Sam Pang

our straight mates

Eurovisionary He’s a little bit Eurovision and a little bit sporty. With a foot in both camps, SBS’s Sam Pang talks to Matt Myers about Abba, Bette Midler and his first man crush.

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DNA: How did you transition from radio to television?

Sam Pang: I was working at Triple R and Tony Wilson released a book and I MC’d the launch. The original creators of Spicks And Specks saw me and had already heard my radio show. They asked me to audition for ADbc [comedy/histroy quiz show on SBS]. I got the job. That was also the same year as my first Eurovision!

What do you think gives Santo, Sam And Ed’s Sports Fever! its kick?

Working Dog Productions for one thing.

Santo and Rob Sitch are great people to work with. The show started on SBS with the World Cup in 2010 as Cup Fever.

We had so much fun. The chemistry was great and we didn’t want to wait another four years, so Sports Fever came about.

The three of us really enjoy each other’s company, and with Working Dog steering the ship I feel I’m in good hands.

You played for the Collingwood Under 19s for a couple of years. Do you still have time to kick the footy?

Not very much now, mate. I think in two years I kicked one goal. What a surprise that they didn’t put me on the seniors!

One of our past Straight Mates is Craig Foster. Do you hang out with him?

I’ve enjoyed Fossey’s company at a couple of SBS events and at the Logies. Whenever I bump into Craig, I can’t stop looking at his hair. It’s beautiful. I wish I had his hair.

He’s a handsome man and very good at what he does, so he’s double the threat to me [laughing].

Eurovision in Baku, Azerbaijan – what are you looking forward to the most, besides getting the name right?

[Laughing] Do you pronounce the J or not?

The thing I always look forward to is how the host country is going to put their own special twist on Eurovision. We went from Moscow to Oslo to Dusseldorf, and it’s just

Sam with Jon Bon Jovi in New York; and with Eurovision co-host Julia Zemiro.

fascinating. From the opening ceremony to the interval acts to the postcard segments, it’s all great.

Azerbaijan is one of the most tolerant Muslim countries. However, considering the past homophobia connected to Eurovision in Russia, how do you foresee the reception in Baku?

It will be interesting to see how tolerant this country is. I’m sure they know what they’re in for, as they won it last year and they were pretty solid performers. There have been instances in the past where countries have won and declined to host, but hopefully Azerbaijan has decided to host in the true spirit of Eurovision.

Were you aware of the homophobic violence that happened in Russia?

No, I wasn’t. We didn’t see the homophobia there; that’s certainly not to say it wasn’t happening.

Why do you think Ireland has won Eurovision so many times?

They’ve won it seven times. They had a magnificent run back in the ‘90s, when they were winning it back-to-back. If you’ve ever been in an Irish pub you’ll know they can sing, but it’s an absolute mystery to me.

ABBA are probably the most famous Eurovision winners. Do you have a favourite ABBA song?

I didn’t grow up with ABBA. I guess if I had to pick, Waterloo. They won with it! I’d sing Waterloo at karaoke but only because I wouldn’t do Mamma Mia justice.

Who is your diva?

The Divine Miss M. I’ve been a fan ever since The Rose. I also grew up listening to Whitney. She was magnificent. When she died, all the coverage of her was when she was young, energetic and fresh-faced, and that was really sad to see. It made me angry at Bobby Brown.

Who’s the most famous rock star you’ve ever met?

I ran into Bon Jovi on the streets of New York when I was about 22 years old. If I had to pick someone local, it would be that great singer/songwriter Paul Kelly.

What’s the campest song on your iPod? The songs from every Eurovision that I’ve been to are on my iPod. I often press shuffle and the last time Nina from Serbia came on with her song Caroban. That’s a happy little number.

Do you have gay mates?

Yes. But my inner-circle is probably smaller than most. It has branched out with television and radio, so it’s a lot more diverse now.

Have you ever been mistaken as gay?

No. Is that good or bad? It’s kind of like the old Seinfeld episode – I’ve been with a gay friend and he’s been hit on and I’m left sitting there with my drink.

That’s fine, but I was mildly curious why I wasn’t picked.

The gay marriage debate rages on in Australia. Where do you stand?

I’m absolutely for it. When two people are in love, let them be happy. When you get older you realise that life is about happiness. I have no problem with it.

If you were gay, who would you go for?

A young Burt Reynolds. He was the first man-crush I ever had. Did you ever see that picture of him posing naked for Cosmo? He’s was very handsome man.

What’s your porn name? (It’s the name of your first pet and the name of the street you grew up in.)

Shannon Easey! Can you believe that? I’d get work with that! Who ever came up with that formula is a genius.

You’ve done a couple of acting gigs, including Wilfred and Judith Lucy’s Spiritual Journey, as her drinking buddy! Do you really drink with Judith?

[Laughing] Not back in the days when she was drinking, but every now and then if she heads down to Melbourne we’ll go out for dinner and a drink. I watched the series and I really think I would not be able to keep up with young Judith and her drinking. But she’s fantastic and an icon.

What advice would you give to people wanting a career in radio or TV? Don’t go to university. Go straight down to a radio or television station. Start on the front desk answering phones and then you can end up as a producer.

And start much earlier than I did! If you really want something, just do it – it’s the journey of life!

What’s your favourite way to chill out?

I like to turn the phone off, sit down with a bottle of red wine and watch old episodes of The Larry Sanders Show.

Boxers, jocks or free-ball?

Boxers mate, from an early age, but I’m happy to free-ball if requested! I grew up with the five-pack Rio briefs, but then discovered the beautifully packaged Calvin Kleins. I’m loyal to them, too!

Eurovison runs on SBS ONE from May 25 - 27.

Go to sbs.com.au/eurovision for updates, behind the scenes interviews and party guides.

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