Richard Wilkins Faces His Fear on Today Show in Dubai

A very brave Richard Wilkins stepped up and conquered his greatest fear this week.

The veteran Nine entertainment guru, 70, was on the scene in Dubai on Thursday, where the Today show is broadcasting this week.

After discovering Richard’s apparent fear of heights, Today host Karl Stefanovic said there was only one thing for it – to send Richard 300 meters into the air.

A segment, titled ‘Where in Dubai is Dickie, featured Richard reporting from the Dubai  Balloon – a tethered balloon located at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai.

The eye-catching tourist attraction which rises vertically to 300 metres, offers panoramic views of the stunning Dubai skyline. 

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‘Dickie was a little bit upset with Sarah [Abo, Today co-host] for questioning his ability or inability to go to any height, so we thought we’d send him into a hot air balloon today,’ Karl said.

The segment then cut to Richard, standing nervously on the viewing platform in the balloon.

Clearly out of his comfort zone, Richard clung tightly to a railing as he sheepishly began speaking.

‘Good evening, it might almost be time to say “Dubai”‘ Richard said.

‘As you know, I’m not great with heights, so this really is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for me.

‘But yes, this is the Dubai Balloon, which is moored to the ground, I’m happy to report!’

Ever the consummate professional, Richard soldiered on in spite of his pulse-raising fear, as the camera panned around to show a remarkable Dubai skyline.

‘It goes up 300 metres in the air which is the height of a 100 storey building, no less,’ he added.

‘Even for someone like me, Karl and Sarah, who is not a fan of getting up in the air like this, it really is something pretty special.’

The camera then cut back to Richard who could be seen cowering on his knees as he continued to deliver his report.

‘You can see how brave I’m being, up there getting a view of all the sights and sounds of Dubai,’ he said, covering his eyes in fear.

Richard’s display tickled Karl, who could not help but giggle at his colleague’s predicament.

Co-host Sarah, meanwhile, praised Richard for his bravery.

‘I’m so proud of you, Dickie. you’re doing so well,’ she said as Karl continued to guffaw.

‘You’re a funny man,’ Karl said to Richard between chuckles.

Fans were also quick to praise Richard on social media for facing his fears.

‘Nice one, Dickie,’ one fan commented.

‘I can’t stand on a step ladder even.’ 

Another suggested that it was cruel to put the Nine star in such a precarious position.

‘I’d be just the same Dickie. They shouldn’t be taking the mickey out of you,’ they wrote. 

Richard’s brave display comes after he shared a very surprising photo with notorious fan of heights Tom Cruise.

The Channel Nine entertainment reporter, 70, shared an image of himself posing alongside the Hollywood superstar in London as they discussed his latest film Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning.  

What caught the eye of many is the size disparity between the two men, with Wilkins appearing to tower over the 62-year-old Cruise.

The perspective of the photo, with Wilkins more in the foreground, does exaggerate the height difference between the two, although the Today star is quite a bit taller.

Richard cuts an imposing figure at 1.88m (or 6’1″) while Tom stands at a reported 1.7m (5’6″).

‘Tom looks like he’s come out of a Kinder Surprise egg,’ one follower joked.

Alluding to the strange perspective of the image, another offered: ‘That photo doesn’t look right – I know Tom Cruise is short but the photo looks distorted somehow?’