Fourteen years ago, when Beau Ryan walked onto the set of The Footy Show and did his first piece to camera, he thought he was the best thing since sliced bread. With hindsight, he realises he was anything but.
“It was awful [the footage],” the 38-year-old former NRL star tells TV WEEK. “But I thought it was the best thing ever. As soon as the red light came on, it awakened something inside of me that I wanted to take to the next level. That’s happened every time I’ve been on camera since.”
“I thought it was the best thing ever.”
(Image: Supplied)Beau has become a regular face on our screens, most recently as the host of The Amazing Race Australia and newly announced co-host of the about to be relaunched Gladiators.
“I saw my old Business Studies teacher the other day and we spoke about how I always liked to tell jokes and be the centre of attention [at school],” the 38-year-old says with a laugh. “I always wanted to entertain people [as an adult], but I was too focused on being an NRL player.”
The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition features stars such as Silverchair drummer Ben Gillies and his wife Jackie, from The Real Housewives Of Melbourne, and Australian Survivor’s George Mladenov and his sister Pamela.
Beau is also hosting Gladiators.
(Image: Supplied)However, the biggest diva might not be who you’d assume.
“Darren McMullen [the former co-host of The Voice Australia] definitely likes nice things,” Beau reveals. “And Harry Jowsey [the Aussie social media influence on UK reality show Too Hot To Handle] likes the fast life and things a certain way.”
This year, the show films in India and south-east Asia, taking Beau away from his wife, Kara, and children Remi, 10, and Jesse, six, for more than a month.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it without my phone,” Beau says. “I need to call them daily. For the kids it’s a chore – they don’t want to talk to Dad – but I selfishly need to.”
Despite mixing in similar circles, Beau first met his Gladiators co-host Liz Ellis at the promotional shoot for the relaunch of the show.
The Amazing Race is filming in India and south-east Asia.
(Image: Supplied)“She’s incredible,” he says. “She’s arguably Australia’s best netball player. I’m so glad to be on this journey with her, but wow, she’s tall – I was on my toes for a lot of the photos. She’s six-foot one [186cm], but I told her I’m six-three [191cm], which I’m not.”
Beau says we can look forward to seeing a mix of celebrities, athletes and regular Aussies, but that he’ll be supporting the “underdog”.
“Everyone wants the little man to do well, so I’ll be rooting for them against the Gladiators,” he says. “Just as I did when I was 10 years old [watching the original 1990s show].”
As Beau approaches 40 and looks back, he reveals his one regret.
“I wish I got to play rugby league for longer,” Beau says of his 126 games for the Wests Tigers and Cronulla Sharks between 2007 and 2014.
“My son wasn’t born then and when we go to watch the Tigers and Sharks, I think I would have loved him to see me be a part of that. I had my daughter quite young, and she was a big part of my career. Watching her look back at the photos and tell stories to a friend feels pretty special.”
Despite admitting to “lots of ups and downs”, life is pretty good.
“I could change things, definitely, but everything has pointed me to this moment, so I’m really happy.”
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