TV’s big bucks are not in Reality contests
If you want to make the big bucks in television you might think again before all that singing, cooking or renovating.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
As we wrap up the year in telly here’s a lesson to be learned for those wanting to strike it rich as a TV contestant.
If you want to make the big bucks in television you might think again before all that singing, cooking or renovating.
Just go and make a wacky video. You could nab a whole lot of moolah without any of the pain.
Looking back on 2011, Australia’s Funniest Home Videos delivered the most money versus input.
Jason Ngam of Toorak submitted a 19 second video “Funny Fountain” and won a cool $250,000 for his efforts. You can see the winning clip here.
That leaves those who went through months of anguish on MasterChef, My Kitchen Rules and The Block in his wake.
Here’s how some of the year’s other winner stacked up. But do they really reflect the ratings?
Cash prizes:
$250,000Â Jason Ngam Australia’s Funniest Home Videos
$250,000 Jack Vidgen Australia’s Got Talent
$250,000 Tyler & Nathan The Amazing Race Australia
$115,000 Polly & Waz The Block
$100,000 Kate Bracks MasterChef Australia
$100,000 Sammy & Bella My Kitchen Rules
$100,000 Julia Morris The Celebrity Apprentice Australia
$100,000 Michael Lynch The Renovators
$100,000 Robert Davidov Top Design
$100,000 Sarah & Lachlan Beauty & The Geek Australia
$50,000 Dylan Cooper Project Runway Australia*
$20,000 Montana Cox Australia’s Next Top Model
$0 (cash) Reece Mastin The X Factor
$0 (cash) Manu Feildel Dancing with the Stars
Last year Minute to Win It gave away $500,000.
NB: Does not include Hot Seat, Deal or No Deal or Million Dollar Drop.
*cash and materials.
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- Tagged with Australia's Funniest Home Videos, Australia's Got Talent, Australia's Next Top Model, Beauty & the Geek Australia, Dancing with the Stars, Deal or No Deal, Hot Seat, Masterchef, Million Dollar Drop, Minute to Win It, My Kitchen Rules, Project Runway Australia, The Block, The Celebrity Apprentice Australia, The Renovators, Top Design
16 Responses
You forgot The Biggest Loser with the Duncans winning 125K, the Westrens winning 125K, and 50 K amongst the runners up…
To be fair, Julia Morris’ dosh went to charity. I always thought the Masterchef prize pot should be bigger considering the effort involved (and the gargantuan revenue generated).
Hey get off Jason Ngam’s back all you haters. He entered a video, the public voted for it and it won. Its not his fault or AFHV that the other shows have low prize money. Good on you Jason for giving it a shot and winning the loot.
Yes i agree how could such a stupid video win the kid spinning the pot lids deserved to win and not the stupid video that won it
If “Funny Fountain” is Australia’s funniest home video, all I can say is that we are easily amused bunch.
MC book deal is worth a bit. If people buy the books it’s more. DWTS gives all prize cash to charity. X_factor is a cashless contest. It produces singing talent only.
And the funniest thing for some is worth $250,000! Got any better prizes for LOL’S?
Reece Mastin gets $0 upfront but Jack Vidgen gets $250,000?
That’s unfair!
With shows like Amazing race,Renovators and Masterchef one has to ask weather the grand prize at the end is worth all the trouble the contestants went through to be apart of the show. Becuase filming is carried out over several months many contestants are forced to leave thier jobs, break thier rental lease etc in order to particpiate. They probably find the majority of thier prizemoney going towards paying of debts they accumilated during they there on the show
Don’t forget masterchef also gives them a book deal and i wonder how much that is worth?
Australia’s Mildly Amusing Home Videos had it’s place in the days before YouTube but now it’s just a pointless anachronism. Do they still pad the show out with international clips?
That winning clip was seriously p!ss-weak. The very next clip, with the toddler spinning the saucepan lids, was much better.
@Jerome – a lot more than 24 people apply to be on MC so the odds are actually much worse than 1 in 24. The ones with celebrities would have smaller selection pools but you have to already be a celebrity (whatever that really means these days).
Isn’t the whole point to launch a career from the exposure, which, if successful, leads to the big bucks.
Yes for many it’s about the long term gain, especially for a singer or model etc. Not sure everyone who entered The Amazing Race or Renovators was looking for a career launching pad? But I thought it was interesting the way the numbers stacked up.
Not funny Ngam. Please donate $249,000 to charity.
That winner for AFHV was an absolute joke! (and not in the ha ha ha way)
I think its time I start pulling out the old videos and seeing if weve got gold hidden somewhere…
I would say minute to win it is the best deal, they gave away over 100k most episode and didn’t have to do much. With masterchef the worst deal the measly 100k is made worse by the fact that going into it is only a 1/24 chance of winning.
$250,000 for ‘Funny Fountain’????
Sheesh.