Scott Cam is said to be getting a pay rise at Channel Nine next year.
The TV star has reportedly negotiated a jaw-dropping $2.5 million deal as he prepares to star in a bizarre new reality series called Shark!
Announced at Nine’s Upfronts earlier this month, the hair-raising format will be filmed in the notoriously shark-infested waters of the Bahamas.
‘I think it’s fair to say that Scotty’s price tag on being thrown to the sharks is around half a million dollars, as that is around how much his overall network fee was increased by with this added show,’ a source told Daily Mail.
Cam, 61, reportedly signed a mega-contract a few months back that bundled together his long-running renovation hit The Block.
Insiders say the blockbuster deal cements Cam as one of Australia’s highest-paid TV stars, earning more than Hamish Blake and Larry Emdur.
Scott Cam is said to be getting a pay rise at Channel Nine next year
‘It’s the kind of cheque that’d make even Karl Stefanovic choke on his morning coffee,’ one network insider told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Scotty’s deal covers both The Block and Shark! but hardly the amount of hours Stefanovic is required for his $2.8 million on The Today Show.’
Shark! is being billed internally as a ‘high-stakes aquatic survival challenge’ and it’s already being described as the most ambitious reality series Nine has ever attempted.
Six celebrities will be dropped into shark-infested waters ‘safely’, according to producers, for what’s been described as a mix between I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and National Geographic.
‘It’s totally ridiculous but everyone wants to see it,’ one insider admitted.
‘People were joking at the Upfronts that Nine had literally ‘jumped the shark’ but it’s actually happening.’
Production sources confirm filming will take place in late November in the Bahamas, with Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus among the high-profile names being courted.
Also joining them is fitness influencer Tammy Hembrow, who has reportedly been rumoured to be one of six ‘celebrity divers’ braving the open water.
The TV star has reportedly negotiated a jaw-dropping $2.5 million as he prepares to star in bizarre new reality series called Shark!
Scotty’s record-breaking $2.5 million annual salary reflects his value to Nine, where The Block continues to dominate the ratings year after year
‘Producers have been cracking jokes about which celebrity the sharks would prefer to eat first,’ a source said.
‘It’s that kind of show, tongue-in-cheek, outrageous and expensive.’
According to multiple insiders, Nine approached Blake, Sophie Monk and Shelley Craft to appear in the series, who all turned it down.
‘Some said “hell no”, others said “maybe after I see if Scotty Cam survives”,’ one insider joked, alluding to potentially waiting for series two.
Meanwhile, Married at First Sight fan favourite Lucinda Light was reportedly in the mix, but was ultimately signed instead to the network’s hit travel series Travel Guides.
According to sources, Cam’s record-breaking $2.5 million annual salary reflects his value to Nine, where The Block continues to dominate the ratings year after year.
The happy-go-lucky TV tradesman has hosted the show since 2010.
It comes amid rumours about Cam’s future as the host of the long-running show.
Triple M hosts Beau Ryan, Aaron ‘Woodsy’ Woods and Cat Lynch addressed speculation about Scotty’s future on The Block during Monday’s show, after an anonymous caller claimed this could be Scott’s last season
Triple M hosts Beau Ryan, Aaron ‘Woodsy’ Woods and Cat Lynch addressed the speculation on Monday after an anonymous caller claimed this could be Scott’s last season on The Block.
‘One of my mates was a tradie on The Block this season and the rumour going around within the production crew is that this was Scott Cam’s last season,’ the listener said.
Woodsy then questioned: ‘Is that Channel Nine moving Scotty Cam on, or is that Scotty Cam just pulling the pin?’
‘I don’t think Scott Cam would pull the pin. He’s on a fortune. I think he’s on over $2 million a year,’ Beau said.
‘It makes a lot of money for Channel Nine. So is it worth it, if they say ‘see you later’ to Scotty Cam? Will it affect how many people watch the show?’
Woodsy added: ‘And everyone can relate with Scotty Cam. He’s an Aussie tradie, he’s a legend.’
