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Sunday is a weekly in-depth current affairs show bringing viewers award-winning investigations into the stories that matter, from a team of the country's most experienced journalists.

  • 1Naughty School Fourteen year-old Ethan has issues anger issues which meant he sorted problems with his fists. He has been expelled from every school he has attended since he was eight. Then along came an angel called Trish who took him and other wayward kids off to "naughty school". It offers hope - one last chance.

    • Start 0 : 01 : 00
    • Finish 0 : 19 : 13
    • Duration 18 : 13
    Reporters
    • John Hudson (Reporter, Television New Zealand)
    Speakers
    • Trish Morgan (Teacher, Rangatahi Learning Centre)
    • Azalea Minarapa (Student, Rangatahi Learning Centre)
    • Constable Hazel Remfry (Wainuiomata Officer, New Zealand Police)
    • Ethan Finlay (Student, Rangatahi Learning Centre)
    • Sue Stevenson (Ethan's Mother)
    • Pamela Tui (Student, Rangatahi Learning Centre)
    • Martin isberg (Principal, Wainuiomata High School)
    Contributors
    • Chas Toogood (Producer)
    • Chris Cooke (Producer)
    Locations
    • Wainuiomata, New Zealand (Wellington)
    Live Broadcast
    • No
    Commercials
    • Yes
  • 2Princess Shorty Steve Waugh was a legendary sportsman, but it is what he has achieved with his post-cricket career that is more inspiring and noble. He is giving hope and help young people living with some of the world's rarest diseases, like 20-year-old Renee who stopped growing at age two and weighs just 12 kilos. And for the first time Steve talks about his own life-threatening trauma.

    • Start 0 : 24 : 01
    • Finish 0 : 44 : 19
    • Duration 20 : 18
    Speakers
    • Renee Eliades (Geleophysic Dysplasia Sufferer)
    • Steve Waugh (Former Australian Cricket Captain)
    • Lynette Waugh (Steve's Wife)
    • Karen Titterton (Liam's Mother)
    • Dr Charlie Teo (Neurosurgeon, Prince of Wales Hospital)
    Locations
    • Australia
    Live Broadcast
    • No
    Commercials
    • Yes
  • 3George Jason Alexander was the very funny, very neurotic, podgy, balding George Costanza in Seinfeld and was loved globally. Interview with the actor, singer comedian and director about obesity, bullying, heartache and new hair.

    • Start 0 : 48 : 19
    • Finish 1 : 00 : 33
    • Duration 12 : 14
    Reporters
    • P J Madam (Reporter, Channel Seven)
    Speakers
    • Jason Alexander (Actor)
    Live Broadcast
    • No
    Commercials
    • No
Primary Title
  • Sunday
Date Broadcast
  • Sunday 7 July 2013
Start Time
  • 19 : 30
Finish Time
  • 20 : 00
Duration
  • 30:00
Channel
  • TV One
Broadcaster
  • Television New Zealand
Programme Description
  • Sunday is a weekly in-depth current affairs show bringing viewers award-winning investigations into the stories that matter, from a team of the country's most experienced journalists.
Classification
  • Not Classified
Owning Collection
  • Chapman Archive
Broadcast Platform
  • Television
Languages
  • English
Captioning Languages
  • English
Captions
Live Broadcast
  • No
Rights Statement
  • Made for the University of Auckland's educational use as permitted by the Screenrights Licensing Agreement.
Genres
  • Current affairs
  • Newsmagazine
Hosts
  • Miriama Kamo (Presenter)
Tonight on Sunday ` fist fights, drugs, alcohol and wagging. Welcome to trouble school. You know, I'm getting really annoyed. Last-chance hotel. Excuse me, I'm trying to teach. OK? Troubled kids,... People just piss me off. ...but good kids. Happy as. (LAUGHS) Cos I'm waiting, OK, and I'm not gonna wait. Redemption at Rangitahi. I look like a baby or a little kid. The 20-year-old 12-kilo dynamo... Yes, Princess Shorty. Size, maybe, 1 in that. ...and the Aussie cricket legend. She has that magnetic sort of personality that... that makes you feel good about yourself. < Are you happy? Neurotic, podgy, bald... (SCREAMS) Oh my God. ...and loveable. I'm really sorry. (LAUGHS) Star of a show about nothing. You mean shrinkage. You mean shrinkage. Yes! Your hair! > Your hair! > What about it? Copyright TVNZ Access Services 2013 Kia ora. I'm Miriama Kamo. It's easy to judge them ` they're the disruptive troublemakers in the classroom, the kids on a one-way street to expulsion and maybe life's scrapheap. But there's a last-chance hotel ` 'naughty school', they call it ` and it's run by an angel, a woman who has faith in these kids. As John Hudson discovered, the pupils who thought they were good for nothing are now achieving. Tonight an inspiring visit to 'naughty school'. Looking at me. One,... < two, three. The Rangatahi Learning Centre. < Where are you going? < Where are you going? This is a tragedy! You know, I'm getting really annoyed. Wainuiomata kids call it 'naughty school'. Excuse me, I'm trying to teach, OK? A last chance at education for 14 students kicked out of the local high school. People just pissed me off. Get drunk and smoke drugs. I just didn't like school. Do as you're told. Do as you're told. Why did she have to move? Do as you're told. Why did she have to move? Because you're talking. Oh, you're annoying me now. Have you ever seen anyone with yellow eyes and they're getting red? You know, they're just signs of too much alcohol. It's like pickling your liver. 'Some have problems at home with overcrowding, living with more than one family; a lot of drug issues; 'with violence, but not necessarily in the home.' Shall I film you? Cos I'm waiting, OK, and I'm not gonna wait. Can you shh? Daniel, shut up. For Rangatahi teacher Trish Morgan, the challenge is to help troubled kids learn to want to learn. Listen. I get a lot of kids that say, 'Oh, Miss, no one's ever told me I'm good at this,' and it's actually just finding that one piece, one part of a student, their strengths, and you're sort of away. You start making some headway. Making headway in Wainuiomata has never been easy. WOMAN: There's little work offering in Wainuiomata, so the men have to drive over the hill to Petone, the Hutt Valley and Wellington. Trish Morgan was born here in the 1960s, walked these streets all her life. Sad to just see it the way it is today. When Trish left school at 15, there were plenty of jobs in the valley. You know, it employed so many people; it made carpets; it was busy; Wainui used to boom. Um, it's just really sad to see. Sad because the companies that made the carpets, car upholstery and shoes have now gone. People are moving out, you know, going to work over the hill. And now it's often not just Dad who's working over the hill, but Mum as well. Leaving little Jimmy behind? > Leaving little Jimmy, and that's the hard thing ` little Jimmy has to get himself to school. You're dead right there, and that's quite hard for some young people. Hi! Hi! Do I look all right? Sometimes those latchkey kids don't get to school at all. Your big head's in the way. My attendance at Wainui High was low, really low. really low. How low? I, like, went there twice a week maybe; wag half a day, go home. Right. What would you do on the other three days when you weren't at school? Get drunk and smoke drugs. Yeah. Yeah. And no one said, 'Go to school'? Yeah, but I just won't listen. Yeah, but I just won't listen. Oh. > Yeah, but I just won't listen. Oh. > Yeah. (GIGGLES) Until the school said, 'You can't be here any more'? Yeah, then Trish came and asked if I wanted to be with her, and I said 'Yeah.' OK, cos this is really important. Azalea likes the family atmosphere at Rangatahi, and now she's getting NCEA credits. And are you coming here five days a week now? > And are you coming here five days a week now? > Yeah, my attendance is 100%. 100%. And how does it feel to be doing that? 100%. And how does it feel to be doing that? Good. I'm kinda used to it now. Are you doing the drugs and alcohol any more? Are you doing the drugs and alcohol any more? Nah, a bit boring now. Do you think you're happier? Do you think you're happier? Yeah. I've, like, got a smile now. So the key is to have someone looking after you, yeah? Yeah, and showing me and telling me I can do it, not putting me down. So yeah. VACUUM CLEANER WHIRS INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS What do you think would happen if there was no Rangatahi? > Um, pretty much residential care. Um, some of them would be in trouble ` burglaries and bits and pieces. The police know that. Do they chip your teeth? Interesting. Yep, that's the local cop come to school to see how they're doing. What have you enjoyed most about this week? And sometimes she'll help Trish round up the truants. Although, we don't have any legal rights to make them go to school, so again, it comes back down to us having a chat with them and trying to encourage them to go to school. What do you say? You know, at 10 o'clock in the morning, 'Jimmy, why aren't you at school?' Yeah, 'Why aren't you at school?' Yeah, that's normally the standard question, 'Jimmy, why aren't you at school?' If we turn up, they generally take the view that it's serious enough. I don't want any more! < Do you see success stories here? < Do you see success stories here? Definitely, yeah. A lot of them have dreams and aspirations, and it's about trying to project to them that if they want to do that, then they need to get back into mainstream school. MAN: Just try and, um, take your legs a bit further apart. Ethan dreams of being a professional footballer or chef. Cos my sister used to be a chef. And yeah, soccer player ` been playing soccer since, like, five years now. But while he has a natural sporting talent, his fists keep getting him into trouble. They say that I've gotta stop fighting, I'm on my last chance. If I get into one more fight, I'm outta this school and this other school, so I won't be at any school. < How many singles flow through your body? Ethan has been suspended for fighting from every school he's been to since he was 8. < Do you know why you get angry? Nah, not really. Nah, not really. You're now 14 ` that's six years of getting angry. Pretty much. He got bullied a lot in his younger years, and, um, it sorta just carried on from there. He, sort of, turned into the bully when he, sort of, hit intermediate age. Ethan's mum, Sue, says she and Ethan's dad separated when Ethan was 6. Do you think that Ethan's anger had anything do with what was going on at home? > Not overly, no. No. Ethan's had problems right through from primary school to... yeah, right through to high school, so... It's still early days at Rangatahi for Ethan. He says he's happier here. < Have you got angry here? Nah. (CHUCKLES) There's a first. Would you ever consider going back to high school? Would you ever consider going back to high school? Nah, I don't like going back there. < Yeah. < Yeah. I had a chance to go back, but I blew it. What did you do? What did you do? Got into a fight. I think that the kind of stuff that they're doing today is really good therapy for anger management. If you're angry about something, whatever it is ` it might be something at home or... you can go and take it out on a punching bag. You can go and sorta get rid of that real negative energy. After the break ` beginning high school all over again at 17. I have, like, no caregivers. I'm officially independent. Gerome, you're ruining my lesson. Don't. Go over there. Removed. Go. OK? Haven't got time. Today we need to be educated ` we need level 1; we need level 2; and really, we all need level 3. We know that, but do they? I'm trying to teach, OK? You should be listening. Richie, I need you in the middle. How many of the 14 students you've got at the moment do you think have the potential to get back to high school? > do you think have the potential to get back to high school? > There are potentially three. Three out of 14? Three out of 14? Yeah, at the moment. Pamela Tui is one of them. She's seized that last chance Rangatahi offered. I was sort of a bully. I was mean to, like, heaps of kids around year nine and 10. Once, fighting, drinking and drugs were part of Pamela's daily life. I was pretty angry, eh. I wasn't the most happiest child. And look at me now ` I'm happy as. (GIGGLES) Now she's back ` back in uniform, back at Wainuiomata High School, back trying to make up for lost time. OK, so what name do you think you wanna call your music festival? OK, so what name do you think you wanna call your music festival? I wanna call it All The Above. All The Above? Pamela has just turned 17. For most of those years, she's attended the school of hard knocks. I just started playing up at home as well, and I ended up being in CYFs care. What were you doing? What were you doing? Running away, drinking. Got arrested a lot. (SIGHS) There was a time when Pamela hardly went to school at all, and when she did, she'd often abuse the teachers. I used to, like, bottle everything up in my head, and then just take it on someone else. I had a bad temper. Someone did something, said something, I'd snap off really easily. A bad temper and a hangover. We all used to drink, and we all did still drink around when I was going to that school. But it wasn't at school ` it was, like, after school and stuff. And what's changed that? Um, Trish. The main area involved in thinking is our decision making, so what's decision making? Right and wrong. > Right and wrong. > Nice. OK. It took Trish until she was 30 to realise if she wanted to teach, she needed to go to university. < I need you to write the Walton. I just... Now she's telling pupils like Pamela it's never too late. ...those three questions. 'I think Pamela's one of the most amazing students I've ever come across.' When I first met Pam she was in Child Youth And Family care and she wasn't attending school, she was hanging around the mall area. So I told her she needed to come to my school 9 o'clock the next day, we need to start doing something. Pamela turned up at Rangatahi, but at first, nothing changed. It was just closer to the people I was drinking with in the first place. So how do we know we'll succeed? OK? But then something special happened. 'Actually got to know Trish, started trusting her.' She put me through WellTrust... so I could quit drinking. Pam decided that she wanted to return to the mainstream and she was gonna work as hard as she could. Trish was talking to me about what I wanted to do. And, you know, the only way to do it was to go get an education and go to school. If they can see that there's someone that believes in them and they can do things, it can swing things. You're no longer living with your parents? Cos I have, like, no caregivers I'm officially independent, so... I have Trish to... just lead me in the right way for school. And Trish is always there when I need help. Rangatahi is controlled by the Wainuiomata High School Board. Filming right behind you when you were going, 'Gabble, gabble, gabble.' Listen. Our board works hard to keep kids in the system. OK. Thank you. And we don't think we serve the community by kicking kids out of the education system. Says you've done your brainstorm. Says you've done your brainstorm. Yeah, I've done my brainstorm. But nor is the high school served by pandering to students with behavioural problems. If kids don't fit into our school, it's an alternative for us, and it keeps them in education. Well, what's the alternative to alternative schools? Quite often a lot of them go into correspondence. Um, maybe they can find other schools ` that's becoming increasingly difficult. Schools won't take on students who are causing trouble in other schools. So you've finally found a teacher who you like. So you've finally found a teacher who you like. Yeah, she's like my mother now. So since you're talking, you can tell me some of the facts and stuff that we went over on alcohol, please. > Too much is dangerous. Too much is dangerous. Dead right. Alternative schools like Rangatahi don't work for all pupils, but when they do, they can change lives. One fact. One fact. Um, age restricted. One fact. Um, age restricted. Age restricted. Richie. 'For me it's a real buzz because it's what your job's about is watching kids achieve.' And it's not necessarily just mainstream, getting kids back into the mainstream. It's watching kids go into the wider community and be accepted and continue learning. Where do you see yourself in five years' time? Five years' time I'm hoping to have a job, finish my schooling, and... I'm hoping to get pregnant by the time I hit... 21. What about 31? No? (LAUGHS) No. No. You wanna have babies? > No. You wanna have babies? > Yeah, I do. Oh, just one. Just one? > Just one? > Just one. Yeah, well, good on her. And at the same time, Pamela says she's tossing up between studying to be a social worker or a teacher. Well, next ` she's 20 years old and weighs just 12 kilos. People are curious, very curious. They haven't seen anyone like Renee Eliades before. Usually the question is, 'How old is she?' And, like, I'll say... Mum or I say how old I am, and they freak. They freak out and, like, they're, like, 'No. Are you sure?' It's, like, of course I know how old I am. (LAUGHS) Hello again. A woman who's one in a million and a sporting legend who's one of a kind. Now, Renee Eliades is 20 and tiny, just 12 kilos. She lives with a condition which stopped her growing when she was a toddler. Now, Renee hates cricket, but she loves one of cricket's greatest living legends, Steve Waugh. Why? Well, this is their story. INQUISITIVE MUSIC I am 20 now and turning 21 soon in May. Very excited. Very weird. If size was measured by a zest for life, Renee Eliades would tower over all of us, which is just one of the reasons why Steve Waugh and his wife, Lynette, are dropping by. MUSIC CONTINUES Hello. Hi, Mary. Hello. Hi, Mary. Hi. How are you? How you going? Good to see you. How you going? Good to see you. Good, thanks. Renee. Renee. Hello. Renee. Hello. Hello. Good to see you again. Good to see you again. Good to see you again. All right? From the moment they met Renee, they quickly learned not to judge this tiny book by its cover. Interested to see what sort of pictures you've got in here. What's going on here? LAUGHTER LAUGHTER < That was when I turned 18. OK, and, uh, obviously there's a Pure Blonde. What's going on there? How many of those did you have? Oh, too many. No, I'm joking. Oh, too many. No, I'm joking. LAUGHTER Every time you meet someone like Renee, you feel better for having met her. I mean, she has that magnetic sort of personality that makes you feel good about yourself. Come see my room. What do you think? Come see my room. What do you think? I'll have a look. Let's have a look. Oh my God, who's that guy? I don't I recognise him. Why are there so many posters of him? Zac Efron. He's a hottie, isn't he? Well, that's not the word I'd use, but, you know, he's OK, yeah. < So, are you gonna go to a cricket game with him? < So, are you gonna go to a cricket game with him? No. This is my one of my posters. What do you think? You love it so much, I'm gonna cover one of Zac Efron's posters up. No, I don't really like cricket, eh. He's trying to convince me, but I like Zac Efron. I'd always wanted to start a charity up in Australia and help kids who'd fought against the odds. Something in me always connected with the underdog and that spirit. Renee, explain your condition for us. What's it called? Renee, explain your condition for us. What's it called? It's geleophysic dysplasia. Since I was about 2 years old, I've been the same size since then. So you were growing normally until that point? So you were growing normally until that point? I was growing n` I think around 18 months is when I officially slowed down, and then after just stopped growing. Do you feel 20? Yeah, I feel 20, yeah. But I know what other people on the other side ` how they see me. Like, I look like a baby or a little kid, but that's OK. I don't mind. TECHNO MUSIC Cosmo for me. Cosmo for me. Cosmo. I'm getting an apple martini. One cosmo and one mojito. Do your friends treat you the same? Do your friends treat you the same? Yes, the same. < You're Renee ` it doesn't matter? < You're Renee ` it doesn't matter? Yep, doesn't matter. I've gotta try yours. I've gotta try yours. Don't choke on the apple. < Although, they do have a fun nickname for you, don't they? < Although, they do have a fun nickname for you, don't they? Yes, Princess Shorty. Oh! And I'm fine with that. That's cool. And I'm fine with that. That's cool. < (LAUGHS) Perfume would be nice. She likes perfumes. I love to go out even just the movies or even just walking down the beach. < Do you like shopping? < Do you like shopping? Love shopping. Have you got, like, a size maybe one in that? It's very hard to find my-sized clothes, like, especially without, like, Barbie on it and... So, what colour did you wanna do today? So, what colour did you wanna do today? Um, maybe pink. Do people stare at you? What's the reaction? Do people stare at you? What's the reaction? They're curious. They're very curious. They haven't seen anyone like me. Usually, the question is, 'How old is she?' And, like, I say` Mum or I say how old I am, and they freak. They freak out. Like, they're, like, 'No. Are you sure?' It's, like, of course I know how old I am. How much harder would life be if you hadn't met Steve and Lynette? Oh,... very hard. Like, financially, it would be very hard. That's because after Renee suffered heart failure and pneumonia five years ago, her tiny lungs needed extra help. A social worker at her hospital contacted Steve and Lynette, who guaranteed a portable oxygen supply 24-7, changing Renee's life. So, what about driving a car? Do you reckon one day you might be able to drive a car? That'd be pretty cool. Without the extra oxygen, she'd be housebound. Do you reckon you'd be a good driver or not? Do you reckon you'd be a good driver or not? I reckon I would be. Oh, OK. Oh, OK. I drive a wheelchair. Should be` Exactly. If you can drive a wheelchair, you can drive that. Piece of cake. How do you choose who to support? What constitutes a rare disease? Uh, look, a rare disease is classified as less than a one-in-2000 condition. Quite often, some of the kids we support are the only ones in the world with that particular condition and as such have got no support groups, they get no government funding regularly, and they have got nowhere else to turn. We learnt very early on that charity isn't easy. I mean, it's not playing cricket, put it that way. It's harder. I mean, it's not playing cricket, put it that way. It's harder. < Piece of cake, yeah. KIDS CHATTER INTRIGUING MUSIC It was during a cricket tour of India in 1997 that Steve met Mother Teresa. Her work with the less fortunate rubbed off on the Aussie captain. I thought, 'If she can dedicate her life to helping the poorest of the poor, 'then maybe I can do something in a small way.' Steve's first step was to help a rehabilitation centre in Calcutta for children affected by leprosy. It's called Udayan. I think fate brought me to that place. I thought, 'I can't walk away and pretend I didn't see what I've seen.' I mean, that's a pretty confronting thing to do. I mean, that's a pretty confronting thing to do. Oh, definitely. He came home, and I went 'Right, leprosy, OK.' I mean, like anyone else, I was completely uninformed about what leprosy was, so it was one of those diseases that were quite dark. And I must admit, I went to visit with him, and it was one of the most amazing experiences that I've ever had. So fast-forward from that experience ` you've come home with all of that in your heart and your head and decided to start your foundation. How did you choose who to help? I was about to retire in Australia. People said, 'You can have a great testimonial year, make a lot of money.' I thought, 'I've done well out of cricket. Is there something better I can do with that?' And we wanted to help kids who had nowhere else to turn. And we since` we found out pretty soon after there was a lot of kids that needed a lot of help. < WOMAN: Liam. < Where's the smile? Kids like Liam Titterton, who, five months after being born, was diagnosed with a rare 'brain and spinal cord' disease. ADEM, which is acute disseminating encephalomyelitis. It's very rare. It only happens in about eight in a million, and he's the youngest known case. MAN: Strong boy. Oh, look at those. Where's your teeth? POIGNANT MUSIC We went to this physical disability doctor, and I remember sitting there and her saying to me... that he was gonna need a wheelchair and a walking frame and he would have a hip operation, and I just sat there and` and just was like a` I was like a stunned mullet. Go, Liam. Liam's family needed help. A friend put them in touch with Steve and Lynette's foundation. Soon after, Liam was driving a state-of-the-art wheelchair. Race him. Race him home. Race him. Race him home. (LAUGHS) It's a race. The $36,000 gift gave Liam independence and his mum, Karen, a whole lot more. He stood up, and he said, 'Mum, I want a hug.' < Yeah, it was wonderful. < Yeah, it was wonderful. And I walked up, and I said, 'You're so tall standing up.' And he put his arms around me and hugged me, and that was the first time in his life ` and he was 8... < Yeah, 7 or 8. Yeah. < Yeah, 7 or 8. Yeah. ...that he gave me a hug. GENTLE MUSIC You want a cuddle? That's worth all the money in the world, because I'd waited that long. I'd had lots of love, and lots of hugs and kisses, but for him to spontaneously` but for him to spontaneously` < For him to be actually able to stand up and do, it was wonderful. It was awesome. GENTLE MUSIC Almost as good as that hug ` Come on, Liam. Time for a wicket. > Liam's been recruited into Steve Waugh's cricket team. Good ball. Yeah! Yeah! Oh, that was a beauty. That is good pace. Well done. Duck! Yeah! Duck! Yeah! Great delivery. All these kids ` they don't want to be alone. They don't want to be unknown. They want someone to be in their corner and fighting with them. And that's common between all the diseases. I mean, no matter how different they are, the same message is, you know, 'I'm the only one, but I don't want to be alone.' Well, when we come back, a life-threatening crisis at home ` one which Steve and Lynette Waugh have not discussed publically before. And I just had this enormous headache. I thought, 'Oh, this is a killer of a headache.' You know? I remember warning Steve that night that things could be very serious, that she may not even last the night. He said you've gotta prepare yourself for the worst. LILTING PIANO MUSIC PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES 1 MUSIC SLOWS MUSIC QUICKENS MUSIC CONTINUES When inspiration strikes, talk to ANZ. We have more local experts in more places to help bring your thinking to life. So, Renee Eliades, turning 21 and just 12 kilos. She has geleophysic dysplasia, a gene disorder which stopped her growing at 18 months old. Renee's a little with a big personality. She's fought plenty of battles. But then her benefactor, cricketer Steve Waugh, faced a terrifying one of his own. Now here's Steve and Lynette Waugh's untold story. INTRIGUING MUSIC You guys are coming up to 30 years since you met. You were very very young. Yeah. Can you tell me? It was school formal was your first date. He was persistent, wasn't he, yeah? > I don't know. Look, it's too long to almost remember what happened, but` Muck-up day. Yeah, it was muck-up day, and I just remember this young girl running past me and throwing this tub of spaghetti over my head. I thought she's got` and throwing this tub of spaghetti over my head. I thought she's got` Yep, I got him. (LAUGHS) ...a bit of 'get up and go'. What's going on there?' That grabbed my attention for whatever reason, and, yeah, it went from there. and, yeah, it went from there. He asked if you liked cricket, you said no, and that's when I think you said the famous line about, 'Well, then you're gone.' Luckily, you didn't. Yeah. Yeah, it's pretty right. The first time I met Lynette's parents, they said, 'What are you going to do with your life?' I said, 'I'm gonna be a professional cricketer,' so they thought, 'Jeez, we got a good one on our hands.' I'm thinking, 'Is it a job? Is that possible?' Love letters ` you wrote to each other when you were travelling. You were away from home a lot. Was that really important, Lynette, did you find? > Yes, communication. Yes. He used to send me little treasures from his trips. Don't give them too much. Don't give them too much. I know. It was so sweet, though, and it was Valentine's Day. Yeah, he used to send` He found a little coin in the West Indies, and he'd mail it back to me. You know, he found it on the beach. and he'd mail it back to me. You know, he found it on the beach. OK, enough's enough. Cut. Then two years later, Lynette suffered a stroke that almost took her life. She's never publicly spoken about what happened. It was August 2 2006. I just had this enormous headache. I thought, 'Oh, this is a killer of a headache.' You know, it's another Panadeine to take that day. I was literally taking six by that stage. I just chose not really to not do much about it. And, um, I just` My vision became quite distorted, and then I just had this overwhelming need to just go and lie down. Steve was away in Melbourne on a book tour. Lynette was at home in Sydney with their three young children. She told 5-year-old Austin to ring her parents. They raced over, and the next thing, she was in hospital. They said she had a bleed on the brain the size of a squash ball, and having been good mates with Charlie Teo for a long time, I sort of knew what that meant. She'd had a, uh, big haemorrhage ` in other words, a bleed into her brain. Not around the brain but actually into the brain itself. It was pretty nasty, nasty area. I remember warning Steve that night that things could be very serious ` she may not last the night. He said, 'You've got to prepare yourself for the worst,' so it was a daunting experience, getting on a plane and thinking that Lynette was no longer gonna be there. I had three young kids at the time, and a million things go through your mind. I couldn't reassure Steve and I shouldn't have, because I really didn't know what was gonna happen either. The next morning, Lynette's condition worsened, and Dr Teo rushed her to surgery. It was definitely life-threatening. In fact, uh, what transpired was that she almost did die. The emergency operation eased the pressure on her brain and saved her life. It was four days in intensive care where it was sort of touch-and-go, because even after the operation, you're not sure whether it's gonna be all OK. When she came home, she had to be taught how to make a cup of tea ` put the power point on, plug it in, put hot water in the kettle, you've gotta put a teabag in, you've gotta put in sugar, you've gotta put milk ` so it had to start all over again. For 12 months, Lynette lost all vision on her right side. She needed intensive speech therapy and even today suffers from short-term memory loss. You clearly admire what she's done. > I can't imagine myself going through it, and I think the one thing incredible about Lynette is she's never complained it happened to her. I call it my stroke of luck because it wasn't until after I'd been sick and the time it took to come out of that, I suddenly went` I'd stand next to some of these children and I'd say, 'You know, I can actually feel the struggle or the determination to actually recover.' A spin or a quick one? You always strive for what can be normal, I mean, and it's like that with the kids, I mean, like Liam playing cricket or Renee just getting simple oxygen to go out and be a teenager, a young adult, clubbing and getting your nails done. I mean, I think that no matter what happens, you try to get back to normality. And it might not be the normality you had before, but it's what you've got, and you just live that way. How many people like you are in Australia? Do you know of anyone with your condition? I don't think there's anyone that's as small as me that actually looks like a little girl. < Yeah. 'I think she teaches us life lessons. 'Every time I'm around kids like that I'm learning things.' They get on with life. They never complain. In a lot of ways, I find her` she's a mentor towards me. Does he make you go to the cricket? Does he make you go to the cricket? Yes, he does. How's that working out for you? How's that working out for you? Oh, I have to become` I have to find excuses not to go. Or do a deal, so you have to go to the cricket, he can come to the next Zac Efron movie. Oh yeah. That's pushing it so far. That's pushing it too far. That's pushing it so far. That's pushing it too far. Oh, that's a great idea. Zac Efron? Zac Efron? I like that. It's very hard having a rare disease. You go through a lot, but still I'm like any other teenager. And now you've got these guys in your corner. And now you've got these guys in your corner. Yeah. They help a hell of a lot. They're kind? > They're kind? > Very kind, amazing heart` like, amazing-hearted people. > Yeah, good hearts. > Good fun? > Good fun? > Get the wallet out. That's what you wanted. < Are you happy? < Are you happy? Yes, very happy. Well, next, Jason Alexander. Remember George Costanza, that neurotic, overweight, tragic sidekick of Jerry Seinfeld? Well, you know, you got some real strong pecs, but it's hard to tell under that T-shirt. You want me to take it off? You want me to take it off? Well, I dunno. It's up to you. Do you think it would be better if I did? It might be. I mean, whatever you want. It might be. I mean, whatever you want. All right! Come on! (LAUGHS) That's it. Come on, George. That's it. Come on, give it to me! Come on! Work it! Hello again. Jason Alexander made his name as George Costanza, Jerry Seinfeld's neurotic, podgy, balding, yet hilarious and loveable sidekick. In real life, Jason is his own man with a full head of hair ` not his own ` and a surprisingly successful post-Seinfeld career. But as a kid, Jason Alexander reveals, he was tormented by schoolyard bullies. And tonight, he has a message for them. PJ Madam with the real George Costanza. What's the first thing you think of when you hear this? > SEINFELD THEME TUNE PLAYS Money! (SNIFFS) The greatest gig in the world. Nothing for you. Someone somewhere in the world is watching a rerun of Seinfeld. I mean, this show about nothing. It's so successful. And literally, in the world. I've gone places where I was certain I was a face in the crowd, and... (CHUCKLES) one guy yells out, 'Shrinkage!' (SHRIEKS) Oh my God. I'm sorry. I thought this was the baby's room. LAUGHS: I'm really sorry. Shrinkage is a phenomena that a man will experience when he enters a cold body of water. I was in the pool! The genitals will actually diminish. You mean 'shrinkage'? You mean 'shrinkage'? Yes. Significant shrinkage. You get a diminishment that can be pretty astonishing sometimes. It shrinks? Like a frightened turtle. Why does it shrink? Why does it shrink? It just does. I don't know how you guys walk around with those things. Jason, I need to ask you this cos it's really obvious ` your hair?! What about it? What about it? You've got some! What about it? You've got some! I do. Not bad, hey? I understand you actually started to lose your hair at about 16, is that right? Yeah. I never had a good day, PJ! I went into braces when I was 8 years old. And they come off, and I have a big day, and I'm 17, and they come off. I go to the gym and I shower and I dry my hair and I go, 'What the hell is that?' And, like, a bald spot the size of a quarter had been at the top of my head, hiding. You're bald! Hey. Hey, hey, hey. Come on! No! No! No! No! No! No! I don't like this thing! And here's what I'm doing with it! So, you had braces, you were going bald... Yeah. It paints a picture, doesn't it? Yeah. It paints a picture, doesn't it? (LAUGHS) Were you bullied? I wasn't bullied once I got out of... Well, that's not true. What the bullying became, when I got into middle school and high school, because I was doing theatricals, right, I was considered a fag. So it was that thing. And` And they would use the word 'fag', but they didn't even know what they meant. They weren't calling me a homosexual. They were just, 'You're a fag.' Meaning, 'You're not enough of a man. You're not like us; you're other.' So there was that stuff. And I had a couple of kids that I would try to avoid in the hallways. How did you deal with that? Bullying's a big problem in Australia too. Now, it's... They've got it to a fine art. At least, when I was going to school, when you left school, you had a respite, they didn't follow you into your home. But now with the internet, it's 24-7 and it's inescapable. So I don't know how kids deal with it now. In fact, they don't deal with it very well. Do you have any advice for kids going through similar stages? Of course, you do. But I don't know that it will speak to the kid, because it takes` it takes some faith that the reality you're in is not real. And you can't tell a 14-year-old kid, who's being, you know, just hammered, 'This is not who you are. And by the way, 10 years from now, 'these kids are gonna want to be your friend.' It doesn't make sense to them. They only know now. Um, so I don't know that I have any advice other than, you do have to take into yourself ` 'It's not me. I'm not what they say I am. I'm what I say I am.' Who are you, George Costanza? I'm the opposite of every guy you've ever met. How would you describe the very complex but funny character of George Costanza? I feel like my old self again ` totally inadequate, completely insecure, paranoid, neurotic. It's a pleasure. It's a pleasure. It's good to have you back. I'm a disaster. I-I-I'm a disaster. There's something wonderful about someone who goes, 'I... I'm a mess.' Fire! SCREAMING You always think if George had a better mummy or a good therapist or a girl that really loved him, he might just come around, you know? You might just be able to be friends with him. You might just be able to be friends with him. You might be able to tolerate him. But he didn't have the benefit of those things. Jason, you've been married for 30 years, almost. Jason, you've been married for 30 years, almost. Yes, oh, past 30. Oh, past 30 years? How long? Oh, past 30 years? How long? Next May will be 31, and we're together 33. I kind of dragged her down the aisle and 33-almost years later, here we are. You say all of this with a really lovely smile on your face. She's the best. In fact, she said looks weren't even that important to her. In fact, she said looks weren't even that important to her. You see`? What?! You once described yourself as being painfully shy and a bit dysfunctional as a child. What was the cause of this? You really want to know? There were three events that happened when I was 6 years old, almost back to back. I had an uncle, and he died. It was my first encounter with death, and they had an open casket. So I'm now looking at this guy, and then they close the box, they put the box in the ground, and my little 6-year-old brain went, 'Whoa.' About a month after that, my father had a massive heart attack and was in intensive care for the better part of two months where I was not allowed to see him. So for all practical purposes, he had died. And then about a month, two months after he recovered and was back home, um, we had a robbery in my house that was extraordinary. They came with a moving van dressed as movers and in broad daylight, in plain sight, they took the refrigerator, clothes. They took... So I came home, and I was a latch-key kid, so I'm the first one home, and I open the door and my life is gone, and I thought that child's nightmare ` 'My parents left; I'm all alone.' Those three things within the period of six months, um, I can look back now and say had a pretty devastating effect. But you recovered and, well, you were able to manage it, in some way. But you recovered and, well, you were able to manage it, in some way. Theatre actually saved me. Welcome. You've made it. This is pretty exciting. Come on in. Welcome. You've made it. This is pretty exciting. Come on in. Thank you. Thanks so much. All right. It's a little dark and mysterious, but... What are the magic words that make doors open? 'Open sesame'? After you. After you. This is awesome! When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a magician. That's what it would look like, your big entrance. So what is it that you love about magic? > Possibilities. Um, when I was a little kid, it was a way of feeling powerful. Why didn't you pursue it? Did you want to make a career of it? Why didn't you pursue it? Did you want to make a career of it? I wanted to be a close-up magician. I wanted to be able to do cards and coins and hand props. Long story short, my hands were not great. I didn't have the dexterity. I didn't really have the size of hand that made palming cards easy. Let's have a look. Let's have a look. They're pretty small. I'm a small guy. Those are nice. How have I never noticed this before? They're smooth, creamy, delicate yet masculine. Instead of focusing on close-up things, I'd focus on something like escapes. So I went and learned how to do some escape things. Can you get in and out of a straitjacket? I used to do it very efficiently. Are you ready? Are you ready? Go ahead. I've had my children. It's perfectly fine! (LAUGHS) OK! I can't go through the last hole! This is Australian birth control. This is Australian birth control. I can't go to the last hole. Is that OK? You know how many women have told me that? Oh my goodness. OK. That's actually the tough part. When Houdini was doing this upside-down, it was really impressive because he had gravity working against him. Now I've made some neck-hole room. Oh my gosh. And it's just that easy. And it's just that easy. Oh, my gosh! That is incredible! How's my hair? Oh, it's still on? Good! Feel the beat! Feel the beat! You got some real strong pecs, but it's hard to tell under that T-shirt. You want me to take it off? You want me to take it off? Well, I... Up to you. Do you think it would be better if I did? Do you think it would be better if I did? It might be. Whatever you want. Oh, all right. Come on! That's it. Come on, George. Give it to me. Come on. Work it! Work it! The thing that's hard about it, about Seinfeld, is I spent my 30s doing Seinfeld. I've actually done other things, and I dream of doing other things, but the thing people want to talk about is Seinfeld. Now, sometimes being dragged back to something that you've done at a relatively young age can feel diminishing. Um, I have never allowed it to do that. Part of it was a conversation I had with Bill Shatner where he said, 'You know, I know this thing you've got is early in your life. 'Don't make the mistake I have.' He said, 'It's a gift to the world, and it will outlive you and you may not have another one, 'but most people don't get one, so embrace it.' What's the matter? My mother caught me. Caught you? Doing what? Caught you? Doing what? You know. I was alone... Why did you stop Seinfeld? We had done it for nine years, the characters were iconic, we were at the top of our game, and we all said, you know, 'It's done well by us. Let's get out while we can hold our heads high.' What do you love about our country? What do you love about our country? Here's the easiest way for me to tell you why I love the country ` mate. (LAUGHS) Oh dear. The notion that the guy that serves you your coffee is your mate, the guy that runs your banking account is your mate, the guy on the sporting team is your mate and the prime minister of the country is your mate; that you're all mates; that you're all in it together. That sense only happens in America, for me, when we have a disaster. But you guys propagate it every day just by going, 'Hey, mate, good morning. Gidday, mate.' It is... I love it. I love it. Jason Alexander, thank you. Thank you! Pleasure. (AUSTRALIAN ACCENT) Gidday, sheila! You're not a mate! What are we gonna do? Shall we just move? That won't be necessary. BOTH GUFFAW Shut your traps and stop kicking the seats! We're trying to watch the movie. Now, shut your mouths or I'll shut 'em for ya. And if you think I'm kidding, just try me. Try me, because I would love it!! I love that he thinks gidday is 'good day'. Well, kati ra mo tenei po. That's us for tonight. Nga mihi nui mo o koutou tautoko mo Te Wiki i te Reo Maori. Thanks for joining us, and we'll see you next Sunday night. Kia pai to wiki. Po marie.
Reporters
  • John Hudson (Reporter, Television New Zealand)
  • P J Madam (Reporter, Channel Seven)
Speakers
  • Azalea Minarapa (Student, Rangatahi Learning Centre)
  • Constable Hazel Remfry (Wainuiomata Officer, New Zealand Police)
  • Dr Charlie Teo (Neurosurgeon, Prince of Wales Hospital)
  • Ethan Finlay (Student, Rangatahi Learning Centre)
  • Jason Alexander (Actor)
  • Karen Titterton (Liam's Mother)
  • Lynette Waugh (Steve's Wife)
  • Martin isberg (Principal, Wainuiomata High School)
  • Pamela Tui (Student, Rangatahi Learning Centre)
  • Renee Eliades (Geleophysic Dysplasia Sufferer)
  • Steve Waugh (Former Australian Cricket Captain)
  • Sue Stevenson (Ethan's Mother)
  • Trish Morgan (Teacher, Rangatahi Learning Centre)
Locations
  • Wainuiomata, New Zealand (Wellington)
  • Australia
Contributors
  • Chas Toogood (Producer)
  • Chris Cooke (Producer)