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Snakes alive, Tarsh startled on Wake Up set.

A live Burmese python on the Wake Up Set was more than enough Live telly for Natarsha Belling today.

2014-03-14_1322_002A nervous Natarsha Belling stepped away from the Wake Up set this morning with great haste when she was surprised with a live Burmese python brought on set by Nat Geo wildlife expert Ben Britton.

Belling and co-host James Mathison had been interviewing a New York cabbie about a python prank in his taxi when Wake Up producer Steve Wood decided to spice things up a little.

Waiting in the wings were Harper and his giant albino python, Bailey.

2014-03-14_1322But just the sight of the giant reptile was enough to send Belling running, much to the amusement of Mathison.

But it was no act.

“I had no idea it was coming on set and I’m not a big fan of snakes,” she told TV Tonight.

“I absolutely had no idea. I’m not that good an actress to be able to pull that off!

“But that makes great TV so you just have to roll with the punches and see what happens.”

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With his unique yellow pigment, Bailey has quickly become the country’s most showbiz snake, including being draped around a rather nervous Shaynna Blaze at last year’s ASTRA Awards.

“I’ve worked with slimy characters in my life but that takes it to a whole new level,” Belling quipped. “I’m kidding.”

18 Responses

  1. My god you have some naysayers on this blog David… Personally I love your set visits to various shows and the articles where you show your personal opinions…

  2. James is great for a gag but he really struggles with serious news. Natarsha is a natural and could really shine if she was teamed with a strong co-host. The addition of Andrew Rochford the other week made it blatantly obvious a third host needs to be included. Rochford was actually a solid performer. Unfortunately they didn’t swing the axe hard enough when Natasha was shown the door – James should have been replaced.

  3. Surprised there is no video of this segment… anywhere?

    Surely Ten would have sent out clips to media to spread around… get some viral marketing happening for a show that badly needs it…

  4. Spud: No. There were two a month ago, one of which said “Peter Meakin puts Wake Up on notice” and the other offered suggestions to lift it. Not sure how that fits your conclusion. But as I have now completed my first set visit I should warn you there will be 1 or 2 coming.

  5. Giarc. Agree get rid of James and Natasha is a star. But the weather guru you mention. She left ten earlier this week. But would have been an excellent inclusion and given the audience a reason to watch wake up.

    Just obvious decisions need to be made to make this show a good alternative. But nobody at ten wants to make the decision!!!!

  6. There seems to have been a number of positive stories about this show lately. Is there a commercial arrangement between TV Tonight and Wakeup?

    (TVthismorning.com.au?)

  7. I am actually beginning to enjoy this show. Admittedly, James is not really an anchor, but he beats Kochie and Karl. However,Natarsha is a star and probably my favourite female host over the four channels. This show only needs some minor changes for the momentum and ratings to start flowing in their direction. I think it should start at 6am. If I’m up, they should be on air. Possibly trial other male hosts, get the newsreader into the same studio,and the blonde weather lady from the first version of the breakfast show. Best of luck to them. This show is great, and there are some of us who watch it and prefer it over the competition.

  8. “I had no idea it was coming on set and I’m not a big fan of snakes,” she told TV Tonight.

    “I absolutely had no idea.”

    I would disagree. Having spent many years working on live tv, there is no such thing as unrehearsed spontaneity. There is no way on God’s Earth that the host was not told of what was going to happen. Plus the segment would have been set up the day before and the guests, etc woulod have appeared in the running sheets for the show. I am dismayed that the people at Wake Up would think anyone is so gullible to fall for the “I didn’t know” line.

    Woodie is going back to his old dog-eared 9 playbook – I remember being read chunks of it by David Lyle at 9 decades ago. He said you must try to either make the audience laugh, gasp or cry.

    It looks as if we are no heading for a painful and protracted period as Wake Up tries to “outstunt” 9 and 7. Spare us all…

  9. There are many of us Ophidiophobics in the world and we do not appreciate the fear that is caused by others in their few minutes of silliness. An Ophidiophobic not only fears them when in live contact but also dreads to think about them or even see them on TV or in pictures. About a third of adult humans are ophidiophobic, making this the most common reported phobia. The “amusement of Mathison” is at someone else’s expense, and is quite unfunny.

    1. Tarsh will tell you I discussed ophidiophobia with her this morning.Not exactly my favorite animal either, but it doesn’t extend to avoiding the topic nor images. That’s just me though.

  10. What’s with TEN and snakes. Last Friday on The Living Room, poor Barry climbed over the back of the couch and said a few swear words, to get away from a snake that young Robert Irwin had.

  11. TEN would be well advised to take advantage of this promo opportunity and release a video to go with those great photos. I really like James and Natarsha and would really love this show to succeed.

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