Dean McCarthy is the Hollywood correspondent for leading Australian entertainment news program, Scoopla. He interviews celebrities, attends red carpets and delivers the latest entertainment news to TV and radio programs all over down under.

At first glance you would think he actually walks the red carpet. His movie star looks are topped off with blonde locks and the perfect Hollywood smile. That’s not where the charm finishes though. Out of nowhere comes the thickest Australian accent you’ve ever heard. It’s polished, but undoubtedly Aussie.

He is the fresh new face of the Hollywood hosting world and quickly becoming a connected and well-respected member of LA press circles. He has covered every major award show and attends most of the major red carpet premieres too.

What’s even more interesting is how he ended up in Hollywood. The self confessed “boy from the bush” actually grew up in the middle of Australia, on a farm as the youngest of four boys. His first ever job was hosting his own radio program at the local station, 2TEN FM.

He attended boarding school in Queensland, where he excelled in speech and drama and was featured in various local and national TV commercials. After school he was accepted into the prestigious Queensland University of Technology’s Business School and had a part time role hosting “Cinema”, a TV program that aired on Briz 31.

It was when the producer of The Labrat, Camilla & Stav show offered Dean a gig as the movie reviewer on their morning radio program that things took off. “It was such an exciting time for me. I would wake up early and go into the station to review movie’s live on air.” Dean said.

Soon after, a friend submitted Dean for a unique modeling assignment, to be the face of a theme park in Australia called Dreamworld. His face was digitally created to look half wet and half dry, to promote the launch of a new water-park. Dean confesses that the reach of the campaign was overwhelming. “It was everywhere. They had me on busses, billboards, life size cutouts in malls, I even saw my face on a pizza box”.

Dean then put his media career on the back burner and progressed with Austereo as one of their top advertising executives, eventually landing a promotion and transfer to their Sydney office, but his real dream of TV and radio never ever died. After months of auditioning, Dean was selected as a back-up reporter for The Dirt TV, an online program at the time. “The Dirt TV was fantastic. It was all about entertainment news, and I am fascinated by all things Hollywood and celebrity”.

In 2012 Dean was cast as a “fake” housemate on Big Brother Australia, a stunt by producers to drive ratings and controversy with the original 12 housemates. Shortly afterwards Dean moved to LA and his dream of reporting from the USA became a reality. His first assignment was to cover the red carpet of the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. “I was terrified. They placed me on the red carpet next to E! News’s correspondent, Khloe Kardashian. There I was, standing next to Khloe, interviewing A-List celebrities in Hollywood. It was the dream coming true in front of my eyes”.

The success of The Dirt TV continued and the online program became telecast during prime time nationally on Channel 11, ONE and Southern Cross TEN. The name then changed to Scoopla and Dean became the regular and key Hollywood correspondent.

Red carpets are now a breeze for this talented Aussie, having covered dozens of them and interviewed countless A-List celebrities. He confesses that his days of getting intimidated are long gone. “I don’t bat an eyelid anymore about who I’m interviewing. I interviewed One Direction in front of thousands of screaming girls, Tom Hanks in front of hundreds of paparazzi and I’ve sat down with Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence. They are all just people, exactly like you or I. The only difference is that everyone in the world knows who they are.”

Dean now also reports for Scoopla online, and often crosses during the national radio program, syndicated on the Today Network. He recently became the Hollywood correspondent for Hot FM and Star FM too. In September 2014, Dean joined the Beverly Hills Lifestyle Magazine team. “I interview celebrities and review luxury cars, houses, hotels, anything that our readers adore, really. I absolutely love it.”

His role with the prestigious magazine has opened up connections and contacts that Dean had never imagined possible, and even landed him cameo appearances on the popular TV show The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, which airs weekly on Bravo.

With an intensely busy schedule, the determined reporter still manages to squeeze in his favorite past time, the gym. The results certainly show. “Second to my career, my greatest passion is health and fitness. I am obsessed with it. I train almost every day and I am very very dedicated. I have become even more focused on it since moving to LA and hanging out in Hollywood”.

At 30 years old, Dean has carved out his dream life and even his dream address in the exclusive Hollywood Hills. So what’s next and where does one go from here? “I want to build my career further in America. I am still very rooted in Australia, I’m in the process of building a home back in Aus as we speak, but while I’m here, I want to make the most of this incredible country and this exciting city”.