Daryl Somers

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Daryl Somers (born Daryl Schultz August 6, 1951 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia), sometimes referred to as Dazza or Dags, is an Australian television personality. The son of a dairy farmer and a cabaret singer, Somers rose to national fame as the host of the long-running comedy-variety program Hey Hey It's Saturday.

Somers' first appearances on television were as a contestant in the program New Faces. He started professional TV work on 14 July, 1971 as the presenter of an afternoon children's program called Cartoon Corner.

Later that year, on October 9, 1971, Hey Hey It's Saturday started. Somers at first co-hosted with footballer Peter McKenna but eight weeks later, the Somers' co-host became the pink hand-puppet Ossie Ostrich, who was operated by former In Melbourne Tonight staff writer Ernie Carroll. McKenna continued to appear on the show for some time.

Originally created as a Saturday morning children's cartoon show, the program gradually expanded in both size and scope. Gradually, additional cast members joined, including co-host Jacki MacDonald and booth announcer John Blackman, who also voiced many (unseen) characters.

Album cover from the 1976 comedy release Keep Smiling with Daryl and Ossie.

The program's production crew also began to play a prominent role in the series, with sound-effects technician Murray Tregonning adding humorous sound-bites and sound effects from a huge bank of pre-recorded eight track cartridges, and personnel such as long-serving floor manager "Lucky Phil" Lambert making regular appearances. Hey Hey was also notable for breaking the so-called fourth wall, often turning the cameras around to show what was happening in the studio and on many occasions (as portable cameras came into use) roaming at will through and outside the studios.

The series' distinctive brand of irreverent humour soon attracted a sizable adult audience and it by the mid-1980s it had become so popular that Nine made the unprecedented decision to move it to a primetime Saturday evening timeslot, where it remained for the rest of its run. At its height, Hey Hey It's Saturday was one of the most popular and consistently high-rating series in the history of Australian television, winning many awards including several Gold Logie awards for Somers.

Hey Hey screened for twenty eight years (1972 - 1999) on the Nine Network across Australia. Although some critics felt the show had gone into terminal decline by the mid-90s, it had by then become an institution and retained a strong audience following, so there was considerable shock when the Nine Network announced that the series was to be axed at the end of 1999.

Somers had a falling out with on-air costar Denise Drysdale, who was subsequently fired from the show.

During the five years after the show's demise in December 1999, Daryl Somers rarely made public appearances, with the exception of a court appearance in 2001 to answer a drink driving charge (after which Somers admitted he was "...a bloody idiot" - a reference to a famous anti drunk driving advertising campaign of that time), and an appearance as a guest on the Network Ten program Rove Live, which is seen by some as the spiritual successor to Hey Hey.

In late 2004 Somers returned to the small screen when he made the controversial move to sign with Nine's arch rival, the Seven Network. He now hosts Dancing with the Stars a live program where 12 celebrities battle it out each week in a dance competition. This show's success has been extraordinary, something which TV critics have found difficult to explain. The entertainer has recently hinted that he will take up an opportunity to develop a variety program on Seven.

In May 2006, Somers was voted the Worst Male TV Personality and Hey Hey was voted Australia's ALL TIME Most Overrated TV Show in The Fuglies which is the Australian television anti-awards.

Daryl Somers sings and plays percussion. He often performed on Hey Hey, and has performed on Dancing With The Stars. He will sometimes perform both duties within the same song, singing a verse and then putting the microphone down to run over to the drum kit, then returning to singing duties.

Somers is a passionate supporter of the Geelong Football Club and is its #1 ticket holder (a rare privilege in Melbourne football culture).