00:01The popular ABC talk show, The Assembly, is back for a third season next week.
00:08The hit series welcomes back journalism students living with autism
00:11who conduct high-profile and very often probing interviews.
00:16Was there a time when opening up to a friend made a real difference in your life?
00:22Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:24It's, um, I think we can carry things quite heavy at times
00:30and this one, this came to me because I was carrying something quite heavy
00:36and I did go and seek therapy.
00:38I sought counselling for that.
00:41And when I was younger, I was like,
00:43counselling's for wusses, what's all that about?
00:46I really didn't believe, yeah, that was not the way that I kind of viewed the world
00:51and as I got older and realised that I was troubling, uh, being troubled,
00:55I felt I really have to turn to someone.
00:59Talking to a therapist, they just said,
01:02you need to tell more people about this.
01:05And when people say that saying,
01:07a problem shared is a problem halved, there is a truth to that.
01:10I think it's really important that you can feel a sense of relief
01:13but also you can gather intel on how you might find a solution
01:18when you share these type of problems.
01:20So, yeah, that was really helpful.
01:24I've got to say, every time I watch the Assembly, I tear up quite a bit.
01:28Yeah, half of the course.
01:29Once again, Lee Sales will mentor and guide these young journos
01:35in questioning some of Australia's most recognisable personalities
01:38and we're very fortunate to have Lee in the studio with us,
01:41along with Abby, one of the trainees whom you saw there on the screen.
01:44She's here too.
01:45Thank you very much for having me today.
01:48I'm really excited to be here.
01:50Oh, Abby, we just saw you there with one of your probing questions.
01:54Um, do you, do you, what's it like being part of the team,
01:57part of the Assembly?
01:58Do you like that?
01:58Well, it was so good to be back.
02:01I was very lucky to be asked back, no, to be back for another series
02:06and it was so good being back with all my friends,
02:11being back with all the team behind the crew, behind the scenes,
02:17and they were really nice.
02:19They helped us.
02:21They were very inclusive and very supportive with us all.
02:25And also, I got to interview six new celebrities.
02:30Oh, nice.
02:31I know.
02:32I've met so many celebrities in the last two years.
02:35And, of course, I was mentored, again,
02:37by the best journalist in Lee's sales.
02:39Lee, you are the best.
02:41Oh, that's great.
02:41We agree.
02:42And you.
02:42We agree.
02:43And I remember when they sent an email saying
02:45that there was a series free coming,
02:47I was so excited that I applied for it straight away.
02:52Put your hand up.
02:52But, Lee, I'm hooked.
02:55I love it in our house.
02:57What has, do you think, made it such a success?
03:01I think it's the fact that all of the students like Abby
03:05bring so much creativity to the questions that they ask.
03:08And so what's being asked is often very original
03:11and it means that the guest is very engaged
03:13because they respond to the nature of the questions
03:16because it's interesting to them.
03:18And it can be such a rollercoaster for the guests
03:21because one question can be something quite poignant
03:24like we just heard Andy talk about.
03:26But the very next question might be,
03:28have you ever owned a budgerie gar?
03:30And so it's a wild ride,
03:32but that means it always remains really super interesting.
03:35You know, of course, Lee, we know you as a respected journalist.
03:39You know, we know your career.
03:42I wonder, though, you being the mentor to these students,
03:47what are you learning from them?
03:49I think one of the really key things for me
03:52is to try to keep in touch with that spirit of creativity
03:56and originality because I think when you do jobs like ours,
03:59it's kind of easy to fall into a pattern of,
04:02because, you know, you know how it's done,
04:04you know how to fill three minutes of an interview or whatever.
04:07And so you tend to often be like,
04:09all right, I'll ask this, this, this and this
04:10without putting a huge amount of thought into it.
04:13But what I see with the way the students approach it
04:15is how much you can get someone to open up.
04:17It's a real reminder if you go that bit of an extra mile about,
04:21hmm, what can I ask to actually create some rapport with this person
04:24or to spark their interest?
04:26You really can go to a different level with the interviews.
04:29Abby, I'm really keen to know
04:31who was your favourite person to interview?
04:33Well, my favourite person to interview was Jessica Malboy
04:36because I really love music
04:39and I really love it when the musicians come on the show.
04:42And I was very lucky enough at the end of the interview
04:47to sing and dance with her.
04:49But one interview that surprised me,
04:52which I think Lee liked as well, was Andy Lee.
04:56He was such a really down-to-earth, warm, genuine guy
05:00and a little bit of...
05:04Cheeky.
05:04Oh, yeah, a little bit of behind-the-scenes insight for you all.
05:09Yeah.
05:09He actually...
05:11I was in the green room at the end
05:13and he poked his head in and he said,
05:15Abby, it was an honour to share the screen with you.
05:18I thought, oh, how lovely is that?
05:21That is lovely.
05:22That is so great.
05:22How lovely is that?
05:23That is really nice.
05:24And I'll tell you what else Andy did off his own bat.
05:26There's a couple of students, Anastasia and Evie,
05:29who are very big fans of animation
05:30and he's got his children's book
05:32that's now an animated series for the ABC.
05:35And he said, oh, I'll organise for you guys to come to Melbourne
05:38so you can come in and watch us do some recording.
05:40And he did.
05:41He got it happening.
05:42I love that.
05:42Organised it for them.
05:43So, Lee, season three, what can we expect?
05:45Who are some of the big names?
05:47Jess Malboy, Andy Lee.
05:49Andy Lee, I think, is my favourite of all three seasons, actually.
05:53Jimmy Barnes, Claudia Carveney and Thorpe.
05:56Who else?
05:57Dave Hughes.
05:58Dave Hughes, yeah.
05:58Yeah, so really great line-up of guests.
06:01It's just, it's a wonderful season.
06:03Abby, we're talking about interviewing.
06:05You did the Prime Minister, didn't you?
06:07But you've also interviewed Chris Hemsworth on the red carpet.
06:11Who were you more nervous about?
06:13Well, I was really nervous to be interviewing the Prime Minister
06:16because I was not expecting to be interviewing a politician.
06:21But I have to say, Chris Hemsworth, whoo!
06:26With you every time, Abby.
06:27He was gorgeous.
06:29He was really beautiful.
06:30And I have to say, when he came up to me, I blushed a little bit.
06:36Who wouldn't?
06:37Lee, I might not be allowed to say this,
06:39but the way that you look at the students is so beautiful.
06:43It's very paternal.
06:44Do you feel that?
06:46Yeah, I do.
06:46In fact, Willow said one time that I was like everyone's mum.
06:51Yeah, no, I'm just really proud of them.
06:53Everyone gets, as Abby said, quite close.
06:54And there's a really great, not just between the students,
06:57but between the crew and the students.
07:00I think everyone's like quite good friends, aren't they?
07:02And the crew are like a family to us.
07:05Yeah.
07:05It's just a really great atmosphere.
07:08And yeah, I just enjoy everyone's company hugely.
07:10Well, we have to say that, you know, working in a team together
07:13and a good team, that's, you love going to work that way, isn't it?
07:17Yeah.
07:18But what you have crafted and what you offer to the audience,
07:22we see it, we receive it,
07:24and we understand and appreciate the authenticity
07:27that you all come with.
07:28Oh, that's so nice.
07:29Thank you for saying that.
07:30It's ruined me for coming to the newsroom
07:32because when I show up at the assembly,
07:34as soon as I walk into the room,
07:35everyone's like, oh, yay, we did.
07:37And then when I go to the newsroom, it's just crickets.
07:39So I've been destroyed, basically, for my regular job.
07:43When's it on?
07:44Tonight, 7.30.
07:45Tonight.
07:45Please watch 7.30, ABC, Eye View.
07:48Fantastic.
07:49Abby, thank you, Lee.
07:50Lovely to see you.
07:50Thank you so much for having us.
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