Noni Hazlehurst laughs out loud about a recent trip to the dentist that almost robbed her of her famous gap-toothed smile, which beamed love to millions of Aussie toddlers for 23 years on Play School.
“I’m known for my smile … if a smile is sincere, it is always going to be noticeable,” Noni, 67, says while flashing her signature grin – which thankfully has been restored to its gap-toothed best.
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But it’s her velvety voice that most fans recognise, after listening to her speak to their children as she presented Play School from 1978 to 2001.
“It’s the most enduring thing I’ve done and it’s the thing most people talk to me about with clarity,” says the mum of two. “They’re absolutely certain they know me from that.”
Australian actress Benita Collings, 81, also became a superstar to generations of Aussie toddlers when she presented the ABC show for an incredible three decades from 1969 to 1999. Yet, she’s uncomfortable with being called Australia’s best-known ‘TV mum’.
“I didn’t relate to that. I was doing a job and having a lot of fun doing it,” Benita tells New Idea. She says the secret to the enduring success of the show has been its “simple and fun format” that taught children different things.
Despite her legion of young fans and television royalty status, Benita insists she has “not the faintest idea” why Aussie kids adored her.
“Except that I was straightforward and encouraged participation in what we, the presenters, were doing. I talked to the camera as if it was a child – not children – one! And that’s how it worked.”
Noni agrees that a huge part of the success was that one unique element – the presenters speaking as if they are addressing a single child – and happily admits it helped make her a success when she moved on to host lifestyle show, Better Homes and Gardens.
Over the years, Play School occasionally came under attack from politicians, including an episode in 2004 that depicted a child with two mums.
Noni warns parents and policymakers to leave the beloved show alone to do what it does best: educate and entertain little Aussies.
“I think adults should stay out of it,” she says. “Play School is for preschool kids and they are very accepting.
“No child is born a bigot. No child is born a racist. No child is born with judgement inherent in their nature. They learn that, and Play School has always been at the forefront of just saying, ‘this is the situation,’ and a 3 or 4-year-old child will go, ‘OK.’”
Thanks to its educational values and penchant for moving with the times, Play School is the longest-running children’s show in Australia, having aired for 55 years. It’s also the second longest-running children’s show in the world, after British series Blue Peter. It was inducted into the TV Week Logies Hall of Fame on its 40th anniversary in 2006.
Even now, a whopping 80 per cent of preschool children under 6 watch it at least once a week. The show also inspired a slew of spin-offs, including Little Ted’s Big Adventure and Play School Story Time.
But Noni and Benita, who for many years presented with ‘naughty’ John Hamblin, remain the two most enduring, racking up half a century of presenting duties combined.
Noni adds: “It taught me so much and it put me in an incredible position of trust with audiences. The thing about Play School I love is don’t assume people have expensive toys. It’s always about making the best of what you’ve got.”
Read more in this week’s New Idea, on sale now.
