The One (TV program)
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | July 8, 2008 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Television program |
The One is an Australian TV series aired on the Seven Network, with Andrew Daddo serving as host. The program showcases self-proclaimed psychics competing in challenges designed to evaluate skills like clairvoyance, telepathy, and mediumship to crown Australia's leading psychic.
Developed by Fox Studios Australia, the show incorporated insights from Simon Turnbull, President of the Australian Psychics Association, during its creation. Contestants perform tasks either before a live studio audience or at various external venues, while a judging panel—including Stacey Demarco, who identifies as a 'metaphysicist', and Richard Saunders, a lifetime member of the Australian Skeptics—assesses their abilities.
The inaugural season, consisting of five episodes, debuted on 8 July 2008 and concluded on 5 August 2008. The second season, comprising eight episodes, was broadcast from 5 October to 23 November 2011 on the Seven Network. The series featured closed captioning and was rated PG.
Season 1 (2008)
Recorded at Fox Studios Sydney, the first season was produced by David Maher, David Taylor, and Lisa Fitzpatrick. Out of more than 1500 applicants, seven contestants were chosen to compete.
Contestants
- Mitchell Coombes – First to be eliminated.
- Rayleen Kable – Eliminated second; host of a paranormal radio program; later appeared in the 2014 series Haunting: Australia.
- Shé D'Montford – Third contestant eliminated.
- Jason Betts – Fourth to leave the competition.
- Amanda Roussety – Reached the top three; a homemaker and mother of three children; the only contestant without professional psychic experience.
- Ezio De Angelis – Among the final three; a stage medium.
- Charmaine Wilson – Winner of Season 1.
Weekly eliminations were determined by the judges’ decisions. The ultimate winner was selected through public telephone voting.
Episode 1, aired 8 July 2008
Challenge – "Little Boy Lost". Participants had 15 minutes to locate a missing boy using their purported psychic talents. Only Jason Betts and Shé D'Montford succeeded; other contestants did not.
Additionally, contestants conducted readings for the studio audience and made predictions about which three would advance to the finale. No eliminations took place during this episode.
Episode 2, aired 15 July 2008
Challenge One – "Container Search". Contestants attempted to find a dummy bomb concealed within one of seventy shipping containers at an international port within a quarter-hour using their claimed psychic abilities. None were successful.
Challenge Two – "Inside the Mind of an Olympian". Through psychometry, contestants tried to gain insights about Australian Olympians by handling personal items and meeting them face-to-face. Olympians featured included Lisa Forrest, Louise Sauvage, Elka Graham, Matt Welsh, Shelley Oates-Wilding, Tatiana Grigorieva, and Geoff Huegill.
Readings for the audience were also performed. Mitchell Coombes and Rayleen Kable were eliminated this week. Their predictions for the final three differed significantly.
Episode 3, aired 22 July 2008
Challenge One – "Where’s Ned?" Contestants employed their claimed psychic skills to pinpoint where bushranger Ned Kelly’s remains were discovered at Old Melbourne Gaol. Charmaine Wilson, Ezio De Angelis, and Amanda Roussety came closest in this task.
Challenge Two – "Rock 'N' Roll Revelations". Blindfolded participants touched belongings of deceased rock legends—Michael Hutchence, Freddie Mercury, Billy Thorpe, John Lennon, and Bon Scott—and attempted psychic identification. None succeeded. Guests featured included Ian "Molly" Meldrum and Glenn A. Baker.
Audience readings continued during this episode. Shé D'Montford was eliminated; her final three prediction included Charmaine Wilson and Rayleen Kable.
Challenge One – "Medical Marvels". Using their purported psychic abilities, contestants described volunteers with known medical conditions: kidney transplant recipient, skin cancer and emphysema patient, leg amputee, stroke survivor, and individual with multiple fractures. Various potential conditions were suggested for each participant.
Challenge Two – "Airport Baggage". Contestants tried to match luggage with its owner at an airport setting; none succeeded.
Challenge Three – "Celebrity YES or NO". Contestants posed questions to celebrities seated behind a screen and received confirmation via button presses. Featured celebrities included Guy Leech, Paul O’Brien, Toni Pearen, and Justin Melvey.
Street readings were also conducted. Jason Betts was eliminated after predicting the final three as Jason Betts himself, Ezio De Angelis, and Rayleen Kable.
Episode 5, aired 5 August 2008
Challenge 1 – "Where is Peter Falconio?" Participants endeavored to find the missing remains of UK traveler Peter Falconio near the Northern Territory murder location but were unsuccessful.
Additional psychic readings were performed on both studio audience members and individuals on the street.
The overall series champion was determined through a phone-in vote, with Charmaine Wilson securing the highest number of votes despite not successfully locating critical targets in earlier challenges. Her anticipated final three contenders included Charmaine Wilson, Ezio De Angelis, and Amanda Roussety. Predictions from Ezio De Angelis and Amanda Roussety varied accordingly.
Season 2 (2011)
Following a hiatus exceeding three years, the show resumed on Channel 7 at 7:30 PM on 5 October 2011, hosted by Andrew Daddo. Production took place at Global Studios in Eveleigh, Australia, with Maxine Gray serving as Executive Producer and Maurice Parker as Supervising Producer. Ten contestants were chosen from over 800 applicants under a collaboration between Seven Network and the Australian Psychics Association.
Contestants:
- Anthony Grzelka - Eliminated fifth.
- Debbie Malone - Reached top three; identifies as a 'psychic medium.'
- Greg Riley - Winner selected by audience vote; psychic, hypnotist, therapist.
- Katrina Cavanough - Eliminated sixth.
- Michael Wheeler - Eliminated second/third.
- Julie McKenzie - Eliminated second/third.
- Maria Elita - Eliminated fourth.
- Heidi Hanley - Top three; describes herself as 'psychic healer,' 'empath,' and 'intuitive.'
- Salvatore Trimboli - Eliminated seventh.
- Valerie Bradshaw - First eliminated.
Episode 1, aired 5 October 2011
Challenge “Lost”. Contestants were given 15 minutes to locate a helicopter hidden within a pine forest spanning approximately 200 football fields, using maps and an item belonging to the pilot. Greg Riley, Anthony Grzelka, Katrina Cavanough, and Salvatore Trimboli succeeded; other participants did not.
Studio audience members underwent psychic readings. No contestant was eliminated in this episode.
Episode 2, aired 12 October 2011
Challenge 1 - “Speed”. Participants had seven minutes to identify a 'jewel thief' among train passengers by employing psychometry and remote viewing methods; all attempts were unsuccessful.
Challenge 2 - “Medical Intuitive”. Four volunteers with documented medical histories appeared on stage. Contestants listed various health conditions but failed to accurately specify any particular ailments. Valerie Bradshaw was eliminated.
Episode 3, aired 19 October 2011
Challenge 1 - “Homicide”. At the location of a 1976 murder in a Sydney apartment, participants sought information regarding the crime’s motive and the whereabouts of the victim’s body. Retired Detective Inspector John MacGregor observed proceedings. Responses varied widely.
Challenge 2 - “Relationship Challenge”. Contestants tried to correctly pair four couples randomly arranged on stage. Results were consistent with chance; Julie McKenzie and Michael Wheeler were eliminated.
Episode 4, aired 26 October 2011
Challenge 1 - “Bag O’ Hammers”. Seven identical sledgehammers were presented—one had been imbued with “negative energy” by being used to smash a car. Contestants attempted to identify which hammer belonged to an angry individual; three correctly selected hammer #4.
Challenge 2 - “Car Boot”. A volunteer was concealed inside one of 46 vehicles in a parking lot; only Greg Riley accurately identified the correct car.
Challenge 3 - “Psychic Lost and Found”. Using psychometry on items belonging to audience members produced mixed outcomes. Maria Elita was eliminated.
Episode 5, aired 2 November 2011
Challenge 1 - “Sport Memorabilia”. Participants identified various sporting artifacts while blindfolded: cricket bat (Bradman), tennis dress (Goolagong), sailing blanket (Watson), Melbourne Cup saddle (Beadman), boxing glove (Tyson), racing suit (Brock). Correct identifications were limited and some errors occurred.
Challenge 2 - “Tunnels”. At George's Head tunnels in Sydney, contestants searched for a boy hiding underground using personal belongings and maps. Greg Riley came closest with an approximate distance of six meters.
Challenge 3 - “Imposter”. Among six fully geared fencers including one impostor, participants failed to determine who was the impostor. Anthony Grzelka was eliminated.
Episode 6, aired 9 November 2011
Challenge 1 - “Dog Channelling". Contestants attempted to identify dogs’ roles but none succeeded.
Challenge 2 - “Psychic Triathlon". Three rounds tested locating contestants in huts, uncovering buried personal items on a beach, and predicting incoming phone calls. Greg Riley performed strongly early on but Debbie Malone excelled at call prediction; Salvatore Trimboli advanced after tie-breaks. Katrina Cavanough was eliminated.
Episode 7, aired 18 November 2011
Challenge 1 - “Coffee Cups”. Psychic readings were conducted on studio audience members using coffee cups rather than traditional tea leaves.
Challenge 2 - “Norfolk Island Ghosts”. Contestants explored reputedly haunted locations on Norfolk Island seeking paranormal insights; some local knowledge surfaced during readings despite claims that there was none.
Challenge 3 - “Celebrity Readings”. Participants attempted to reveal facts about concealed celebrity guests via buzzer responses. Results varied. Salvatore Trimboli was eliminated.
Episode 8, aired 15 November 2011
Challenge 1 - “Gold Rush”. Seven boxes contained either gold bars or nothing; contestants had limited success identifying which boxes held gold.
Challenge 2 - “Find Kerry Whelan”. Participants searched a rural property for presumed murder victim Kerry Whelan’s remains but did not succeed.
The winner was determined by an audience phone-in vote; Greg Riley received the most votes.
Controversy
The finale of season 1 ignited debate due to a segment involving a search for the remains of murder victim Peter Falconio. This particular stunt drew sharp criticism from Colne Valley MP Kali Mountford, who had a connection with the Falconio family, expressing that, "While some reality programs offer entertainment and lighthearted moments, there is nothing amusing about such a deeply personal and tragic event." Additionally, Charmaine Wilson, the season's winner, described the hunt as being conducted "in poor taste."
All tasks were performed under guidelines established by Richard Saunders, secretary of the Australian Skeptic Society and one of the show's judges. Saunders noted that participants "were unsuccessful more than 94% of the time" and emphasized that "none demonstrated any paranormal abilities."