“My grief has passed”: Julia Zemiro on RocKwiz demise

SBS’s axing of RocKwiz didn’t come as that much of a shock to co-host Julia Zemiro as it did to its loyal viewers.

Speaking on Nova’s Kate, Tim & Marty radio show, Zamiro revealed, “The funny part of it is that we sort of knew three years ago, so my grief has passed.”

Apparently SBS had by then begun suggesting that the show might have gone past its use-by date, and the RocKwiz crew had responded, “No, we think we’re still doing good stuff.”

Zamiro suggested the official announcement was probably a relief that it’s "come out this year properly, with a lot of love on Twitter”.

She intends to post online her favourite duets once a week.

SBS Viceland will run old episodes regularly and the crew stages its Really Really Good Friday show at Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday, April 19.

Zamiro isn’t heading for Centrelink, though. She’s started shooting the next season of Home Delivery, and it’s expected – although not confirmed – Channel 7 will bring All Together Now after its strong debut in its first season.

She’s also the artistic director for the next three years of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in June.

She admits when she was offered the gig, her response was “Why me? Because I’m not a singer or a musician.

“But I’m going to do this, it is a challenge.”

Zamiro quips that when she was first introduced at the final night of the last Cabaret Festival, she could feel that some of the audience was apprehensive.

Her first program announcement was a strong one, and which saw her source new performance spaces.

Events range from tributed to Marlene Dietrich and Hollywood actress Anna May Wong to immersive UK troupe The Swell Mob whose shows are limited to 50 a show, and where one began with the audience being handed a bag of money to see where they’d take the experience.