Vault: Olivia Newton-John interview

Summary

The Bert Show: Vault - Olivia Newton-John Interview

Episode Date: July 27, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this special "vault" episode, The Bert Show welcomes the late, legendary singer and actress Olivia Newton-John for a warm, candid interview. The conversation focuses on Olivia's then-recent appearances on the hit TV show "Glee," her iconic recording of "Physical," unexpected career choices, and her reflections on fame. The tone throughout is energetic, nostalgic, and filled with the hosts’ characteristic humor and admiration.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Olivia Newton-John’s Role on "Glee"

• Olivia joins the hosts to talk about her guest appearance on "Glee," where she performs "Physical" with Jane Lynch.

• Direct participation: She reveals she’s featured as herself, performing on-screen, as opposed to the prior Madonna-themed episode that only included Madonna's music.

  Olivia Newton-John [01:05]: "I'm actually on the show and performing it with Jane Lynch. So it was a blast."

• She shares that she returned for a second episode, acting as a judge alongside Josh Groban in the season finale.

  Olivia Newton-John [04:38]: "I just went back out there a couple weeks ago and did the final episode with Josh Groban. We played the judges on the final Glee... So it was great. We had a blast both times."

Working with Jane Lynch

• The hosts and Olivia discuss Jane Lynch's personality and presence.

  Olivia Newton-John [01:20]: "She is hilarious. She's the loveliest person and amazing actress and it was really fun and a great learning experience to work with her."

• Jane Lynch’s height and welcoming nature are highlighted humorously.

  Olivia Newton-John [01:42]: "Yeah, she's a tall lady, isn’t she? Yeah, but she's just a charming person."

"Physical": A Risk That Paid Off

• Olivia admits initial discomfort with the song's cheeky lyrics and describes her creative, if ultimately self-defeating, plan to distract from its suggestiveness by making an exercise-themed music video.

• She recounts trying to stop the release, only to be told it was too late.

  Olivia Newton-John [01:56]: "I got really anxious after I'd recorded it, [it] was just a bit too naughty, you know. ...I remember calling my manager and saying, take it Out. ... He said, too late. It’s gone to radio. And of course it went to number one. I got used to the idea."

Pivotal Career Decisions: “Grease” and Beyond

• Olivia reflects on her reluctance to accept the starring role in "Grease," influenced by a previous unsuccessful film and concern about believability as an 18-year-old at 29.

  Olivia Newton-John [02:38]: "I wasn't sure about it because I'd made another movie in England... which didn't do very well, and my musical career in America was doing well... At that time, I was all of 29 and was worried about looking 18. So, you know, things change."

• The hosts note how life-changing such choices are in retrospect, with Olivia playfully suggesting this could be a movie plot in itself.

  Olivia Newton-John [03:14]: "Who knows what it would be like? ... I think we could make a movie about that."

Behind the Scenes: How "Glee" Came Together

• The process of how Olivia was approached for the show is discussed, involving interconnections in the industry and a personal pitch from the show's co-creator, Ryan Murphy.

  Olivia Newton-John [03:38]: "Ryan Murphy... met my producer and ... [asked] do you think that Olivia would do the show Glee? ... My agent called and said they were in Sydney doing the show Glee. I asked him to send me an episode... and loved it."

• Murphy wanted Olivia to portray a different side of herself, which she found fun and refreshing.

  Olivia Newton-John [03:38]: "He wanted it to be me, but he wanted it to be the other side of me and not the side people would expect. So that was really fun. I'm playing myself, but not myself as well. I really am."

Air Date and Multiple Appearances

• Olivia reveals when her "Glee" episode will air:

  Olivia Newton-John [04:32]: "May 4th."

Personal Reflections and Fun Moments

• After Olivia leaves the call, the hosts share how much it meant for Jane Lynch (and one host personally) to get to perform with Olivia, noting her status as an early crush in their lives.

  Radio Co-host [05:18]: "Jane Lynch got to walk up to the damn table and say, hey, would you like to do the song with me? ... She gets to do two episodes with us."

• The hosts briefly revisit the story of Olivia’s former partner, Pat McDermott, whose mysterious disappearance was later resolved in a "brilliant" (and slightly wild) way via website tracking.

  Radio Host [06:29]: "They sent a website platform."
  Radio Guest [06:32]: "And that's wild."
  Radio Host [06:32]: "It's actually brilliant, isn’t it?"

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Notable Quotes

• On recording “Physical”:

  • "I got really anxious after I'd recorded it, but it was a bit too naughty, you know. And so I said, oh, you know what we need to do? We need to make a video about exercise. That's it. ... That just made it bigger."
    — Olivia Newton-John [01:56]

• On pivotal life decisions:

  • "Who knows what it would be like? ... I think we could make a movie about that."
    — Olivia Newton-John [03:14]

• On working with Jane Lynch:

  • "She's just a charming person."
    — Olivia Newton-John [01:42]

• On playing herself on “Glee”:

  • "I'm playing myself, but not myself as well. I really am."
    — Olivia Newton-John [03:38]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:31 – Olivia Newton-John joins the show
• 01:05 – Discussing performing “Physical” with Jane Lynch on “Glee”
• 01:56 – Olivia talks about her reluctance to release “Physical”
• 02:38 – On initially declining “Grease”
• 03:38 – How Olivia was approached for “Glee” and Ryan Murphy’s vision
• 04:32 – Confirmation of “Glee” episode air date
• 04:38 – Olivia describes her second “Glee” episode with Josh Groban
• 05:18 – Hosts’ personal reflections and connection with Jane Lynch and Olivia
• 06:01 – The story behind Pat McDermott’s disappearance and website discovery

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Memorable Moments

• Olivia laughing about her elaborate attempt to “clean up” “Physical” with a fitness video, which only made the song bigger.
• Her honest admission of self-doubt over playing a teenager at 29 in “Grease.”
• The full-circle sentiment of seeing how small decisions changed her life’s path.
• Fun banter among the hosts about “Glee,” Jane Lynch, and early celebrity crushes.

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This episode is a light, entertaining, and revealing conversation with a pop culture icon, giving insight into the behind-the-scenes of Olivia Newton-John’s career-defining moments. It’s filled with humor, candor, and the sort of genial storytelling that fans of both Olivia and The Bert Show will appreciate.

Transcript

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[Radio Host]

This is the Bird show, but everybody clear the floor for Melissa Carter. Oh, my God. Very good reason why we're playing this song. Olivia Newton John is going to be in Glee.

[Radio Co-host]

Yes.

[Radio Host]

And I think the episode surrounds this song. Okay, I believe. And Olivia Newton John is on the phone with us right now.

[Radio Co-host]

I'm curious to ask her because they had just done their Madonna episode. So when they have Olivia Newton John on, is it going to be just one song or is it going to be a catalog of your music?

[Olivia Newton-John]

Oh, good morning. How are you? Good morning, everybody. No, it's just the one song.

[Radio Co-host]

It is. Okay.

[Olivia Newton-John]

I'm actually on the show. I think Madonna, they just had her music and lots of music, but I'm actually on the show and performing it with Jane Lynch. So it was a blast.

[Radio Co-host]

Fantastic.

[Radio Guest]

How was that? Doing the whole song with her? I mean, she's hilarious.

[Olivia Newton-John]

She is hilarious. She's the loveliest person and amazing actress and it was really fun and a great learning experience to work with her. Actually, I actually just did another episode with her a couple weeks ago, which would be the final episode. So I've been lucky enough to do it twice now and it was a blast both times.

[Radio Guest]

I got to meet Jane lynch when I was in LA last time and did an interview with her and was surprised how tall she is.

[Olivia Newton-John]

Yeah, she's a tall lady, isn't she? Yeah, but she's just a charming person.

[Radio Host]

Now, this song physical that the show revolves around here. Do I have it right that you didn't even want to release that back in the day? You did not want that to be a single, Correct?

[Olivia Newton-John]

Yeah, I got really anxious after I'd recorded it, but it was a bit too naughty, you know. And so I said, oh, you know what we need to do? We need to make a video about exercise. That's it. We'll do exercise. Because that'll distract. Well, that just made it bigger. Right. I remember calling my manager and saying, take it Out. I don't want it to go out. I think it's just. I'm unsure about it. He said, too late. It's gone to radio. And of course it went to number one. I got used to the idea.

[Radio Host]

Like, I think I read this yesterday. It's funny how, like, when you look back on your life, there are some major decisions that you make and based on those couple of your life will go one way or the other. And in this case, in this case, Olivia Newton John didn't want to put physical out, but it does so well. And I also read somewhere that you didn't. You weren't really hip on doing the movie Grease, right?

[Olivia Newton-John]

I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure about it because I'd made another movie in England a couple years before which didn't do very well, and my musical career in America was doing well, and I didn't want to, you know, mess anything up by making another bad film. Oh, do you think I could do a screen test with the guy you're thinking of? Because I'm not sure I look young enough. God, I look at it now and I go, what was I thinking? But at that time, I was all of 29 and was worried about looking 18. So, you know, things change.

[Radio Host]

But it's funny, had you pursued those two decisions and said, ah, no to Grease and no to Physical, your life might be totally different today.

[Olivia Newton-John]

I know. Who knows what it would be like? That's very interesting. That would be. I think we could make a movie about that.

[Radio Co-host]

Well, going back to Glee, I'm curious because I love the show, I'm a Gleek. And so. And I'm always curious how they approach. Did they approach you about using Physical and having you on the show? And had you seen the show before this?

[Olivia Newton-John]

I don't know. Yes, yes. No, no, no. The producer of the show, who is the writer and came up with the concept, Ryan Murphy is a brilliant guy. Met my producer and one of my best friends. John Farrar and his wife Pat used to be my singing partner in a restaurant. And he and Jane lynch went up to him and said, do you think that Olivia would do the show Glee? And I don't know what he said. It all seemed to happen around the same time. But my agent called and said they were in Sydney doing the show Glee. I asked him to send me an episode because I knew what it was, but I hadn't had a chance to see the whole episode and loved it. And then I went and had met Brian Murphy for lunch. And we discussed the idea that he wanted it to be me, but he wanted it to be the other side of me and not the side people would expect. So that was really fun. I'm playing myself, but not myself as well. I really am.

[Radio Host]

And the episode airs on what date?

[Olivia Newton-John]

May 4th.

[Radio Host]

On May 4th.

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[Radio Host]

Now, is this the only one you're doing, or did I read correctly that you're doing like two episodes with these guys?

[Olivia Newton-John]

Yeah, I did a second one. I just went back out there a couple weeks ago and did the final episode with Josh Groban. We played the judges on the final Glee, you know, what do you call it, Contest. So it was great. We had a blast both times.

[Radio Host]

Fantastic.

[Radio Guest]

What a fun side project to be a part of.

[Radio Co-host]

Yeah.

[Olivia Newton-John]

Really honest to be asked to do that. It was great.

[Radio Host]

Well, thank you for calling us. And we'll post all of our. All the information, remind people to go watch you on Glee. Okay.

[Olivia Newton-John]

Oh, wonderful. Thanks, guys.

[Radio Host]

Thank you.

[Olivia Newton-John]

And say hi to my friends out there, Jim Harbour and the Itel family. If they're listening, Atlanta.

[Radio Host]

The what family?

[Olivia Newton-John]

Bye, everybody. Itel.

[Radio Host]

Okay.

[Radio Co-host]

All right, we will.

[Olivia Newton-John]

Sounds good.

[Radio Host]

Bye. Bye.

[Radio Guest]

Take care. Bye.

[Radio Co-host]

I am so jealous of Jane Lynch. Let me tell you why. Because Jane Lynch. Jane lynch is an open lesbian, okay? So Jane lynch and I are in the family together. We're in the tribe together. And so Jane lynch is probably, oh, all of about 14 when Olivia New John, you know, started making hits here in America, and I was, you know, in elementary school. She's one of my first crushers. And I'm assuming the same for Jane Lynch. Jane lynch got to walk up to the damn table and say, hey, would you like to do the song with me? And she's like, oh, sure. And then she gets to do two episodes with us.

[Radio Host]

She lived out your fantasy.

[Radio Guest]

You hung out with Olivia Newton John.

[Radio Co-host]

I met her, yes.

[Olivia Newton-John]

You got kind of chicken.

[Radio Co-host]

I didn't get to sing physical or dance with or anything yet.

[Radio Host]

Jen, I was telling these guys, you weren't in the studio that. Remember that story about her losing her. Her boyfriend just took off and they couldn't find him.

[Radio Guest]

Yeah, he disappeared.

[Radio Host]

Disappeared, Right. For years they couldn't find this guy and many thought he was dead. I read yesterday how they found the guy. So a private investigator sets up a website, right. Called help find patmcdermot.com and they started tracking where all the hits were coming in for this website. And Pat McDermott himself was checking the website probably every day, looking at the comments or the posts or whatever they

[Radio Guest]

located, how they tracked him.

[Radio Host]

Yes. They sent a website platform.

[Radio Guest]

And that's wild.

[Radio Host]

It's actually brilliant, isn't it?

[Radio Guest]

Really smart.

[Radio Host]

Really. But that was years ago, though, so you can't really bring it up in conversation.

[Radio Guest]

And she's remarried. Yeah, she's remarried and totally happy.

[Radio Co-host]

And.

[Olivia Newton-John]

Yeah.

[Radio Host]

This is the bird Show.

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