entertainment

Meet Adam Boland, the man who has managed to freak out some of Australia's biggest stars

 

 

By ALEXIS CAREY

This is the man who has Australia’s breakfast TV industry running scared.

Former Sunrise executive producer Adam Boland created the powerhouse that was Kochie and Mel and became famous for revolutionising morning TV in this country.

His new memoir, Brekky Central, was released in secret amid fears of legal action from Channel Seven, with the network worried about potentially explosive revelations about some of its biggest stars.

However, Boland today announced via Twitter that the network had dropped its court order and the book is now available in stores.

Legal dramas aside, Brekky Central reveals some fascinating details of the drama, power plays and egotism involved in the making of Aussie television.

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During his long career, Boland discovered some of Australia’s biggest names including the likes of Grant Denyer, and spent years working with household names like Samantha Armytage, Chris Bath and Kylie Gillies.

Boland was behind the Mel and Kochie phenomenon

The former king of breakfast TV insists he is not out to slam his ex-colleagues, but Brekky Central definitely covers some of TV’s biggest scandals and feuds, including a legendary spat with Denyer which almost ended in blows.

It also includes the incident that caused John Howard to permanently spurn David “Kochie” Koch and the controversial plot to remove Melissa Doyle from Sunrise as well as big moments in our recent history, including the Beaconsfield mine disaster.

Boland, who led Sunrise from 2002-2007, managed the incredible feat of knocking the Nine Network’s Today program off its 20-year position as top-rating breakfast morning program.

He went on to create The Morning Show and Weekend Sunrise before joining Channel 10 and creating Wake Up and Studio 10.

 

He appeared on Australian Story earlier in the year to talk about his struggles:

But incredible professional success also came with dramatic clashes with colleagues and friends and the high-pressure lifestyle eventually took a massive toll on his health and personal life.

Boland, who has type II bipolar disorder, resigned from Channel 10 citing ill-health in January, only months after the programs he created were launched.

He is now planning to move to Vanuatu with partner and former Wake Up colleague Kenny Ang.

One thing’s for sure – it will be a world away from the addictive, consuming drama of Aussie brekky TV.