Bondi Lifeguards Want a Piece of the Pie

Stars of the hugely successful Bondi Rescue have revealed growing animosity at the lack of riches being bestowed upon them.

Working for a Waverley Council salary of around $60,000 per year, the 33 lifeguards who front the show do not receive any royalties from the production company despite the fact that it is syndicated in 13 countries. The show has garnered four Logies to attest to their popularity.

Executive producer Michael Cordell is not one of those complaining, and there would be little reason   to when he lives in a $5 million house. He claims the show is not making as much as people would think, though his living is comfortable. He claimed:

It is a tricky issue and as a documentary filmmaker I can see why those issues would come up but, as a documentary series, it is crucial that the integrity of the show is retained. Paying the lifeguards to appear on the show would obviously compromise that.

Cordell Jigsaw Group who produces the show also paid Waverley Council for the right to film the series at the beach and the lifeguards also get plenty of opportunity to make money on the side with promotional appearances. They also make a percentage of the profits on merchandise, though when it’s divvied up between them it is not a whole lot.

We want them to be happy and we try and bend over backwards to make them happy… we pay for Christmas parties and parties at the start of the season and we offer payment for promotional appearances.

None of the lifeguards wanted to put their name to the discontent, but off the record a two of them hinted that the lifeguards were all staring to feel a little bit used, even though they are enjoying their celebrity status.

Tagged Bondi, reality tv, Waverley Council