Hamish Blake | |
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![]() Hamish Blake in 2005 | |
Birth name | Hamish Donald Blake |
Born | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | 11 December 1981
Medium | Stand-up, television, radio |
Nationality | Australian |
Years active | 2002–present |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 |
Website | http://www.hamishandandy.com |
Hamish Donald Blake (born 11 December 1981) is an Australian comedian, television and radio presenter, actor and author. Since 2003, he has worked with Andy Lee as part of the comedy duo Hamish and Andy. The pair have performed live and on television and radio, most notably with their drive-time radio program Hamish & Andy . As a solo performer, Blake has appeared on various Australian television programs, including the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's televised 2008 Great Debate, and has been a regular guest on TV programs such as Spicks and Specks , Rove , and Thank God You're Here .
In April 2012, Blake and Lee won a Logie Award for their television program Hamish and Andy's Gap Year . Individually, Blake is a two-time winner of the Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television, winning the award in 2012 for Hamish and Andy's Gap Year and in 2022 for Lego Masters . [1] [2] In 2022, Blake was the recipient of the TV Week Bert Newton Award for most outstanding presenter. [3] [4]
Blake grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley. He is a middle child; his older brother, Lachlan, is a solicitor, and his sister, Sophie, has completed an arts degree. His parents, Noel and Kerry, separated when Blake was 17, with his father eventually remarrying. As a child, Blake says he was a fan of British comedy such as Monty Python , Fawlty Towers and Blackadder ; as a teenager, he "worshipped" comedians Tony Martin and Mick Molloy. Blake was a member of the National Boys Choir of Australia during the late 1980s. He attended primary school at Glen Waverley South Primary, while he went to high school at Caulfield Grammar School and later at St Leonard's College, graduating in 1999. [5]
After a gap year, Blake enrolled at the University of Melbourne in a Science/Commerce double degree. Blake recalled, "I'm interested in artificial intelligence and computer science. That stuff still fascinates me," he says. However, a few weeks into the semester, he met Andy Lee: "That was the turning point. The wheels quickly fell off my academic career." Blake eventually dropped out of university to pursue a career in comedy alongside Lee. Blake's first experience with comedy was when he entered a competition at university. He was broke at the time, and he hoped to win the $500 first prize. His stand-up performance earned him third place and qualified him for a statewide universities' final, which he won. [5]
Hamish Blake has collaborated with fellow comedian Andy Lee as the duo Hamish and Andy since 2003, when they performed their breakout show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, a stage production about a trip they had taken to North Queensland in Blake's old car. Soon after, they trained with SYN Radio, gaining a drive-time shift, and created a show called Radio Karate for RMITV on community-access television station Channel 31, which they created in collaboration with Ryan Shelton and several other school friends. Radio Karate won an Antenna Award for best comedy program at the inaugural National Community Television Awards in February 2004, and one month later they were offered a national comedy program on Australia's Seven Network. [6]
The Hamish and Andy Show premiered on the Seven Network in March 2005, but it failed to achieve ratings success and was cancelled after two weeks. Reviewers acknowledged the duo's talent but criticised the show as "poorly executed". [6] Blake says that while working on the show was a fun experience, they had little control over what happened and the way it went forward. [7] Following the cancellation of The Hamish and Andy Show, they created a short mockumentary titled The Greystone 2800 about a couple who accidentally bought an open display home after failing to read the fine print on a housing purchase. The film won the Melbourne Comedy Festival Short Film competition and attracted the attention of comedian Rove McManus. This led to some small spots on McManus's Network Ten show Rove Live . [6]
McManus's company, Roving Enterprises, also helped the duo develop Real Stories , a mock current affairs show that aired on Network Ten in 2006. [6] Blake says that the experience of creating Real Stories was much more enjoyable than The Hamish and Andy Show because they had greater control over the series. Blake and Lee wrote, acted, directed, filmed, and produced the show with input from Ryan Shelton and Tim Bartley. [7]
In 2006, Blake and Lee debuted a national drive-time radio show titled Hamish & Andy on the Today Network. The show quickly gained popularity, finishing 2006 with almost one million Melbourne listeners, ahead of 3AW's popular radio host Derryn Hinch. [6] By August 2008, Blake and Lee's show was rating number one in four out of Australia's five major capital cities. [8] By the beginning of 2009, the show was broadcast in all capital cities as well as many regional centres across the country.
In September 2008, it was announced that they would make a guest appearance on Ten's Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? , which was hosted by Rove McManus. [9] In the same year they also made a guest appearance on the Australian soap opera Neighbours . [10]
On Wednesday 19 November 2008, at 7.30 pm, Hamish and Andy aired their own one-time episode, brought to you by Rove: Hamish & Andy Re-Gifted: A Very Early Christmas Special. This was to re-present everything they had accomplished in 2008 on Rove.
Hamish and Andy have also appeared on Channel Ten's Good News Week and The Project several times.
He is a founding member of a "rock-insult" band, Coolboys and the Frontman, along with Andy Lee and Jack Post.
Blake has appeared on various Australian television series, including Spicks and Specks , Thank God You're Here , Twentysomething , Australia's Brainiest Comedian, The Librarians , The Panel , Rove , Talkin' 'bout your Generation and The Footy Show . [5] He has also featured in the British version of Thank God You're Here . [11] In 2008, he was a speaker for the negative team in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's annual televised Great Debate. [12]
He had a monthly column in the Australian women's magazine Cosmopolitan . He was also the winner of the TV Fugly Award for Spunkiest Male TV Personality in 2008. [13] Hamish Blake was voted the comedian of the year in 2007 by the Eather corporation. His compatriot Andy Lee was placed 14th for 2007.[ citation needed ] Blake also came first in 'Television's most powerful celebrity' for 2009; Lee came 19th.
On 20 January 2010, it was announced Hamish would be writing a column for the Herald Sun .
Hamish, along with his wife Zoë Foster Blake, has written a book on dating called Textbook Romance. [14]
After scaling back his daily radio show to a weekly radio show and podcast, Hamish took on several new side projects. In 2011, Blake made an appearance in the ABC comedy Twentysomething, starring real-life best friends Jess Harris and Josh Schmidt. [15] He also co-starred in his first feature film with Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords, Two Little Boys , shot in New Zealand [16] Hamish joked: "I don't feel comfortable about cheating on Andy but now it's all out there. We've always had an open comedic relationship, but it was for one-night stands only, with no exchange of phone numbers. I've heard them [Andy and Jemaine Clement, Bret's comedic partner] whispering on the phone, plotting to do their own movie to release on the same day to sink ours." [17]
In 2019, it was announced that Blake would be joining Nine Network's brand-new reality competition series titled Lego Masters Australia , as the series host alongside judge Ryan McNaught. [18] [19] [20] In 2021, Nine announced that Blake would hast a new Lego Masters Christmas special spinoff series, titled Lego Masters Bricksmas Specials, which saw celebrities be paired up with former Lego Masters contestant over two episodes, competing for a $20,000 donation to the Kmart Wishing Tree. [21] [22] [23]
In October 2022, Blake launched a podcast called How Other Dads Dad with Hamish Blake. [24] [25] The first season saw guests such as fellow fathers Rob Sitch, Adam Hills, Stan Grant, Max Gawn, Dave Hughes, and Ben Lee. [24]
Hamish is married to Zoë Foster Blake in 2012. They have two children: Sonny and Rudy. [26]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | Real Stories | Various | 8 episodes |
2008 | Neighbours | Fred | 1 episode |
2009 | The Librarians | Jake Jackson | 1 episode |
2010 | I Love You Too | Patrick | |
2012 | Two Little Boys | Deano | |
2011–2013 | Twentysomething | Billy | 12 episodes |
2015 | Now Add Honey | Alex Kilstein | |
2016 | Molly | Television Crew | TV miniseries |
The Wrong Girl | Hamilton | ||
2018 | Ralph Breaks the Internet | Pyro (voice) | |
2021–present | Bluey | Jack's Dad (voice) |
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
2004 | Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal 2004[ citation needed ] | TV movie documentary |
2004 | Hamish & Andy | 6 episodes |
2005 | Australia's Brainiest Kid | 1 episode |
2006 | Dancing with the Stars | 1 episode |
2006 | The 20th Annual ARIA Awards | Host |
2007 | The 2007 TV Week Movie Awards | Host |
2007 | Live Earth | Documentary |
2007 | ' Little Britain' Down Under[ citation needed ] | |
2007 | The Panel | 1 episode |
2008 | Thank God You're Here | 2 episodes, UK TV series |
2008 | The 50th Annual TV Week Logie Awards | |
2008 | The Footy Show | 1 episode |
2009 | Australia Unites: The Victorian Bushfire Appeal | |
2006–2009 | Thank God You're Here | 10 episodes |
2009 | The Chaser's War on Everything | 1 episode |
2009 | The Making of 'The Librarians' | Video documentary short |
2009 | The Jay Leno Show | 2 episodes |
2005–2009 | Rove Live | 40 episodes |
2010 | Sleuth 101 | 1 episode |
2010 | 50th Annual TV Week Logie Awards | |
2010 | Good News Week | 1 episode |
2010 | The Graham Norton Show | 1 episode |
2009–2010 | Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation | 3 episodes |
2009–2010 | The Project | 20 episodes |
2011 | Hamish & Andy's Gap Year | 20 Episodes |
2005–2011 | Spicks & Specks | 53 episodes |
2012 | Fashion News Live[ citation needed ] | 1 episode |
2012 | Adam Hills Tonight[ citation needed ] | 1 episode |
2012 | The 54th Annual TV Week Logie Award | Co-host |
2012 | The Silic & Lee Show at the Logies: Red Carpet Special 2012[ citation needed ] | |
2012 | Hamish & Andy's Euro Gap Year | 7 episodes |
2012 | Today | 1 episode |
2009–2012 | Hamish & Andy's Caravan of Courage | 4 episodes, 4 part series |
2013 | The Ryzza Mae Show | 1 episode, uncredited |
2013 | Hamish & Andy's Asian Gap Year | 6 episodes |
2014 | Hamish & Andy's Gap Year South America | 6 episodes |
2017–2018 | True Story with Hamish & Andy | 20 episodes |
2019 | Hamish and Andy's "Perfect" Holiday | 3 episodes |
2019–present | Lego Masters Australia | Host |
2021–present | Lego Masters Bricksmas Specials | Host |
Year | Title | Episode/s Written |
---|---|---|
2004 | Hamish & Andy | 6 |
2006 | Real Stories | 8 |
2005–2009 | Rove Live | 40 |
2011 | Hamish & Andy's Gap Year | 10 |
2012 | Hamish & Andy's Euro Gap Year | 7 |
2009–2012 | Caravan of Courage | 4 |
2013 | Hamish & Andy's Gap Year Asia | 6 |
2014 | Hamish & Andy's Gap Year South America | 6 |
Years | Title | Episodes |
---|---|---|
2006–2010; 2015–2017 | Hamish & Andy (radio show) | 2,420+ [27] |
2018–present | Hamish & Andy (podcast) | 232+ [28] |
2006 | How Other Dads Dad | 19+ [29] |
In 2008 and 2009, Blake and working partner Lee played in the E. J. Whitten Legends Game. Lee played for Victoria, while Blake played for the All-Stars. Blake scored the winning goal for the All-Stars in 2008, and he kicked an additional two goals in 2009.[ citation needed ]
As part of a stunt for the TV series Hamish and Andy's Gap Year , Andy entered Hamish into the Mr. New York State bodybuilding competition in the Heavyweight division. Due to a technicality in which Blake was the only contestant over 200 pounds (91 kg)—the minimum requirement for a Heavyweight contender—he was awarded the title of Mr. New York State 2011 in the Heavyweight division. [30]
Year | Award | Category | Result |
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2011 | Mr. New York State | Heavyweight division | Won [31] |
Year | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Logie Awards | Most Popular Presenter | Nominated |
2012 | Nominated | ||
Most Popular Personality on TV | Won [32] | ||
2013 | Most Popular TV Presenter | Won | |
Most Popular Personality on TV | Nominated | ||
2014 | Most Popular Presenter | Nominated | |
2015 | Most Popular Personality on TV | Nominated | |
2022 | Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter | Won | |
Most Popular Personality on TV | Won | ||
2023 | Most Popular Personality on TV | Nominated | |
Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter | Nominated | ||
John Henry Michael "Rove" McManus is an Australian triple Gold Logie award-winning comedian, television and radio presenter, producer and media personality. He was the host of the eponymous variety show Rove and was also the host of the comedy talk show Rove LA. He is the co-owner of the production company Roving Enterprises with business partner Craig Campbell. He hosts Whovians on the ABC.
David William Hughes is an Australian stand-up comedian, television and radio presenter. He is known for his larrikin personality, drawling Australian accent, and deadpan comedic delivery. Hughes co-hosts Hughesy, Ed & Erin with Ed Kavalee & Erin Molan on 2DayFM and is also a panellist on The Masked Singer Australia with Mel B, Chrissie Swan and Abbie Chatfield on Network 10.
Rove, also titled Rove Live, is an Australian television variety show that featured live music performances and interviews with local and international celebrity guests. The program premiered on the Nine Network on 22 September 1999, before moving to Network Ten which aired the program from 2000 until November 2009. The show was hosted by comedian Rove McManus through his production company Roving Enterprises, and featured an ensemble cast who presented various segments throughout the course of the show. The show won the Logie Award for "Most Popular Light Entertainment Program" five times.
Peter Jason Matthew Helliar is an Australian comedian, actor, television, radio presenter, writer, producer and director. He is best known for his work on television as a former regular co-host of The Project on Network Ten from January 2014 to December 2022, replacing previous presenter Dave Hughes to host alongside Carrie Bickmore, Waleed Aly and Lisa Wilkinson. Helliar also appeared with Rove McManus as his sidekick on The Loft Live from 1997 to 1998, on Rove from 1999 and 2009 and in Before the Game as alter ego Bryan Strauchan. Helliar initially worked the Melbourne comedy circuit in the mid-1990s, performing in various venues and the annual Melbourne International Comedy Festival. He has performed in numerous television ads, most notably for Fernwood Fitness. Helliar has been nominated for the Gold Logie, a prestigious award bestowed upon the Most Popular Personality on Television in 2017.
Hamish & Andy are an Australian comedy duo formed in 2003 by Hamish Blake and Andy Lee. Best known for their various drive time radio programmes on the Hit Network, which aired in multiple formats until 2017, their shows gained consistently high market share and became the highest rated radio show in Australian history. Retiring after 14 years of broadcasting, the duo now produce a weekly self-titled podcast and occasionally publish a secondary programme, the Remembering Project, to revisit their old radio segments.
Andrew Thomas Lee is an Australian comedian, television presenter, musician and children's writer. He is known for working alongside Hamish Blake as part of the comedy duo Hamish & Andy.
Julia Carolyn Margaret Morris is an Australian comedian, television presenter and actress who has worked extensively in Australian television and radio, touring the country with her solo comedy shows. She relocated to the United Kingdom in 2000, appearing on British television, then returned to Australia in 2007. She lived on the Central Coast for her childhood. She currently co-hosts Network 10's I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Australia alongside Robert Irwin and also narrates Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia.
Real Stories is an Australian satirical television comedy series produced by Carlton Television for Network Ten. It was created by Hamish Blake and Andy Lee. The series was first broadcast on 22 August 2006.
Richard Kemble Marsland was an Australian comedy writer, actor, comedian and radio personality.
Ryan Shelton is an Australian comedian, actor, radio presenter, television personality, host and writer.
Sam "Sam Mac" McMillan is an Australian television host, weather presenter, and entertainer. He was a 2019 Gold Logie Nominee and is currently the weather presenter on Seven Network's breakfast show Sunrise.
Nicholas Bell is an English actor who has worked in Australia for more than 20 years. He works regularly with the Melbourne Theatre Company as well as with all the major television broadcasters in Australia, most notably the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In addition to his work in film and television, Bell has also recorded over a dozen audiobooks with Bolinda, a company based in Melbourne, Australia.
Jeremy Leo Kewley is an Australian actor, writer, producer and convicted child sex offender. He made his professional acting debut as an adolescent in the feature film The Devil's Playground (1976).
The 50th Annual TV Week Logie Awards was held on Sunday 4 May 2008 at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne, and broadcast on the Nine Network. For the first time in the Logie Awards 50-year history, there was no host for the ceremony, but only a series of presenters. Also for the first time, the public were able to vote online for the "Most Popular" categories without needing to buy a copy of TV Week. The nominations were announced on 7 April 2008. Hamish Blake and Andy Lee were the backstage hosts, while Jules Lund, Livinia Nixon and Shelley Craft were the red carpet arrivals hosts.
Hamish & Andy was a radio show hosted by Australian comedy duo Hamish & Andy, which ran from 2006 to 2013, and then again from 2015 to 2017. Originating on Fox FM, it was broadcast nationally on the Hit Network from 2007 to 2010 in the weekday drive-time slot. The show was the highest-rated radio series in Australian history, consistently gaining up to 20% market share in the crucial Melbourne market, with around 2.7 million listeners and 1 million podcast downloads each week. The duo retired from the show at the end of 2017 before it returned in a weekly podcast-only format in 2018.
The Project is an Australian news-current affairs and talk show television panel program, airing weeknights and Sunday across Australia on Network 10, produced by Roving Enterprises. The show is hosted by Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, Georgie Tunny, Hamish Macdonald, Sam Taunton and Michael Hing with rotating daily panellists usually appearing once a week.
Caravan of Courage is an annual road trip, travelled by Australian comedians Hamish Blake and Andy Lee. There have been a total of four road trips, the latest two being both aired on their radio show and combined into a television special, and the first two broadcast as a segment on the talk show Rove.
Australian comedy refers to the comedy and humour performed in or about Australia or by the people of Australia. Australian humour can be traced to various origins, and today is manifested in a diversity of cultural practices and pursuits. Writers like Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson helped to establish a tradition of laconic, ironic and irreverent wit in Australian literature, while Australian politicians and cultural stereotypes have each proved rich sources of comedy for artists from poet C. J. Dennis to satirist Barry Humphries to iconic film maker Paul Hogan, each of whom have given wide circulation to Australian slang.
The 57th Annual TV Week Logie Awards was held on Sunday 3 May 2015 at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne, and broadcast live on the Nine Network. The red carpet arrivals coverage was hosted by Shelley Craft and Jules Lund.
Lego Masters is an Australian reality television show based on the British series of the same name in which teams compete to build the best Lego project. It is hosted by Hamish Blake and judged by Lego designer Ryan "The Brickman" McNaught. The series premiered on 28 April 2019 on Nine Network.