As a young boy in the small city of Geelong, Australia, Dan Babic only ever had one dream, one vision. He never felt compelled by typical career paths, and at just three years old, he knew his destiny: he wanted to be a television host. Many children frequently change their minds on what they want to be, but Babic never did, and boy, are we thankful. The energetic entertainment journalist has emerged not only as one of Australia’s best, but he is also known around the world for his outstanding talent.
“Through me choosing to be 100 per cent, unapologetically myself, I hope to empower others to do the same,” said Babic.
Such an inspiring message epitomizes Babic. As a journalist, he believes in the importance of showing his true personality on the screen, knowing it creates the most captivating interviews and gains the trust of both viewers and interviewees. He knows his audience is intelligent, and can immediately spot someone that seems phony or pretending to be someone else. As a host, he always keeps this in the back of his mind during interviews, creating an authentic experience every time.
“Gone are the days of pretending that every moment of our lives are perfect. We all know this not to be true and we can’t sit around all day long crying about our misfortunes and playing the ‘poor, pitiful me’ role. I use my personality through television to get audiences to take a realistic look at themselves and their life, and empower them to make a change all while laughing and not taking themselves too seriously through my comedic, off-center characteristics and sense of humor,” he described.
Throughout his career, Babic has achieved such a goal with every project he works on. He knows how to instantly connects with his audience, something that is evident with his work on Go Curvy’s Date ‘Em and Fashion One’s Design Genius. He even had a cameo in the viral parody video for “Watch Me” by YouTube celebrity Bart Baker. Perhaps most well-known for his hosting work on AfterBuzz TV, generating over 20 million downloads a week in 150 countries of his online segment, there is little Babic can’t do.
“The global popularity of the series as a whole can be linked directly to Dan's gripping role as the host, as I am certain he attracts much of the series' viewership with his unmatchable lead role as the host. I can't imagine such impressive success without him as the host. Dan is arguably one of the most accomplished hosts in the industry, and his achievements across each of his productions highlight his ability to consistently impact the success of each of his productions,” said Marisa Serafini, Senior Content Producer with AfterBuzz TV. “I wholeheartedly believe that Dan is one of the most unparalleled hosts in his field, and that his outstanding success in his home country and abroad has impacted his global success.”
Once again, Babic showed the world what an exceptional host he is with The SAP Official Talk Show. SAP, or The Starving Artists Project, was started by photographer Michael Bezjian, known for his work with Getty Images. The goal was to allow artists to have free headshots, an important part at the beginning of entertainment careers. Eventually, Bezjian’s chartiable goal became recognized on a worldwide platform, and he decided to start a talk show featuring the subjects of his photographs. This is where Babic stepped in. Bezjian knew he needed a reputable and professional host to make the show a success.
“Michael believed the show’s success relied on my talent in facilitating rare, candid conversations in the at times superficial world of Hollywood. His inspiration for casting me as the hot of his show came given my expertise and acclaim in conducting relaxed, natural, conversation style interviews. Michael’s pure heart and desire to create meaning in the television industry motivated me to commit to his project and agree to use my unique personality to empower people to not be ashamed of their past and speak their truth,” said Babic.
Getting to host a talk show with a highly regarded cast and crew where each episode I encourages celebrities to share exclusive stories to empower others was a dream come true for Babic. It perfectly paralled his inspiration for becoming a host in the first place. The interviewing style, however, was different than what he had previously done. Rather than being confined to pre-planned questions, Babic had the opportunity to improvise large portions of the interviewing, allowing his personality to shine as well as the celebrities on the show.
“It was such an incredible experience hosting The SAP Official Talk Show. I could engage in a conversation without a hidden agenda to sell a product or promote a film. The intention of the talk show was to use my talent to showcase to audiences that beneath the perfect perception of fame and money, celebrities are just human beings like everyone else on the planet, trying to do their best to cultivate a life of meaning,” described Babic.
The process of interviewing celebrities began with asking them what their intention was for the interview. Babic made sure to let every one of his interview subjects know that he was in no means trying to exploit them, but rather encouraging them to share personal stories that could help others in the pursuit of their dreams. He made it very clear that he would only discuss what the interviewees were comfortable discussing, and made the decision to send them their interviews before airing for approval, something that rarely occurs. The bond this created is what made the show so engaging.
“I liked giving celebrities a sense of normality. While television hosts conventionally congratulate talent on their success, I just treated them like a normal person. It was a refreshing environment for both of us, as I constantly assured them there was no pressure in the interview to be anything other than themselves. While most talk show hosts primarily rely on teleprompters, scripts and pre-planned questions, The SAP Official Talk Show had no rules. I was casted for my unique improvisational skills which allowed my larger than life personality to shine and create a riveting, unpredictable show of tremendous success,” he described.
Interviewing celebrities was always Babic’s ambition, from the moment he was a child. His work on The SAP Official Talk Show not only allowed him to do that, but also to inspire others to follow in his footsteps. There was nothing better for the television host.