Channel Nine's indefatigable Kerri-Anne Kennerley has become an author
The indefatigable Kerri-Anne Kennerley is about to add another title to her resume – author.
The cash cow of morning television for the embattled Channel Nine network in Australia has just signed off on her first book, a pictorial look at the last few years of her four decades-plus in the television and entertainment worlds.
Kennerley spent the past five months going through more than 5000 photographs and re-watching about 600 of the thousands of interviews she has done since 1963 when she made her television debut to include the best 500 for the book, titled People I’ve Met, Places I’ve Been.
Expect to see Dame Stella Rimington, the first female to become Director General of Britain spookery, MI5; soul singer Lionel Ritchie; singer Delta Goodrem, actress Sofia Loren, and various Australian and international actors from television, stage and film.
Guess who is on the cover?
Kerri-Anne Kennerley with one of the guests on her TV show, singer Delta Goodrem (pic from KAK's website)
Kennerley, herself, of course.
She also has a chapter on politicians who have appeared on her show, some of whom happily embarrassed themselves by doing ridiculous things to appear more cuddly. Remember Peter Costello’s pained macarena?
Kennerley told me the most difficult part of the process was culling the photographs and deciding who to include and who to leave out (one of the guests she omitted was Martin ‘Jock’ Wallace, a former trooper with the Special Air Service Regiment in the Australian Army who was the subject of my most recent book, 18 Hours, The True Story of An SAS War Hero).
SAS Trooper Martin 'Jock' Wallace in Afghanistan 2002, where he was awarded the Medal For Gallantry for courage under fire. He didn't make the KAK cut for the book!
She politely demurred when asked if the strapping Wallace, who was awarded the Medal For Gallantry for courage under fire in Afghanistan in 2002, had made the cut.
“I’ve gone for the more famous people,” she said, apologetically. “And it’s currently on the digital boat to China” where it will be printed.
Kennerley has knocked back various publishers over the years who have asked her to pen her autobiography, so she eventually decided to turn her hand at the picture book. And she wrote every word of it herself.
The glamorous hardback will be published by New Holland in time for Christmas stockings this year.
