Better Homes and Gardens star announces exit after 20 years
After 20 years of sharing his quick and easy recipes on Better Homes and Gardens, Ed Halmagyi - or as viewers know him, Fast Ed - is leaving the show
Ed will step away from the show in two weeks to focus on a personal business venture, with his final appearance airing on Friday December 1.
“I got closer and closer to marking 20 years of Better Homes and I thought about what I want to do in the next 10 years,” he told 7News.
“I’ve been incredibly lucky over the course of the last 20 years to be able to tell some really cool stories about some really amazing people.”
“I have been honoured to get the chance to tell stories to people who love food every week and be part of this amazing show that is part of Australia’s fabric.
“I will certainly miss being a part of Australia’s Friday nights and working alongside my Better Homes family.”
Ed also said that agrees with his friends who have told him that his role on the show is the "best job in the world."
“It’s pretty darned incredible,” he told the publication.
“I’ve worked with the most incredible places, with the most incredible team.
“I’ve had the best time, and will be forever grateful to Joh, my fellow presenters, the Better Homes team behind the scenes and to everyone who watches our show each and every night.”
Prior to starring in the show, Ed was running a restaurant in Sydney, and was recruited after he impressed the producers with his upbeat personality when they filmed a Sydney Weekender there.
“Twenty years ago, after what I considered an unremarkable Sydney Weekender appearance, I was asked to do a screen test,” he recalled.
Ed never thought he would get a career in media, and it all worked out for him in the end.
“To be honest, I never felt more ridiculous in my life than I did on that day, but I just kind of decided to be me, and…..what the hell.
“That I’m still doing it 20 years later is equal parts fantastic and bizarre.”
Although Ed's replacement on the show is yet to be announced, the one piece of advice that he has for them is this: “Be you and start out with the absolute most sincere respect for your audience.”
Image: Seven