What do actor Sam Neill, singer Delta Goodrem, AFL champ Adam Goodes, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, radio host Amanda Keller and Lego master Hamish Blake have in common?

Not much, except they’re all A-list celebrities (except the PM), and they’ve agreed to be part of a ground-breaking ABC television series, The Assembly, and be interviewed by autistic journalism students.

As there was no pre-existing training, or organisation specifically for autistic journalists in Australia, producers worked with Macquarie University in Sydney to create Australia’s first autism-friendly journalism course.

And the results are in.

In each of the six episodes, The Assembly‘s journalism students, taught by university staff and mentored by veteran ABC broadcaster Leigh Sales, learn their craft, research their guest of the week, and plan their questions.

It culminates in an interview with each celebrity in a 60-minute episode that is “disarming, surprising and engaging”.

No subject is out of bounds. No question is off the table.

Just ask stand-up comedian, radio and TV host, Blake, 42, who was thrown a curveball when asked by a student whether “making people laugh was the same as making people happy”.

“Wow … nice,” he nodded appreciatively.

“I love this because they’re questions that I’ve never got before,” admits the four-time Logie winner.

New Zealander Neill, who was born in Northern Ireland, became emotional when asked what was the best lesson he learnt from his parents: “I don’t know why the question has moved me so much … but it has.”

Delta gets a question prefaced with her turning 40 this year, and Keller was asked how she got away with stuff in her career.

Reaction from the class could be summed up by one student, who said she had never “smiled like this before”.

“The Assembly is as honest and authentic as it gets,” said Sales, a
three-time Walkley Award-winning journalist.

“The student journalists don’t give the guests any chance to hide behind spin or obfuscation, and it’s so beautiful to see our interviewees embrace a new kind of interview.”

‘Breaking down barriers’

Based on a successful French program called Les Rencontres du Papotin, its version of The Assembly featured top French names including President Emmanuel Macron.

The Spanish version included actor Antonio Banderas, while the recently released UK episode on the BBC with Welsh actor Michael Sheen (The Queen, Staged) – which was tied to Autism Acceptance Week – went viral on social media.

“Gone was the flattery of the usual celeb fare – in its place, a mix of mischievous prodding, left-field quizzing and profound exchanges,” wrote the BBC in a review.

“The superstars left completely off guard, actors asked about a driving ban or the death of a parent, the President asked if it’s really the behaviour of a role model to marry one’s teacher.”

Sheen described the experience as “moving and uplifting”.

“So much on TV is sort of smoothed out and filtered and made safe and this, certainly in the making of it, felt very not that,” Sheen told the BBC.

“I know a lot of work is put into the research and preparation for a show like this, but … it feels very unpredictable … and led by the people taking part.”

The cast of students in The Assembly, with Leigh Sales. Photo: ABC

Where are they now?

When making an Australian version of this French format, the production team needed to consider the differences between the two countries.

In France, the program is based around an existing newspaper, Le Papotin, which is produced by autistic journalists.

With the support of Macquarie, the ABC show is being made with the backing of Aspect, the country’s largest service for people on the autism spectrum, and Bus Stop Films, a social enterprise supporting people with disabilities in film making.

To ensure it was autism friendly, the ABC says consulting with Aspect included “keeping the class size small, onsite supports, making course materials available in a variety of formats, regular break opportunities and access to a quiet room”.

All the students were paid in accordance with the relevant employment award, and the training was delivered at no cost to the students.

And where are they now?

Sales has the answer to that question.

“I’m so happy that the ABC is going beyond the filming of this TV show and taking the full step of offering our autistic media students paid internships,” she said.

They’re heading to various departments including news and content.

“I’m confident that some of them are going to run with these opportunities and become terrific assets to our workplace and the industry.”