 for contempt of court after revealing paedophile Catholic priest Michael Charles Glennon’s prior conviction, while a trial was still pending.
He also was convicted of breaching suppression orders against the names of two sex offenders in 2011 and was sentenced to five months home detention.
Derryn fell foul of the law again in 2013 when he again breached a suppression order by revealing details of the criminal history of Adrian Bayley, the killer of Jill Meagher.
He was ordered to pay a fine for the breach and, after non-payment, was imprisoned on 14 January 2014, serving 50 days.
Now an Australian senator, Derryn recently used his parliamentary privilege to name a paedophile policeman who abused nine children, News.com.au reported.
Fiona Horne
Wiccan: Fiona Horne was the frontwoman for 1990s electro-rockers Def FX who parlayed her early musical success into a career as an author, penning 13 books on the subject of witchcraft
Shock: Fiona released her autobiography ‘The Naked Witch’ this year, in which she made the startling revelation that she had a ‘two-week affair’ with Welsh singer Tom Jones
Fiona Horne was the frontwoman for 1990s electro-rockers Def FX who parlayed her early musical success into a career as an author, penning 13 books on the subject of witchcraft.
With her band last seen on an Australian reunion tour in November 2013, Fiona has stepped away from the stage in favour of a career as a commercial pilot based in St Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Fiona released her autobiography ‘The Naked Witch’ this year, in which she made the startling revelation that she had a ‘two-week affair’ with Welsh singer Tom Jones, describing him as a ‘generous lover’.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph about the tryst, Fiona said she hadn’t gone public about the dalliance out of respect for Tom’s wife Linda, who died in 2016 after a battle with lung cancer.
Rebecca Le Tourneau
On-air foil: Rebecca Le Tourneau was a regular ‘beauty’ on the show and was certainly not shy about trading barbs with Stan
Controversy: A Walkley Award-winning journalist, Rebecca was the subject of controversy in 2016 when she pleaded guilty to low-range drink driving and driving an unregistered car
Rebecca Le Tourneau was a regular ‘beauty’ on the show and was certainly not shy about trading barbs with Stan.
A Walkley Award-winning journalist, Rebecca was the subject of some controversy in 2016 when she pleaded guilty to low-range drink driving and driving an unregistered car in Sydney’s Glebe.
She had tested positive for alcohol at the scene with a 0.059 reading and registration for her car had reportedly expired three days earlier, but she told police she had no idea it needed to be renewed.
The Australian reported that the incident caused Channel Nine, where Rebecca was working as a producer for 60 Minutes, to part ways with the presenter.
The publication also claimed that she was the subject of an internal HR investigation after she allegedly exposed herself on a QANTAS flight from Sydney to New York.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Rebecca escaped a conviction on the drink driving charge and was given an 18-month good behaviour bond.
Rebecca currently works for the Seven Network as a producer for current affairs show Sunday Night.
Carlotta
Icon: Carlotta is the larger-than-life cabaret entertainer who was a fan favourite on the show
Still at it: Now 74, Carlotta isn’t resting on her laurels, and was most recently seen at the 2017 Adelaide Cabaret festival in her lauded one-woman show Carlotta – Queen Of The Cross
Carlotta is the larger-than-life cabaret entertainer who was a fan favourite on the popular show.
Born Richard Byron, Carlotta became known as The Queen of the Cross, beginning her career as one of the founding members of legendary all-male revue Les Girls.
A true Australian transgender pioneer, Carlotta was the subject of a 2014 telemovie with Jessica Marais taking on the title role.
Now 74, Carlotta certainly isn’t resting on her laurels, and was most recently seen at the 2017 Adelaide Cabaret festival in her lauded one-woman show Carlotta – Queen Of The Cross.
Maggie Tabberer
Fashionable face: Maggie started appearing on Beauty And The Beast back in 1965, alongside hosts Eric Baume and Stuart Wagstaff, with the show making her a household name
Going strong: Now 80, Maggie recently revealed to The Sydney Morning Herald that she was happy that she still had her health
Maggie Tabberer started appearing on Beauty And The Beast back in 1965, alongside hosts Eric Baume and Stuart Wagstaff, with the show making her a household name.
Aside from her television work (Maggie won two Gold Logies for her 1970s self-titled chat show), Maggie also wrote a fashion column for Sydney newspaper The Daily Mirror for 16 years until she was asked by Kerry Packer to become the fashion editor of Australian Woman’s Weekly – a position she held for 15 years while becoming the public face of the magazine.
Now 80, Maggie recently revealed to The Sydney Morning Herald that she was happy that she still had her health.
‘Darling I’m probably a little bit daffy but I certainly feel pretty wonderful,’ she said.
‘Some mornings I do wake up and everything from my toenails to the last remaining hair follicles on my head are aching…but you know what, I just get up and get on with it and thank God that I still can.’
Rose Porteous
Infamous: Rose Porteous is perhaps best known for her high-profile marriage to Western Australian iron ore mining magnate Lang Hancock
Rose Porteous is perhaps best known for her high-profile marriage to Western Australian iron ore mining magnate Lang Hancock.
Following Lang’s death in 1992, Rose emerged as a central figure in a series of lawsuits launched by step-daughter Gina Rineheart, who claimed that Rose had only married her father for his fortune and that her actions had contributed to her father’s death.
An autopsy showed that he had died of arteriosclerotic heart disease and a police investigation revealed no evidence to contradict that.
She was also the subject of a short-lived reality television show, Rose, in 2002.
Rose, who has pretty much stepped away from the spotlight, was in the news recently after it emerged she was selling the lavish Georgian-style home she shares with husband William Porteous in Western Australia.
With an asking price of $5 million, William told Perth Now that he didn’t want to sell the property.
‘She’s got it up for sale but people come along and I tell them, “If you don’t give me this amount of money, forget it,”‘ he said.
‘She can sell all the things she wants but if the price isn’t right I’m not selling.’
On the market: Rose, who has pretty much stepped away from the spotlight, was in the news recently after it emerged she was selling the lavish Georgian-style home she shares with husband William Porteous in Western Australia