Fran Kelly describes hosting RN Breakfast for 17 years as being like running on a mouse wheel — a frantic two and a half hours, conducting about 10 interviews with politicians and newsmakers, musicians and writers, scientists and sporting stars.
Now she's changing pace, hosting her own tonight show, Frankly, which, each Friday night, will feature three guests and a band and promises engaging and entertaining conversation.
"This show brings together an eclectic mix of people, who you'd love to sit down with on a Friday night and hang out with, who are going to be interesting or surprising or funny," Kelly says.
"Radio National Breakfast was a mad cycle to produce news-breaking, interesting and exciting radio every morning.
"'Frankly is very different to that. We have more time to find out more about our guests and go a bit deeper, but also [to] think about how those three guests might interact on the couch and that's a bit of a science in itself."
On the first episode, Kelly interviews comedian Shaun Micallef, one of the Thai cave rescuers — Dr Richard "Harry" Harris — and astrophysicist and science communicator Kirsten Banks.
"Our first show was a terrific start — a real blend of humour and warmth between the guests and revelation, which is exactly what you want," Kelly says.
"Australian of the Year, Dr Richard "Harry" Harris revealed the toll of the moral dilemmas he faced during the Thai cave rescue, basically deciding whether to risk the lives of those young boys by injecting them with heavy sedatives, tying their hands and feet, and pushing them under water to be guided three hours through the cave — a risk bound to fail he thought — or leave them there, trapped by the floodwaters to almost certainly die from lack of oxygen, food and warmth. He still bears the scars of that dilemma."
The line-up over the next eight weeks includes Sandi Toksvig, Tim Minchin, Adam Goodes, Steph Tisdell, Magda Szubanski, Rachel Griffiths, Richard E Grant and Em Rusciano plus some "big thinkers" from the science field.
Kelly is hoping her years of experience doing interviews and the relaxed format will help elicit some new insights along with some meaty conversation.
"I want this show to be smart and surprising," Kelly says.
"That's what I'm searching for. I don't want to sit down and just do a celebrity interview. I don't want to sit down with someone and just say" 'Tell me about your new book'.
"That's not what I'm interested in. I want to talk to people who have achieved amazing things or are experiencing big moments and see if we can unlock some intelligent, engaging, insightful and fun conversations.
"I am hoping I can bring something different to those conversations and that's the challenge."
After stepping away from RN Breakfast last December, Kelly has worked on the ABC's federal election coverage, including co-hosting Afternoon Briefing with Greg Jennett during the campaign, appeared on Insiders and continued producing the podcast, The Party Room, with Patricia Karvelas, but admits hosting her own TV chat show is a new challenge.
"Television is a different beast to radio," she says.
"When I was in my radio studio every morning, there was a small team outside and just two people through the glass and I had to imagine the world I was talking to, which is the key to radio — you have to imagine who you're talking to.
"With Frankly, there are so many people on set. There's a live audience. We've got people sitting at tables down the front and then there's the dimension of who's through the camera.
"The moment when I walk onto that big set, and I say to myself, 'OK, I've got to do this now', it does feel more exposing, there's more of me on show. That's thrilling but it's also exposing."
Kelly came up with the idea and she credits her loyal radio audience for empowering her to give it a go.
"When I left Breakfast, I got this incredible send-off from the audience and the feedback from people was so warm, supportive and generous," she says.
"They thanked me not so much for my political interviews but for my company, they said they appreciated my sense of humour, empathy and warmth.
"I was really touched by that, and it gave me the confidence to take on this challenge. I was just trying to be myself on radio and I thought, if they appreciated that every morning, maybe they will appreciate it on a Friday night."
A huge music fan and former singer, Kelly was keen to have a band on the show and has put together a group called The Fanatics. Jimmy Barnes, Vera Blue and Vance Joy are also scheduled to appear.
"I thought, if I'm going to have my own tonight show, I'd love to have a band," Kelly says.
"Many moons ago, before I was a journalist, I used to sing in bands and anyone who's listened to Radio National over the past 17 years knows that I've got an interest in rock and roll music, particularly women in rock and roll.
"I've interviewed Patti Smith, k.d. lang, Sinead O'Connor, Chrissy Amphlett and they were always high points for me and for a lot of the audience.
"So, we put a band together, and they work out tracks that will match the guests coming on the show.
"We want it to give it a Friday night vibe and having a band just lightens the mood and, after the last couple of years we've had, I think people are going to enjoy and appreciate that."
So, will we see Kelly unleash her inner rock star and belt out a tune?
"No plans at this stage," she laughs.
"But you never know what might happen over the next eight weeks!"
Watch Frankly on Friday nights at 8:30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview
