Could Home and Away be finished? Sam Frost reveals the future of popular soap looks uncertain – as Channel Seven slashes salaries and faces low ratings on new shows amid COVID-19 pandemic
Home and Away shut down production last month due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
And on Tuesday, Home and Away actress Sam Frost, 31, revealed that the future of the show looks uncertain as Channel Seven slashes salaries and battles low ratings.
During a phone interview on Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa, Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald asked her if Seven would run out of episodes by the end of the year.
‘I don’t know what they’re going to do! Sam Frost (pictured) reveals the future of Home and Away hangs in the balance – as Channel Seven slashes salaries and faces low ratings on new shows
‘I don’t know, it just depends on when we can come back (to work). They obviously want us back as soon as possible, but how many completed episodes we have, I don’t know,’ she said.
‘We were pretty far behind with the bushfires and there was a couple of cast that were out with family issues.
‘We are pretty far behind, I wouldn’t be surprised (and I don’t know this), if we have to maybe do to a couple eps a week or so. I don’t know what they’re going to do!’
Home and Away currently airs four episodes a week from Monday to Thursday.
The long-running drama returned to air at 7pm on Monday and attracted 676,000 metro viewers.
But 128,000 viewers tuned out for the following program House Rules: High Stakes, which aired in the primetime 7:30pm slot.
Tuning out: After Home and Away aired on Monday, 128,000 viewers tuned out for House Rules: High Stakes. Pictured: House Rules judge Kyly Clarke
The latest season of House Rules has been battling lower ratings than previous seasons while Channel Seven’s new dog grooming show Pooch Perfect has been bleeding viewers.
Despite being hosted by Australian star Rebel Wilson, the latest episode of Pooch Perfect brought in just 259,000 metro viewers – 58 per cent less than its premiere.
Channel Seven’s ratings woes come as the network slashed the salaries of some of its biggest stars by a whopping 20 per cent amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Plummeting views: Despite being hosted by Australian star Rebel Wilson (pictured), the latest episode of Pooch Perfect brought in just 259,000 metro viewers – 58 per cent less than its premiere
Seven News boss Craig McPherson told The Sydney Morning Herald’s Private Sydney on Saturday that the talent took the cuts with ‘great grace and class’.
The publication reports that Craig looks after Sunrise hosts Samantha Armytage, 43, and David ‘Kochie’ Koch, 64, who are two of the highest-paid stars at Seven.
They reportedly earned $500,000 and $1,000,000 respectively last year.
‘Everyone is doing what they can to get through this’: Channel Seven has been forced to slash the salaries of some of its biggest stars by 20 per cent amid the COVID-19 crisis. Pictured are Sunrise hosts Samantha Armytage and David Koch