Veteran reporter Charles Wooley has revisited a controversial interview he conducted with former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke and his partner Blanche d'Alpuget in the mid-1990s, recalling the infamous question that generated significant public furore.
Wooley, then a reporter for the television program 60 Minutes, described the interview, which took place shortly after Hawke's separation from his wife Hazel, as a moment that "haunts me to this day." The segment featured d'Alpuget sensually applying suntan lotion to Hawke's back. It was during this intimate moment that Wooley posed a question regarding the origins of their physical relationship.
Wooley explained that his producer insisted on asking the question, stating, "Every woman in Australia wants to know. Don't wimp out." The producer further emphasized the commercial imperative of the program, noting, "We don't make 'television programs', we sell Toyotas." Although Wooley himself was hesitant, his producer suggested that the visual of d'Alpuget applying lotion to Hawke was the primary content they had paid for.
The question, as Wooley recalled it, was a rambling inquiry involving phrases such as "shouldn't it be clarified" and "what most people want to know," ultimately leading to the condensed five-word query that aired: "When did the sex begin?"
Neither Hawke nor d'Alpuget directly answered the question during the interview. Wooley noted that the resulting publicity and public reaction were far more significant than any direct answer. He reflected on the nature of media at the time, contrasting it with current morning television discussions, and questioned why commercial television viewership has declined.
Wooley also mentioned his initial reluctance to join 60 Minutes due to its perceived tabloid style, but was encouraged by producer Peter Meakin to embrace the commercial realities of television. He recalled his producer's pragmatic advice: "You are in the commercial world now. We don't make 'television programs', we sell Toyotas."