It's not all about Hugh: Channel Seven and actor Hugh Sheridan under fire
over staged reunion with his brother in devastated Nepal - even though he's
safe and well (and Hugh's at the Shangri-La)
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Seven's Sunday Night travelled with Hugh Sheridan from LA to Nepal
They hope to film the moment Hugh is reunited with his brother Zach
Zach was in Gokyo peak in the Himalayas of Nepal when the quake hit
A 7.8 magnitude quake struck the country on Saturday killing thousands
The channel tried to hire a helicopter to get Hugh to Zach
They later abandoned the plan when they landed in the devastated country
Hugh and Seven's Health Editor Dr Andrew Rochford are now helping with the search and
rescue efforts, Channel Seven says
Social media users have slammed the station for the TV show called Moving Mountains
By SARAH DEAN and DANIEL VAN BOOM FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
PUBLISHED: 08:38 EST, 30 April 2015 | UPDATED: 14:07 EST, 30 April 2015
Channel Seven and actor Hugh Sheridan have come under fire for trying to rent a helicopter in Nepal
as the country struggles with an enormous humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of Saturday's 7.8
magnitude quake.
The station tried to use a chopper to fly Hugh, 29, to his 20-year-old sibling Zachary, who was at
Gokyo peak in the Himalayan mountains when the earthquake hit, for an emotional TV reunion called
Moving Mountains.
Hugh arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday and has been staying at the four star Shangri-La hotel, as his
trip with the Sunday Night program began being questioned by social media users.
One Twitter user, @timmydownawell commented: 'Seriously @sundaynighton7 who gives a s**t
about Hugh Sheridan flying to Nepal to find his wealthy globetrotting brother. 5000+ ppl are dead.'
Damian Chandler wrote: 'I see @Channel7 and @Sundaynighton7 are trying to cash in on a tragedy
by sending a crew with Hugh Sheridan to Nepal.'
A Channel 7 spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'When our guys set out originally at the weekend
just after the earthquake the plan was to hire a chopper and try and find the brother, Zachary.
‘Once our crew landed and saw the devastation first hand, that plan was abandoned. It was obvious
with the relief aid and assistance that people needed that there were far more pressing and urgent
needs.’
‘During the following 36 hours, after a harrowing wait, it became apparent that Zach was safe,’ the
spokesperson added.
Hugh arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday and has been staying at the four star Shangri-La hotel
Twitter users have question Sheridan's claim that he couldn't update his fans with what he's doing in Nepal
Damian Chandler wrote: 'I see @Channel7 and @Sundaynighton7 are trying to cash in on a tragedy'
Entertainment commentator Peter Ford questioned Hugh's claim that it's been hard to keep fans
updated with his trip due to poor mobile phone signal.
'@hugh_sheridan you're staying at The Shangri La Hotel and the crew you're filming with has a
satellite phone. Seems very odd to not update.'
A Channel Seven spokesperson explained: 'During the first critical 24 hours the communication was
touch and go but each day communication has become better and more reliable.'
The Daily Telegraph reported a Sunday Night production crew was told by authorities there were no helicopters
available to fly to the remote village of Lobuche where Zach is now camping out.
Unsurprisingly, the country's helicopters are being used in search and rescue operations and to
deliver aid as part of the relief efforts.
Channel Seven said that once the crew reached Nepal the plan for the journey changed.
‘Dr Andrew is an ambassador for the Red Cross and an emergency physician and Hugh is an
ambassador for World Vision - it didn't take them long to get going since the news came that Zach
was safe.
‘Their efforts have been to help and assist with the search and rescue operations.’
‘Hugh yesterday organised a group of people into a party to clear away rubble and search for anyone
missing in that zone and joined search parties,’ the spokesperson added.
In a promo clip for the special Sunday Night episode, posted on Facebook on Thursday, the show is
described as 'Hugh Sheridan's desperate search for his little brother Zach in Nepal'.
However, the final show which airs on Sunday is now expected to show more of Hugh and Dr
Andrew's search and rescue operation.
'If I'm not looking for him who's going to look for him?,' Hugh asks in the promo clip.
'I'm prepared to climb Mount Everest looking for him... I just want to give him a hug.'
A dramatic voiceover says the show is a 'race to reunite and rescue others'.
Twitter users, such as @Adakape, commented: '4000+ people have died in Nepal and Channel 7 and
Hugh Sheridan decide to film a story for Sunday Night on Sheridan's brothers #priorities.'
'You all should be ashamed. Disgraceful and disrespctful behaviour,' Ken Carroll said.
The network confirmed to Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday that 'Seven's Sunday Night has
travelled with Hugh Sheridan from Los Angeles to Nepal following the devastating earthquake that
struck the Himalayan nation on Saturday.'
'Hugh and his brother Tom were together with Sunday Night when they learned the news they'd been
hoping for, that their younger brother Zach was safe. Until late yesterday he'd been unable to get a
message out of the remote area he had been travelling in,' the statement said.
'The program, along with Seven's Health Editor and Australian Red Cross Ambassador Dr Andrew
Rochford, is continuing to assist Hugh and Tom to reach their brother and endeavoring to provide
medical and communications assistance to others in Nepal affected by the earthquake.'
On Wednesday. Hugh posted a photo of a collapsed roof in Nepal next to a statue, with directions on how to donate to help a remote
village in the district pf Rasuwa
On Wednesday night Hugh posted a photo of himself in a medical mask, with orange gloves next to a
destroyed temple on Instagram.
'Thank you for all your messages, I apologize for not responding yet, the service here is virtually
impossible,' he wrote.
'Just got good wifi for the first time and I'm overwhelmed by what I read. I have no update from Zach
yet, I'll let you all know as soon as I do. Put your prayers into the people still unaccounted for and for
#nepal the damage here is unbelievable and they are a beautiful people.
'I've spent the day trying to be useful for the local people. Donate to organizations you know are legit
and that your money will definitely reach the people. Love to you all and thank you. #nepal
#earthquake #donate #speaklove.'
Hugh and the Channel Seven crew including Seven's Health Editor and Australian Red Cross Ambassador Dr Andrew Rochford are
staying at the Shangri-La in Nepal. The hotel is shown here before the earthquake struck
The Shangri La Hotel is said to have suffered damage during the devastating quake
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Hugh posted on Instagram from Kathmandu: 'Just got good wifi for the first time and I'm overwhelmed by what I read. I have no update
from Zach yet, I'll let you all know as soon as I do'
@Adakape, commented: '4000+ people have died in Nepal and Channel 7 and Hugh Sheridan decide to film a story for Sunday Night
on Sheridan's brothers #priorities'
Ken Carroll said Sunday Night should be 'ashamed' of the TV show Moving Mountains
Hugh's brother Zach confirmed he was safe via a Facebook on Tuesday after initially being reported missing but people have
questioned why Channel 7 is focusing on him
He later posted a photo of a collapsed roof next to a statue, with directions on how to donate to help a
remote village.
'Where to donate... The casualties and death toll continue to rise by the hour. While there is lots of
national and international help in Kathmandu, the villages outside have been left on their own,' he
said.
'One such district is Rasuwa. It is one of the most remote and worst affected with hundreds of deaths
and much of the village having to be deserted. People didn't have much before and now they have
nothing. They need our help desperately.'
Hugh's brother Zach confirmed he was safe via a Facebook on Tuesday after initially being reported
missing.
The 20-year-old wrote: 'To anyone concerned, thank you for thinking of me...I am safe,'
Zachary was at Gokyo peak in the Himalayan mountains when the earthquake hit. Mount Everest's base camp (pictured) was also badly
hit by an avalanche
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Made contact: Zachary shared a post on social media saying communication lines have been down
He explained: 'I have just arrived in Lobuche. I was in Gokyo at the time of the earthquake, thankfully arriving
ahead of schedule and on flat ground.' Zachary added that though he's safe, his guide's family were unfortunately
'affected.'
'We've had no news but that it was 7.9. Communication has been down otherwise I would have obviously let you
know earlier. Thanks Gran for looking over me.'
It came after Hugh tweeted on Sunday: 'Please. Anyone who is awake, please pray for my little brother Zachary
who is on Mt Everest, I'd appreciate every prayer you have to spare.'
Dozens of Australians still missing following Nepal earthquake
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A Nepalese earthquake victims looks on among debris of collapsed buildings in Bhaktapur, Nepal
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An injured victim of Saturday's earthquake, evacuated by Nepalese army, is carried down from a helicopter in Katmandu, Nepal
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People try to free a man from the rubble of a destroyed building after an earthquake hit Nepal
The Packed To The Rafters actor announced on Monday that he was headed to Nepal to try and find Zachary,
writing on Instagram: 'I'm on my way to Nepal now and will head toward base camp to try and find Zachary... I
know so many of us are still waiting to hear but communication is down.'
'Stay positive everyone, I feel optimistic that he is alive and stuck.'
More than 5,000 people have been killed since the earthquake struck, but Nepal's prime minister Sushil Koirala
said the death toll could eventually rise to more than 10,000.
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The singer and actor revealed a day later that he was on his way to Nepal to search for his younger brother, nine years his junior
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On Sunday Hugh, 29, Tweeted that Zachary was hiking Mt Everest when the catastrophic 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck
Eight million people have been affected by the disaster, which has wiped out entire villages, according to the
United Nations.
World Vision CEO Tim Costello is in Kathmandu and says the aftermath of Saturday's 7.8 magnitude quake is
devastating.
'What shocks you is seeing smoke and asking what that is - well, it's burning the corpses and putting the ashes in
the river here,' he told AAP.
Mr Costello said the scale of the disaster had overwhelmed the Nepalese government, which has asked the rest
of the world to step in and help.
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A Nepalese man walks over rubble in the village of Sathighar, north of Katmandu, left ruined by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake which hit
on April 25
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Residents cover their mouth and nose as they watch a Nepali search and rescue team carry the body of a victim from the earthquake
after they pulled her out from the rubble in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu
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Rescue teams use a sniffer dog to look for bodies in a collapsed building in Kathmandu
Death toll rises to more than 1,300 in monster Nepal quake
'When you ask people if the government's done enough, they basically say `the government's invisible,' he said.
'(They say) we paid for our own tarpaulin and food and water and we really need international agencies and the
rest of the world to help.'
A giant tent city has been set up in Kathmandu but clean water and toilets are in short supply.
'People who are still in the tent cities are mainly motivated by fear,' Mr Costello said.
'There's just wild rumours, ever-present rumours that another, bigger earthquake is coming.'
Even worse are the regional areas where no one has been able to access, he said.
'Our staff in the regions are getting really desperate, they say `nothing is getting out here' because of landslides
and bad weather, it's been pouring rain (On Tuesday) afternoon,' Mr Costello said.
He said it was a race to ensure sanitation was restored or an outbreak of disease could kill more people than the
earthquake.
World Vision is flying in tents, water and hygiene packs, as well as sanitation, child protection and disaster relief
experts.
Read more:
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Nepal earthquake: Hospitals overflowing, rural towns cut off as
death toll continues to climb - ABC News (Australian
Broadcasting Corporation)
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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3061535/Channel-Seven-trying-cash-tragedy-Actor-Hugh-Sheridan-TV-station-firetrying-hire-helicopter-film-reunion-brother-Nepal-country-struggles-earthquake-disaster.html#ixzz3YlOsxw5D
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