Hazel Phillips

Hazel Julia Phillips (née Lovegrove) OAM (born 17 November 1929)^[1][3][4] is an English Australian Gold Logie-award-winning singer, actress and television talk show personality, with a notable career in Australia spanning every facet of the industry, including radio, theatre, television and film, as well as journalism. She is also a playwright, composer and lyricist who has written numerously for the stage^[2] Phillips also went to Hollywood, where she interviewed numerous celebritie's^[5]

Phillips has appeared in numerous film's including the Australian film The Set in 1970 and more recently in 2021, the Netflix film Love and Monsters, and is scheduled to appear in a Paramount film starring Sam Neill. and a TV commercial for Ford motors^[6]

Biography[]

Early life[]

Phillips was born as Hazel Lovegrove in Battersea (now Wandsworth), County of London (now south London). At the age of 20, she became engaged to her husband Bill, and they emigrated to Australia as "Ten Pound Poms" in 1950–51, marrying shortly afterwards and having two children, Mark (born 1953) and Scott (born 1955). In 1961, the family was involved in a serious car accident, with Phillips sustaining severe injuries to her chin. Her husband left them some time afterwards, with Phillips suggesting that the surgeries on her chin and an ectopic pregnancy contributed to the break-up of their marriage.

Early career[]

She started her career at radio 2UE, having won a talent contest for Miss television in Australia. Active in television since its inception in Australia, when she became one of the first personalities on Network Seven. in 1963, Phillips made her break into show business with a role on the talk show Beauty and the Beast opposite beast Eric Baume. She also began to appear on The Mavis Bramston Show, which she became a regular on after being told to choose between Bramston and Beauty and the Beast.^[7]

Gold Logie, television, film and theatre[]

She had left the seven network and was hosting the midday talk show Girl Talk on the fledgling Network Ten, for which she won the Gold Logie Award for the most popular female personality on Australian television, jointly winning with Graham Kennedy who won the male award.^[7]

Guest roles on numerous television shows including Number 96 (as a lesbian sharing a flat with Vera), Matlock Police, A Country Practice, G.P. and Pacific Drive, as well as mini-series Bride of Christ.

Films include The Set (as a nude swimmer), , . and Monster Problems

Theatre roles starting from 1956 include The Circle, Henry V, Pride and Prejudice and The Merry Wives of Windsor^[2]

She also featured in a Marilyn Monroe Cabaret Show in 2002^[8]

In 2020, Phillips spoke to the Studio 10 program about gender pay gaps in the entertainment industry, stating female television hosts were paid less than their male counterparts, and that in the 1960s she had been paid less than one-tenth of the salaries paid to stars like Graham Kennedy and Don Lane.^[9]

Honours and awards[]

Autobiography[]

In 2008, her autobiography, Black River, Bright Star (ISBN 9781921406171), was published by Zeus Publications.^[11]

Health[]

Phillips is an activist for alternative medicine, she suffered a mild heart attack in 2009, and underwent a hip replacement^[when?]

Australian Idol[]

Phillips refers to herself as the Australian Betty White, and in 2011, she performed in the fifth series of Australia's Got Talent.^[12] and performed the Frank Sinatra song "You Make Me Feel So Young" and the Marilyn Monroe, song Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend', Phillips reached the semi-finals in the over-65 category, but was eliminated in the public vote. She still performs with her sons quartet as a vocalist.

Filmography[]

Film and television[]

Appearances[]

References[]

External links[]

• Hazel Phillips at IMDb