Claire Hooper

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Claire Hooper
Claire Hooper Sydney Marriage Equality Rally 2012.jpg
Hooper at the 2012 Sydney Marriage Equality Rally
Born (1976-09-05) 5 September 1976 (age 48)
Perth, Western Australia
MediumStand-up, television, radio
NationalityAustralian
EducationHelena College, Curtin University
Years active2004–present
SpouseWade Duffin
Children2
Notable works and roles The Great Australian Bake Off
Website Claire Hooper

Claire Hooper (born 5 September 1976) is an Australian stand-up comedian, television and radio presenter and writer. Hooper previously co-hosted The Great Australian Bake Off alongside Mel Buttle.

Contents

She appeared as a team captain on the 2008 revival of Good News Week on Network Ten [1] and was a regular on The Sideshow , appearing with Paul McDermott. [2] Since 2005, she has regularly performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Career

Claire Hooper and Bob Brown - GNW backstage cropped.jpg

Hooper has appeared at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and on Stand Up Australia , How the Quest Was Won , The Sideshow, Rove Live , Sleuth 101 , Good News Week , The Project , Hughesy, We Have a Problem , Celebrity Name Game , The Living Room and Would I Lie to You? Australia .

Prior to entering into comedy, Hooper worked in children's and adult theatre in Perth, Western Australia, as an actress and director. [3] Hooper attended Curtin University and graduated with a degree in Theatre Studies. [4] She has written, directed and costumed professionally for many youth theatre productions. [5]

In 2004, Hooper won the Western Australian finals of Triple J's Raw Comedy. [6] In 2005, she was selected to perform in "The Comedy Zone" for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and was awarded "Best and Fairest" at the National Improvisation Championships in Sydney. [7] Claire discovered she had a goitre that required surgery, which led her to wonder what she would do if she ever lost her voice. In 2006, Hooper performed a one-hour live show titled Oh inspired by the incident, during which she did not speak at all, instead communicating through recorded audio, videos, handwritten signs, breakdancing and mime. The show was well received, earning a nomination at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for the "Best Newcomer" award. [8] Her 2007 show, "Show Girl", was inspired by Kylie Minogue and involved Hooper juxtaposing ideas of Minogue as dignified and ladylike with her own failed attempts to maintain dignity. [3] [9] In 2008, she returned to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to perform a new solo show, "Storybook". [10]

In addition to her live comedy shows, Hooper has made numerous appearances on Australian radio and television since 2005. Her television credits include guest stand-up appearances on Stand Up Australia and Rove Live , a presenting role on How the Quest Was Won and a regular segment on The Sideshow. She was a member of the negating team with Stephen K. Amos and Greg Fleet in the 2007 Melbourne International Comedy Festival's Great Debate which aired on Network Ten. [11] In 2008, she was cast to replace Julie McCrossin as a regular team captain on Good News Week . [12] She also appeared as the guest detective in episode three of dark comedy mini-series Sleuth 101 .

In July 2015, Hooper and Mel Buttle were announced as the hosts of the second season of The Great Australian Bake Off , which began airing on LifeStyle Food in October 2015. [13] The series returned for a third season in October 2016, and a fourth season in January 2018.

In 2024, Hooper was awarded The Piece of Wood Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. [14]

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The second season of The Great Australian Bake Off premiered on 13 October 2015 and saw 12 home bakers take part in a bake-off to test their baking skills as they battled to be crowned The Great Australian Bake Off's best amateur baker. Unlike the first season, season two aired on pay television channel LifeStyle Food and was produced by FremantleMedia Australia. The season consisted of 10 episodes. Each episode saw bakers put through three challenges, with each episode having its own theme or discipline. The season aired from 13 October 2015 until 15 December 2015, and saw Sian Redgrave win. The season was hosted by Claire Hooper and Mel Buttle, and was judged by Maggie Beer and Matt Moran. The season consisted of 10 episodes.

References

  1. ↑ "Good News Week". Network Ten. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
  2. ↑ "About The Sideshow – ABC TV". Australian Broadcasting Commission. Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  3. 1 2 Lobley, Katrina (11 May 2007). "Claire Hooper". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  4. ↑ "Lucky move is good news all around". The Age. Melbourne. 30 October 2008.
  5. ↑ "Claire Hooper" (PDF). Australian Entertainment Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
  6. ↑ Vabolis, Jo (26 February 2008). "Fringe review – Storybook, Claire Hooper". The Independent Weekly. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
  7. ↑ "Claire Hooper". The Groggy Squirrel. 12 February 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
  8. ↑ Ziffer, Daniel (7 April 2007). "Comedy's rocket man is reaching for the TV stars". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
  9. ↑ Morton, Adam (20 April 2007). "Claire Hooper: Show Girl". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
  10. ↑ Nicholls, Daniel (22 March 2008). "Claire Hooper – Storybook". The Groggy Squirrel. Retrieved 6 May 2008.
  11. ↑ Speaker Profile of Claire Hooper at The Celebrity Speakers Bureau
  12. ↑ "Claire Hooper". Perth Theatre Company. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  13. ↑ Knox, David (13 July 2015). "Claire Hooper, Mel Buttle to host The Great Australian Bake Off". TV Tonight . Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  14. ↑ "2024 Awards" . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
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