Compare that situation to Australia’s Next Top Model, which has had four different hosts over the years – none of whom stuck around long enough or had the force of personality as great as Banks’ to be missed when they moved on. Similarly, the local version of Dancing with the Stars has been through several combinations of hosts over the years without the show ever crumbling into a heap when the line-up changed.
In the case of DWTS, that could be because it was long-time judges Todd McKenney and Helen Richey who were the lifeblood of the series or because in a show featuring (mostly) famous contestants, the host’s persona isn’t as prominent. Or maybe people just didn’t miss Daryl Somers, Sonia Kruger or Daniel MacPherson when they left. It will be interesting to see how attached to current hosts Amanda Keller and Grant Denyer audiences become.
This week, the 17th season of design series Project Runway premiered (airs Fridays at 1.35pm; Arena) – the first without original host Heidi Klum and mentor Tim Gunn, who have been replaced by Karlie Kloss and former winner Christian Siriano respectively. The new faces of the show have a huge job ahead of them. Not only have Klum and Gunn been with Project Runway since 2004, both have provided catchphrases – Klum’s “auf Wiedersehen” as contestants are eliminated and Gunn’s exhortation to “make it work” – that are a major part of proceedings.
Still, Project Runway All Stars host Alyssa Milano – the spin-off’s third and current frontwoman – has proved it’s possible to step into an existing franchise and make it your own. Let’s see what Kloss and Siriano can do.
