Grant Denyer hits back at 'fake' contestant claims: "They're not actors, they're just Aussies"
Grant Denyer has fired back at claims that the contestants on his hit new TV show Game Of Games are paid actors.
Despite only being on air for a short time, viewers took to social media to raise their concern over the contestants and their over the top behaviour.
I realise it's a new show and trying to get people interested but the Contestants are too over the top and obviously actors for the first shows. Tone it down a little I think. #GameOfGamesAU
— Guerilla Radio™🎙🎧 (@Guerilla_Kmac) October 7, 2018
These contestants have to be getting paid to act like this right? 😂#GameOfGamesAU
— Em Martin (@emilymartin1995) October 14, 2018
I get it that #GameOfGamesAU needs whacky contestants but I reckon they could be toned down a bit. We Aussies love a bit of fun but we’re not nut jobs who can’t stand still for 2 minutes.
— Les Egan (@selnage1960) October 14, 2018
Real people????? .......come on these actors are clearly way OVER actors.
Get some genuine people and we might stay tuned in
Good show / Bad acting
#GameOfGamesAU— chops (@cablefan_espnhd) October 14, 2018
Speaking to news.com.au, Denyer shut down the claims and said that the contestants are not paid actors or professionals.
“They’re not actors, they’re just Aussies,” he said.
“Sometimes when you put a call out to contestants, obviously the most animated ones become more attractive or appealing to you.”
The show is inspired by a concept created by Ellen DeGeneres in the US, which is what Denyer claims is the reason behind the contestants' dramatic behaviour.
“I think because Ellen has such a massive international reputation and her show is so globally known and loved, that I think everybody came with that Ellen spirit,” he told news.com.au.
“You know how her show is OTT and all her fans and people in the audience just go crazy, so I think people kinda came with the same spirit.”
And it wasn’t only viewers at home who noticed the dramatised behaviour, as Denyer himself told them to take it down a notch.
“We definitely noticed because Australian contestants aren’t like American contestants, but they were really full on and just gave it 1000 per cent. Some we were a little concerned about,” he said jokingly.
“I just think they wanted to put on the biggest possible show they could, and they watched so much American television they thought that’s how you had to act.
“We had a little word to them and just said, ‘It’s OK, you can be yourself, it’s fine. You’re in a safe place.’”
Another reason for the “next level” contestants is the nerves of going into something where you don’t know what to expect. All of the episodes of Game Of Games were filmed before the pilot was aired on Network Ten.
“There’s a lot of nervous energy,” Denyer said.
“The set is so big that it’s quite overwhelming and the challenges they face are also quite nerve-racking.
“We stress them out. Yes, we give them a chance to win $50,000 per show but we make them work for it. They could be three stories in the air … and we drop them through a random trapdoor of which they have no idea where it goes. Or we shoot them in the face with a giant cannon full of explosives and paint. They’re intimidating situations.
“We’re seeing really crazy and whacky responses from the contestants. It surprised us a lot.”
Despite the backlash, the show has proven to be a huge hit for Network Ten, as users on social media are praising the show as enjoyable to watch.
“In this world where everything is dark and angry and frightening, there’s more room for this on television now than ever,” said Denyer to news.com.au.
“There’s enough people making serious television shows around the world … why can’t we just make a show where people fall down stuff or get shot in the face with stuff?
“It is so simple, it’s brilliant,” he said.
Game Of Games airs Sunday nights on Network Ten and the WIN Network at 7.30pm.