20 to One


20 to One is an Australian television series on the Nine Network from 2005, that counts down an undefined "top 20" of elements or events of popular culture, such as films, songs, or sporting scandals. The format mixes archival footage of the listed events with comments from various Australian celebrities.
Originally the show was hosted by Bud Tingwell and narrated by David Reyne; the pair were replaced by Bert Newton as host for the second season. The series was rebooted by the Nine Network and returned for its eleventh season on 31 May 2016 with new hosts, Australian radio presenters Fitzy and Wippa. From 2017, the show was hosted by Erin Molan and Dave Thornton.

Format

Each episode counts down the "top twenty" events following a particular theme, from position 20 down to number 1. Media clips depicting the event are played as the host provides background information of the entry. This is followed by clips of celebrities providing judgment on the clip or event.

Controversy

During the segment aired on 19 June 2019, co-hosts Erin Molan and Nick Cody stated that the South Korean boy band BTS was "so popular it could heal the rift between North and South Korea." She also mentioned the band's success in the United States, even though "only one band member actually speaks English." among other comments. Many other celebrities made similar comments during the segment. Most notably was comedian Jimmy Carr, who jokingly compared the band's international success to the explosion of a nuclear bomb in North Korea, saying: "When I first heard something Korean had exploded in America, I got worried. So I guess, it could've been worse – but not much worse." Subsequently, the hashtags #channel9apologize and #channel9racist started trending as fans of the band demanded an apology from Channel 9. The BTS Australia Twitter fan account wrote: "This is unfair and presenting inaccurate information. You disregarded their achievements, and instead let your xenophobic, racist mindsets be biased instead. We want an apology." On 20 June 2019, Channel 9 issued a non-apology apology, writing: "We apologize to any who may have been offended by last night's episode."

Series overview

Episodes

Season One (2005)

Season Two (2006)

Season Three (2006)

Season Four (2007)

Season Five (2007–08)

Season Six (2008)

Season Seven (2008–09)

Season Eight (2009)

Season Nine (2010)

Season Ten (2011)

Season Eleven (2016)

Season Twelve (2017)

Celebrity contributors

This is a partial list of the celebrities who contributed comments to 20 to One.

2005–2011

Returning

Returning contributors are revived in 2016 include:
  • David Campbell – Singer
  • Michala Banas – Actress
  • Peter Berner – TV and Radio Presenter
  • Prue MacSween – Media Commentator
  • Richard Wilkins – Today Show
  • Tracy Grimshaw – Journalist/TV Presenter

    New

New contributors in 2016 include:
  • Beau Ryan – The NRL Footy Show co-host
  • Claire Hooper – Comedian
  • Dami Im – Singer
  • Gene Simmons – Singer
  • Gyton Grantley – Actor
  • Jack Gleeson – British Actor
  • Jackie O – Radio Host
  • Jason Akermanis – Former AFL Player
  • Jean Kittson – Actress and Comedian
  • Jeff Goldblum – American Actor
  • Kevin Rudd – Former Australian Prime Minister
  • Kat Hoyos – Actor
  • Lindsay Lohan – American Actress
  • Martina Navratilova – Tennis Player
  • Sharon Osbourne – Media Personality
  • Sylvia Jeffreys – ''Today Show''

    Awards

  • Nominated for 2007 Most Popular Light Entertainment Program.