Comedian, author, broadcaster and social media sensation Tanya Hennessy has ventured to the Mornington Peninsula to dabble in alternative careers. Get A Real Job is a six-part series that follows Tanya as she throws herself into unknown situations to discover whether she’s capable of doing something other than talking for a living. “I’m an experienced stilt-walker, spent years as a professional clown and talk for a living, but for 2020 I thought it’s time to get out of my comfort zone and try something new,” said Tanya.
Tanya’s the star of the new Instagram Television comedy series that launches early this year, and her 165,000 Instagram followers, 1.2 million Facebook followers and 119,000 YouTube subscribers are in for a treat. Tanya’s a content creator whose comedic chops have received more than 450 million views on Facebook. It’s an impressive feat that saw her become the only Australian to be flown to LA by Facebook for the first Creator Day — a day for the best and biggest Facebook creators in the world. Her first self-penned book Am I Doing This Right? became an Australian best-seller just three months after its release by Allen & Unwin.
Tanya Hennessy at Commonfolk Coffee
And now to her new project, produced by the 720 Creative and whose producer, Karla Burt, asked passionate Peninsula businesses whether they’d be willing to open their doors to an inexperienced intern. Their enthusiasm was overwhelming. “I grew up in Frankston so I knew the businesses on the Mornington Peninsula would not only be the best at what they do, but also be up for a laugh,” said Karla.
Throughout the series, Tanya attempts to work as a farm hand at Rain, Hayne and Shine in Balnarring as well as making coffees as a barista at Commonfolk in Mornington. She dabbles in being a wellness consultant at Samsara in Dromana and a landscape gardener at Tag Constructing in Dromana. Elsewhere, Tanya tries her hand as a tour guide in Melbourne and a publicist at Progressive PR. So which job does Tanya think she showed the most potential at if she were to pursue one?
“Realistically I could do PR for sure, but I just can’t sit still and do one thing is all. I like to do heaps of things ‘cos my mind is all over the shop,” said Tanya. “I have always wanted to try other jobs because I’m naturally very curious. I want to know what other people do and how they live, plus I want to be a parent soon so I am wanting to get more life experience than being a clown. My only other jobs I have done are clown and stilt-walker. That’s not a lot to teach a child, ha ha.”
Tanya Hennessy at Rain Hayne and Shine Farmyard
We can’t wait to watch the hilarity that will ensue and see our Peninsula businesses in the limelight. Tanya will no doubt be taking everything on with her inquisitive nature and ability to never shy away from laughing at herself. She embraced getting out of her comfort zone and that’s what it’s all about. Given this, the standout moment for her was her time at Samsara.
“Samsara was amazing,” said Tanya. “It is such a beautiful shop and such amazing services. You can tell they care so much about their clients’ experience. The colonic there was one of the most confronting experiences and I was just so out of my comfort zone. But God, the Peninsula is stunning! I was like ‘OMG, this place is epic!’ the entire time.”
You can expect to see Tanya ruin people’s businesses for a day throughout the comedy series, which will no doubt have you in hysterics. She’s a natural and down-to-earth multi-media star whose comedic and engaging take on life is so utterly relatable it’s almost like she reads the texts between you and your bestie. It’s her brutally honest online videos about everyday topics that have seen this rising star attract such big brands as Amex, ANZ, Netflix, Ford and Samsung.
“It is very clear by the end that I can’t do anything other than what I do and be who I am, which is such a great life lesson for me and so many others,” said Tanya. “And that’s OK.”
KATE SEARS