By Glen Williams
Pictures: Andrew Jacob
These TV favourites graced our screens for decades — and today their legends live on.
They’re the stars of two of Australia’s most fondly remembered TV commercials. They were in our faces and under our skin for over two decades — Madge, the mad beautician who’d make her unsuspecting clients soak their tired hands in Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid. And Rita the Eta Eater, who could solve any domestic disaster with a big, round tub of Eta 5 Star Margarine.
They may have vanished from our TV screens, but the memory of the catchphrases, “You know you’re soaking in it” and “Ripper, Rita!” still linger.
Woman’s Day caught up with the legendary Madge and Rita — actors Robina Beard and Bunny Gibson — for a madcap trip down advertising’s memory lane.
**Bunny, your character Rita the Eta Eater used to spread joy as easily as she spread margarine. Did you enjoy being Rita?
Bunny** I loved her. I played her for 18 years and people still call me Rita. She became the Wonder Woman of the western suburbs. The very first ad we did they had me dressed immaculately in a Trent Nathan dress. But Rita was your everyday mum, so they changed her and she wore more normal clothes and would turn up and save the day — at the races, school, picnics, the cricket…
**What did your late husband John Meillon think of Rita?
Bunny** He loved her. I loved it when people would scream out, “Ripper, Rita!” because it always annoyed him [laughs]. He’d say, “I’ve done 37 movies!” And I’d respond with, “Yes, and I’ve done one ad and I’m famous!” We were at the Crocodile Dundee premiere with Hoges [Paul Hogan], and kids were screaming, “Ripper, Rita!”, and John jokingly said, “Keep moving, you little brats, this is my movie.”
**What is the magic of Rita and Madge that we still remember them all these years later?
Bunny** It was me and Robina! We became instantly recognisable and people liked us. Some people loved to hate us, but if they saw us in the street they would see we were very approachable people. They felt they could talk to us, send us up — which they did. We were them, not above them.
Robina Madge was around a long time. For 20 years, between 1968 and 1988. Nobody got sick of her, because she was funny. I made you laugh while getting you to wash up.
For the full story, see this week’s Woman’s Day — on sale May 11, 2009.
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