Bear with us, but a proposed show for Netflix about Aussie influencers is doing the rounds on Instagram right now — and the more you learn about it, the weirder it gets. This is an extremely random one, so strap in.
Let’s begin right at the start, shall we?
On Sunday, beloved Instagram account Aussie Influencer Opinions (AIO) shared a screenshot of a PDF file, which appeared to show a proposal for a new show.
Said screenshot detailed a series about Aussie influencers, with at least seven episodes in its first season. Mega influencer Tammy Hembrow features in the proposal, as well as the names, Instagram handles, and pictures of 11 other influencers.
Apparently, these are the social media personalities who have signed up for the show. Keep this in mind.
Now the dodgy thing is that a “very reliable source” has since told AIO that whoever produced this pitch didn’t ask permission from Tammy to use her picture in it. But that’s not all, because apparently Tammy hasn’t even agreed to feature on the show. Hmm.
Plus, according to AIO’s original source, Netflix picked up the series. That sounds… suss, as you would think Netflix would acquire the relevant permission because it’s Netflix. Not to mention, the streaming giant is already working on another influencer series called Byron Baes. That series is real and is most definitely happening, despite some controversy.
Other Aussie influencers listed in the PDF file include Tarsha Whitmore, Steph Pacca, Tahlia Hall, and Emily Venz. (Editor’s note 7/9/21: Pedestrian has reached out to these influencers for comment on the proposed show and is awaiting a response.)
As the proposal reads, the series is being pitched as featuring “the influencers of social media and the behind-the-scenes daily experiences”. Now, remember how a source told AIO that Tammy isn’t involved with the show, despite her name and image being pitched in the proposal?
Well, the proposal literally says “the participants have signed”:
“Richard Saville and Nicholas Livermore are proud to present this exclusive opportunity to own The Influencers, featuring twelve of Australia’s most recognised and followed social media profiles.
“The participants have signed. Season One is scripted and the opportunity to create an entertainment machine is available to be set in motion.”
Richard Saville, according to Google, is the creator of the Break Your Lease app, while Nicholas Livermore returns search results for “Director at Dynamic Australia”, a marketing service focused on sport. Neither appears to have connections to the entertainment industry.
As AIO pointed out, this whole thing is weird.
“Just spoke to a very close connection to Tarsha Whitmore and they said that Tarsha has never heard of this show and hasn’t signed anything,” AIO shared on Instagram.
We reached out to Aussie Influencer Opinions for more of the story and they sounded just as confused as us. Even more, really.
They told PEDESTRIAN.TV that the anonymous person who originally sent the PDF screenshots to them were sent the file from a “major management agency”.
So then AIO reached out to the agency for confirmation, however the agency has since claimed “no involvement whatsoever in the proposed program”. Curious.
AIO also spoke to someone who allegedly works at Netflix, who claimed “that the show has never been signed!”
Now AIO has circled back to its original source for more information about the series – if it was even pitched to Netflix – and whether or not it’s actually real.
Perhaps someone counted their chickens before they hatched.
We told you this was a random one.
