Comedian Libbi Gorr developed the ground-breaking Australian TV character Elle McFeast in the 1990s. McFeast defied gender stereotypes and rose to fame on the small screen with her signature mix of seductive comedy and social satire.
McFeast, Gorr’s anarchic alter ego, set out to challenge the cliché of the perfect woman, as embodied by supermodel Elle MacPherson.
Gorr produced award-winning shows and became one of the first Australian women to host a national Tonight Show as a result of the character’s enormous popularity.
However, Gorr’s career suffered in 1998 as a result of a contentious interview with killer Mark “Chopper” Read, which sparked a strong backlash and a sense of being “canceled” by the television industry.
Despite the setback, Gorr embraced a new beginning and, at the age of 58, took on a new position as the morning host of a digital radio station. She discusses the difficulties she encountered, her choice to go on, and her unwavering conviction that taking chances can lead to significant change in this open interview.
Who is Elle McFeast?
Comedian Libbi Gorr invented the Australian television character Elle McFeast. The 1990s saw the character make multiple television appearances, starting in 1991 with the ABC comedy Live and Sweaty.
In 1993, the persona took over as the show’s host. In 1995, she debuted her own conversation programme, McFeast Live, after this.
As McFeast, Gorr produced a number of ABC specials in which she spoke with Australian politicians, athletes, and celebrities.
These specials included Breasts, My Big Bottom, and Power Pussy. At the New York Festival of Television for Sex, Guys, and Videotape in 1994, she took home a gold prize.
What happened to Elle McFeast?
Performer and broadcaster Libbi Gorr discusses the aftermath of a controversial television interview as well as her humorous TV character in Monday’s Australian Story.
In 1991, the groundbreaking comic character made her TV debut on ABC’s Live and Sweaty programme. She shocked viewers with her unique blend of sultry comedy and hilarious social satire, bringing her from football locker rooms to our screens.
When singer Tina Arena first saw her buddy on television, she remembers thinking, “I thought she was beautifully dangerous.” Finally, a woman makes her mark in a world dominated by men.
Libbi Gorr, an entertainer, created her anarchic alter ego, McFeast, out of a desire to challenge the notion of the ideal woman, as embodied by Elle McPherson, the supermodel.
With the growing popularity of McFeast, Gorr produced numerous award-winning shows before becoming one of the first Australian women to host a national Tonight Show.
However, Libbi Gorr’s career collapsed in 1998 as a result of a contentious interview that provoked a backlash with confessed killer Mark “Chopper” Read.
Gorr recalls, “”I felt like I was dropped prior to dropping was developed; TV didn’t need me.”
“It was an awful moment,” friend Julia Zemiro recalls.
In an open conversation, Gorr discusses the infamous interview, the identity issue that followed, and the reasons for her decision to take on a new role as morning host of a brand-new digital radio station at the age of 58.
As we go behind the scenes of the station’s launch with pop legends Bob Geldof and Libbi Gorr, she recalls the highwire act she once performed as McFeast and why she relishes a new start.
With pop icon Bob Geldof and Libbi Gorr, we travel behind the scenes of the station’s debut. She talks about her previous highwire performance as McFeast and why she is excited about a fresh start.
“I still believe in risk,” she says. “Without risk nothing changes.”