At almost two metres tall and with one of the most recognisable faces on TV, it’s fair to say Dr Chris Brown is well known to the general public.
And while he’s been on the small screen in shows such as The Living Room, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! and regular spots on The Project, the 41-year-old admits to TV WEEK he was quite happy to walk away from the limelight recently.
When COVID-19 struck and restrictions were put in place, Chris knew the most important job he had to do was the one he was doing before fame came his way: being a vet.
“It was in the days when we truly didn’t know what the virus was doing,” he explains.
“It was nice to help out and be able to be some kind of medical assistance in some way. It wasn’t to the scale of human medical help, obviously, but it was good to be a part of it, and be in full-time veterinary work.”
Chris went back to his roots doing what he loves – being a vet.
(Image: Getty)The co-host of 2020’s new-look The Living Room declares he was happy to take a break from television and the glare of the public gaze for a few months, and to just be in a room with animals in need.
“It’s so refreshing when there are no producers, cameras or lighting,” he says.
“I find that a few days of that refreshes me to be back in the limelight when I need to be.”
Chris laughs when he thinks of the cases he has dealt with of late, and how animals are grounding because they don’t care how famous you might be.
“I always seem to go back to the least glamorous cases,” he says. “If it isn’t an animal with diarrhoea, it’s some sort of anal glands I have to squeeze. It’s quite a leveller.”
Dr Chris with one of his four-legged patients.
(Image: Instagram)
Dr Chris in vet mode, during a job on location.
(Image: Instagram)Many fans of The Living Room thought Dr Chris and his co-stars Amanda Keller, Miguel Maestre and Barry Du Bois had called it quits when it was announced last year the show was coming to an end.
“It was heart-warming that people reached out, but also frustrating, because we knew we were coming back,” Chris says.
“How it all played out was confusing for fans, because we knew we were coming back on a Friday night with the four of us – it was just that the show was getting a refresh. And I’m confident it’s a better show.”
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Dr Chris Brown (right) with his The Living Room co-hosts (L-R) Barry Du Bois, Amanda Keller and Miguel Maestre.
(Image: Channel 10)
The awesome foursome catching up outside of work.
(Image: Instagram)The quartet have been working together for the past eight years, and have racked up four TV WEEK Logie Awards along the way.
The secret to their success? They simply love being around each other.
“We find it hard to spend time away from each other,” the Newcastle-born star says of their bond, adding that he turns to each of his co-hosts for different moments in his life.
“I talk some pretty heavy career stuff with Amanda, and we talk about family things. With Miguel, I’ll have a laugh – but with Barry, it’s the spiritual and deeper emotional stuff. Then he’ll tell me why I stuff up on DIY!”
WATCH BELOW: Dr Chris Brown hits the TV WEEK Logies red carpet with his The Living Room co-stars. Story continues after video.
While Chris enjoyed his time away from the demands of television and being able to apply his skills as a vet again, he says he isn’t ready to stop his TV work just yet – or being a vet either, for that matter. He wants to keep as busy as he can be.
“I like to be out having adventures and pushing myself,” he says.
“I don’t think that will change – I do like pushing myself to the limit a bit.
“I have a curious mind about how things work and how to make things better – that will never leave me.”
The Living Room airs on Friday nights at 7.30pm on Network 10.
