But the Sydney mum says she’s okay with that – she’s just thrilled that Australia will get to see an overdue celebration of her nearest and dearest friend.
“There’s no way you could encapsulate all the rich amazing characters that were part of his life – I’m only one of them,” says the modest Sydney mum, who acted as a researcher and consultant for the mini-series.
But the truth is, Molly’s real-life personal assistant since 1989 is much closer to the Aussie music legend than most – she says she owes him her life.
When her brave son Maxi, now five, was diagnosed with a mysterious and rare brain disease causing him to pile on weight, it was Molly who stepped in to save the day.
His tireless fund-raising efforts enabled Yael to take Maxi to the U.S. for critical DNA testing.
Although Yael came home without the diagnosis his mum so desperately craved, the tests enabled doctors to safely prescribe a new vital supplement for Maxi.
“It’s saved his life, to a degree,” says Yael, in an exclusive interview with The Carousel. “He’s just started school and is getting a smart puppy too.
“Molly is incredible with Maxi – they have their own great relationship. I dread to think where we’d be without him.
“I owe him my life when it comes down to it.”
Yael says Molly’s recent health scares have also reinforced to her just how special their bond is.
She always used to think of Molly, now 73, as a larger-than-life character, who would always be around when she needed him.
“He’s just so dear to me…I never want to imagine him not being around.”
Their friendship started in 1989 – after the period covered in Molly – when Yael’s friend, an employee of Molly’s at the time, introduced them.
When Molly found out Yael’s professor father was one of the few people in Sydney with a computer, the wide-eyed 18-year-old “from the suburbs” was quickly hired as his assistant.
Yael laughs now at the serendipity.
When she was asked at school which celebrity she’d most like to meet most, she didn’t miss a beat – Molly Meldrum of course.
“I picked Molly because he met everyone who I wanted to,” laughs Yael, who soon found herself answering the phone to Michael Jackon and Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon, among many other famous artists.
Yael says there was never a dull moment working with Molly.
“He pushed and pushed, and never gave up. If he decided to push an artist, we all knew about it.
“He’d play a song over and over again, to the point I’d totally lose my cool at times.
“It got to the point that I’d have to walk out and go home because I couldn’t take it any longer.”
That’s the message Yael hopes viewers get from Molly more than anything: never give up on your dreams, no matter how insurmountable the obstacles seem in your way.
“The other beautiful thing about this is that we get to see so much of Australian talent,” Yael tells The Carousel.
“It’s a celebration of Australian history by watching it.
“No one has seen anything like this…his story is so unreal.”
