Nervous and excited, and already feeling completely out of her comfort zone as in her new role as one of the hosts of SBS’s Great Australian Walks, Susie Youssef was overwhelmed with emotions ahead of her encounter with the majestic Wilpena Pound in the northern Flinders Ranges.
But standing in front of the craggy natural amphitheatre some 400km north of Adelaide, the comedian and actor instantly felt at peace.
“It had the opposite effect on me where it really calmed and slowed me down,” she says.
It’s the second season of the popular documentary series, which last time was solely hosted by comedy legend Julia Zemiro. Her hectic schedule meant she was unable to commit to the entire 10 episodes this season, so she’s sharing her step counter with Youssef and 2023 Alone Australia winner Gina Chick.
Featuring 10 spectacular new walks, each episode takes viewers along with one of the hosts as they soak in the sights, sounds and stories, meeting locals and a celebrity guest or two. Freed from the pandemic restraints of the inaugural series, they explore the whole of Australia, from Margaret River in WA and Mount Kosciuszko in the Snowy Mountains to the spiritual tranquility of Uluru.
The Flinders Ranges is one of the locations Susie Youssef explored with Great Australian Walks. Photo: SBS
Youssef has two walks in South Australia: Wilpena Pound, and along the Riesling Trail in the Clare Valley. While she loved heading back to SA, where she’s filmed and starred on stage with State Theatre Company, she was also slightly apprehensive about stepping into the shoes of seasoned TV veteran Zemiro.
“Look, it both drew me to the project and made me feel nervous because you do not ever want to be compared to someone as phenomenal as Julia – not only is she hilarious and smart, but she is just excellent at everything she does,” she Youssef says.
“She’s really generous and we had a big chat before I started. She really empowered me to just make the episodes my own. It’s so nice to work on a show that you’re a fan of – but I’m just crossing my fingers that I don’t let the team down because I know how wonderful they [Zemiro and Chick] are.”
While she’s no avid hiker, Youssef credits walking with keeping her sane.
Susie Youssef on the Reisling Trail in the Clare Valley. Photo: SBS
“I know when I’m starting to get a little bit antsy or a bit anxious, I know that I have to get out there and start moving,” she says, adding it’s also a way to hang out with her five sisters.
“I’m one of six girls and catching up with them can be tricky – they’ve all got kids – so walking for us has been like this little escape to catch up. And it was a game-changer in lockdown.
“We joke that we can solve any problem in the world in a few kilometres.”
The self-described extremely urban girl laughs at the suggestion she’ll soon find herself an avid bushwalker, conceding it did make her realise it’s “manageable to go with people who know what they’re doing”.
“But I haven’t gone out and bought hiking boots – even if they are tax deductible now.”
Speaking of shoes – Youssef resisted the urge to go barefoot à la Chick.
“She’s another spectacular human who I am completely in awe of. I just wish I had an ounce of Gina Chick about me – but I’m very much pro-shoes,” she says with a laugh.
Youssef’s keen to explore more of South Australia, this time bringing her partner Edward Curtis, who she hard-launched on Instagram in May, and family and friends.
“That means I’ll definitely be back. Every time I left a place, I was like, ‘I’m so coming back here’.”
Youssef’s also looking forward to showing her parents something they’ll actually enjoy watching. Her turn as the extremely stubborn Mayor Aleyna Rahme in the Kate McLennan and McCartney-created dark comedy Deadloch on Amazon Prime was not one of those projects.
While her parents weren’t the biggest fans of the multi-award-winning, eight-episode series – which also stars Adelaide’s Kate Box – Youssef definitely was. She says it changed her life and has raised her expectations about her future projects.
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“It also set the bar for the sorts of scripts that I read now,” she says.
“I’m like, this is so funny, so socially aware, and well written… it’s almost spoiled me in many ways. Because now everything I read, I look through that lens.”
The quadruple threat – who divides her time between comedy, TV, film, and stage – is currently tinkering away on some writing and auditioning, alongside her regular spots on Ten’s The Project. Youssef is hoping for another few long walks.
“What a dream job to have someone approach you and say, ‘Do you want to walk around the country and meet amazing people?’ Yes, and can we please do this for the next 20 years?”
Great Australian Walks premieres on Thursday, August 22, at 7.30pm, SBS and SBS on Demand.
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