Schapelle Corby Went On ‘Sunrise’ And Kochie Asked Her If A Reality Show Was Harder Than Prison

Schapelle Corby is one of the stars of SAS Australia, Channel 7’s new reality show that puts celebrities, including Roxy Jacenko and the Honey Badger, through a series of brutal tests that are normally reserved for recruits joining the special army services. As one of the show’s biggest drawcards, she’s been doing the press rounds and, unfortunately for all involved, this included a stop on Sunrise.

The 43-year-old convicted drug smuggler, who spent nine years in a Bali prison, is stepping into new territory by appearing on SAS. Since returning to Australia in 2017, Corby’s main communication with the public has been via her Instagram.

Chatting to Sam Armytage and David Koch from her Gold Coast home yesterday, Corby was asked why she’s chosen to enter the reality TV ring. The interview started off on the wrong foot thanks to the double-whammy of a slight audio delay and Armytage’s antagonistic first question.

“I covered part of your trial in Bali. If you’d said to me, fast forward 10–15 years, I’d be interviewing you now doing a reality show, I’d have said, ‘Oh, for goodness sake’,” Armytage said, before getting cut off by Corby, who couldn’t quite hear her.

Armytage repeats herself, before Corby cuts her off again with a curt answer: “Well, I wouldn’t have had any clue what would be in my future,” before insisting that she was simply doing the show for herself.

Things didn’t really improve from there, as Kochie later provided what may be one of the worst questions we’ve heard in a while: “What was tougher – doing this [SAS Australia] or spending those years in a Bali jail?”.

Corby is silent for a moment before she answers: “Well, it’s completely different, Kochie. Yeah.” She says no more, and there’s a pause as the hosts wait for an explanation of why being in a Balinese jail for nine years (for a crime Corby maintains innocence of to this day, no less) is worse than a reality TV show.

Kochie prompts her by asking how they’re different. “How? How? Well I can leave any — I can leave anytime — I can leave anytime I want,” she replied.

Even among Australian breakfast television standards, this is a sad moment. Soak it up below, with Kochie’s question arriving at 2:05 in the interview.

SAS Australia premiered last night on 7, with the episode focusing on Corby, who was taken for solo interrogation by SAS soldiers at the episode’s end. During her interrogation, she maintained innocence around her drug smuggling charges, and described her toughest period in prison as shortly after her dad’s death in 2008, when her mental health deteriorated to the level of regular hallucinations that she was eating her dad’s flesh.

Corby has been celebrated on social media after SAS‘s first episode as the show’s clear front-runner, while PR guru Roxy Jackeno voluntarily left last night, six hours into the first day of filming. The show airs Mondays and Tuesdays on Channel 7 at 7.30pm, with past episodes available online on 7+.

EXCLUSIVE: Convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby spoke to Kochie and Sam about life on the outside, her long-distance relationship and why she signed up for grueling new reality show #SASAustralia pic.twitter.com/EfBGu5Gmuk

— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) October 18, 2020