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| 11 December 2001 |
| 11 December 2001 Blair's Debut By Megan Doherty Yes, as a matter of fact, Blair McDonough does have some advice for the next generation of Big Brother contestants. "Ahh, don't go on it," he said. What?! Didn't BB give McDonough a national profile, a gig on Neighbours, a liaison with one of the Bardot girls, a spot downing Crownies with new best friend Heath Ledger at the Melbourne Cup? It's been good to him, right? "Ah, it has but I wouldn't do it again," he said. "Why?" "I just wouldn't. Too much brain strain. During (the show) more than afterwards. "Oh, look, they should just have fun. Don't go in there with any predetermined ideas because it just won't work.'' In fact, there's no guarantee McDonough will even watch the show that made him. "I probably will for a little while but I don't want to get as hooked as everyone else did," he said. "But I don't get to watch much TV these days anyway - too busy." McDonough, 20, was one of 12 contestants who entered the Big Brother house on the Gold Coast in April to try to last three months and claim $250,000 in prize money. He was there until the end, runner-up to his still good mate, Ben Williams. Along the way, McDonough showed good humour, some narkiness (Anita anyone?), a soft heart (he cried when his brother sent birthday wishes from the United States and again when Johnnie left the house) and a particularly well-defined set of abs that made him a favourite among teenage girls. In fact, the devotion to Blair (no one needed a surname in the BB house) resulted in female fans dedicating websites not only to himself but, in at least in one case, also to his best mates "Stricko and Beaver". "Yeah, they're having a great time," McDonough said, laughing about his mates enjoying the spin-offs of his fame. With Big Brother Mark II expected to screen on Ten Capital about May and McDonough busy promoting his stint on Neighbours, he admits the whole BB experience seems ages ago. "Still friends with a lot of them, don't speak to them that often," he said of the other BB housemates. "Ben actually called me from Africa this morning. He's over there doing his bit (for World Vision). It was good. Ben and I are still very close, Sara-Marie and Rachel. I speak to the others whenever I see them." McDonough denies he went on BB as a stepping stone to acting. "No, I did not," he said. "I went on it for personal growth and just to have a bit of fun, that was my whole reasoning, that's what I maintained through the whole time." Still, it did get him noticed. Network Ten's general manager network of programming David Mott described the signing of McDonough to a six-month stint on Neighbours as a "coup". "Blair's appeal to a broad demographic was evident throughout the Big Brother series and his boyish charm and natural talent makes him an ideal addition to the Neighbours cast," Mott said at the time. McDonough's debut episode with Neighbours is on this Thursday, December 13, a bit of a teaser before the season finale on Friday, December 14. In the series he plays Stuey, otherwise known as "Chooka", a bloke from the bush who is the younger brother of a mate of Drew (played by Dan Paris). McDonough says he's already seen the episodes and he sounds a little underwhelmed. "I don't like (how I come across) personally but people seem to be happy," he said. Still, the visit to Ramsay Street was a positive experience, he maintains. "I didn't have any expectations so I took it as it came. I didn't know what the people were like and I was pleasantly surprised how well it went," he said. "It's long work. Hard is not really a word you'd use. It's long work. And it's, um, um, what's the word, what's the word? Challenging!" To act in a film is his ultimate ambition. His favourite movie is Good Will Hunting and his favourite actors include Matt Damon and Hugh Jackman. Heath Ledger is his "idol". They did meet up at the Melbourne Cup. "That was great," he said. "It was good to see he's a normal human. Enjoys his surfing, enjoys what he does and that's about it." McDonough says he is single. He says he's no longer seeing Belinda Chapple from Bardot. "We went on a couple of dates, but other than that, no," he said. More than anything, McDonough believes the connection with Big Brother will soon fade. "I hope the transition comes," he said. "It's not going to be easy but over time people tend to forget and I'll just wait and see really." In the meantime, McDonough says his game plan is just to "start at the bottom and work my way up". "I'm only just raw and new, I guess. I've got a lot to learn," he said. Blair McDonough's debut episode with Neighbours screens on Ten Capital on December 13. Article from The Canberra Times |
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