Tom Gleeson

Last updated

Tom Gleeson
Tom Gleeson - 2011 Australian Grand Prix.jpg
Gleeson at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix
Born
Thomas Francis Gleeson

(1974-06-02) 2 June 1974 (age 49)
Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Education Bachelor of Science (Mathematics and Physics)
Alma mater University of Sydney
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • writer
  • television presenter
  • radio presenter
Years active1996–present
SpouseEllie Parker
Children2

Thomas Francis Gleeson (born 2 June 1974 [1] ) is an Australian stand-up comedian, writer, television and radio presenter. Gleeson formerly co-hosted The Weekly with Charlie Pickering alongside Judith Lucy and currently hosts Hard Quiz and Taskmaster Australia .

Contents

In 2019, Gleeson won the Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Television.

Early life

Gleeson was born in Gunnedah, New South Wales, and lived at nearby Tambar Springs [2] before boarding at St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, in Sydney. [3] He graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and physics. [4] During his degree, Gleeson played the drums and occasionally sang vocals in an Australian band, The Fantastic Leslie, before leaving for a career in comedy. [5]

Career

Comedy

Gleeson's first stage appearance was as the character "Malcolm" (for two years) dressed in a flannelette shirt, tracksuit pants and a wig. He later went on to perform at major comedy events including the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival, Adelaide Fringe, Brisbane Comedy Festival, Perth Fringe World, Edinburgh Fringe and Montreal Comedy Festival.

In December 2007, Gleeson entertained Australian troops on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He wrote of this experience in his book Playing Poker with the SAS: A comedy tour of Iraq and Afghanistan, which was published in October 2008. [6]

Three of Gleeson's stand-up shows have been nominated for the Helpmann Award for Best Comedy Performer: Tom On! (2007), Up Himself (2011) and Quality (2014).

His stand up show Joy (2019) won Best Comedy at Perth Fringe World. [7]

His stand up show Lighten Up (2020) also won Best Comedy at the Adelaide Fringe. [8]

Radio

From 2004 to 2005, Gleeson presented the Sydney and Melbourne evening radio program Tom & Subby with Subby Valentine on Triple M.

During 2009, Gleeson presented the Melbourne radio breakfast program Mix Mornings with Brigitte Duclos on Mix 101.1.

Television

In 2003 and 2004, Gleeson appeared in Network Ten's comedy sketch program skitHOUSE , playing various characters including the "Australian Fast Bowler", a parody of Dennis Lillee. In 2006, Gleeson won Australia's Brainiest Radio Star. In 2008, he was a panelist on the short-lived Big Brother's Big Mouth . In 2009, Gleeson was in the "They don't get it in Australia" advertising campaign, where he asks people in the United States about Red Rooster. [9] [10] Gleeson also made several appearances on Good News Week between 2008 and 2011.

In 2013, Gleeson co-hosted Australian comedy chat show This Week Live with Tommy Little, Dave Thornton and Meshel Laurie. In 2015, Gleeson appeared on the ABC satirical television news program The Weekly with Charlie Pickering , hosting the segments "This Is What You Think", "Go Away" and "Hard Chat". [11] [12] In 2016, he began presenting Hard Quiz , a spin-off of his "Hard Chat" segment from The Weekly. It has been speculated that one of Gleeson's interviews in 2017 led to Sophie Monk getting the lead in The Bachelorette Australia . [13] Gleeson is the main host of the Australian version of Taskmaster , [14] working alongside his assistant, comedian Tom Cashman. In 2022 he performed in a celebrity tribute to Australian comedian and actor Paul Hogan, Roast of Paul Hogan, which was broadcast on Australia's Seven Network.

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987.

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
2020 Joy Best Comedy Release Nominated [15]

Logie Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
2019Tom Gleeson Gold Logie Won [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Anthony All Stars</span> Australian musical comedy trio

The Doug Anthony All Stars were an Australian musical comedy group who initially performed together between 1984 and 1994. The group were an acoustic trio, originally comprising Paul McDermott and Tim Ferguson on main vocals and Richard Fidler on guitar and backing vocals. The group reformed in 2014, with Paul Livingston replacing Fidler on guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Trevorrow</span> Australian comedian

Mark Trevorrow is an Australian comedian, television host and media personality. In the early 1980s he had two Top 20 hits as part of Globos with Wendy De Waal, and in 1984, he debuted "Bob Downe", who went on to become his best-known character. After being very successful at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1987, Trevorrow split his time touring between England and Australia. He has appeared extensively on television, released four albums, and written a book.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Hills</span> Australian comedian and radio and television presenter

Adam Christopher Hills is an Australian comedian, radio and television presenter. In Australia, he hosted the music quiz show Spicks and Specks from 2005 to 2011, and again in 2021 onwards, and the talk show Adam Hills Tonight from 2011 to 2013. In the United Kingdom, he has hosted the talk show The Last Leg since 2012. He has been nominated for an Edinburgh Comedy Award, the Gold Logie Award and numerous BAFTA TV Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitty Flanagan</span> Australian comedian

Kitty Flanagan is an Australian comedian, writer and actress who works in Australia and the United Kingdom. She has also performed in France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Japan and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Montreal Just For Laughs festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judith Lucy</span> Australian comedian

Judith Mary Lucy is an Australian comedian and actress, known primarily for her stand-up comedy. Lucy joined the team of the ABC's The Weekly with Charlie Pickering in 2019.

Peter Berner is an Australian stand-up comedian and television and radio presenter. He hosted The Einstein Factor and Backberner on ABC Television. He previously hosted the news comedy TV series The B Team with Peter Berner on Sky News Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Morris</span> Australian comedian

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.

Michael Chamberlin is a Melbourne-based stand up comedian. Along with fellow comedian Charlie Pickering, Chamberlin was a co-creator of Melbourne comedy room Stagetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Lehmann</span> Australian comedian

Anthony Lehmann is an Australian comedian, actor, television and radio presenter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexis Dubus</span> British actor and comedian

Alexis Dubus is an English alternative comedian and actor known for his French alter ego Marcel Lucont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali McGregor</span> Australian soprano opera singer and cabaret performer

Ali McGregor is an Australian soprano opera singer, actress and cabaret performer. She has performed in operas in the United Kingdom, in Australia and in New Zealand. Her cabaret performances have been seen at festivals in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Simmons (comedian)</span> Australian Comedian and actor

Sam Simmons is an Australian comedian and radio and TV presenter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felicity Ward</span> Australian comedian

Felicity Ward is an Australian comedian, best known for her TV appearances on Spicks and Specks, Thank God You're Here, Good News Week and as a writer/performer in the Channel 10 Network television programme The Ronnie Johns Half Hour. She is a part of The 3rd Degree, who made and starred in The Ronnie Johns Half Hour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Thomas (comedian)</span> Australian comedian

Joshua Michael Thomas is an Australian comedian, actor, and writer. In 2005, he won the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's Raw Comedy Competition. He has since appeared on television numerous times, including as a regular and Generation Y team captain on Network 10's Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation. In 2013, Thomas created the award-winning ABC2 and Pivot television series Please Like Me, which he also co-wrote and starred in.

Justin Hamilton is an Australian comedian, writer and radio host.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fantastic Leslie</span> Australias popular and successful comedians and musicians

The Fantastic Leslie was a four-piece band from Sydney, Australia and was the starting point for three of Australia's popular and successful comedians and musicians.

DeAnne Smith is a Canadian and American comedian, writer and columnist. They first gained notice as a comedian in 2008 touring their debut full-length solo stand-up show to popular and critical acclaim, culminating in winning the Sydney Comedy Festival's Time Out Best Newcomer Award and a nomination for Best Newcomer in the 2008 Canadian Comedy Awards. Smith has since continued to tour internationally, with shows proving to be both commercial and critical successes. Their shows have seen them nominated for numerous awards, including the Melbourne Comedy Festival's prestigious Barry Award in 2011 and being consistently rated amongst Montreal's Top 10 comedians. In addition to their live solo shows, Smith is also known for appearances on television and radio, most notably on Australia's Good News Week on the Channel 10 network and HBO series Funny As Hell.

Melinda Claire Buttle is an Australian comedian, television and radio presenter and writer. Buttle previously co-hosted The Great Australian Bake Off alongside Claire Hooper.

<i>Taskmaster</i> (TV series) British comedy panel game show

Taskmaster is a British comedy panel game show created by comedian and musician Alex Horne and presented by both Horne and Greg Davies. In the programme, a group of five celebrities – mainly comedians – attempt to complete a series of challenges, with Horne acting as umpire in each challenge and Davies, the titular "Taskmaster", judging the work and awarding points based on contestants' performances. The concept for the programme was first created by Horne for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010; he later secured a deal with Dave to adapt it for television with the first episode premiering in 2015. After the ninth series in 2019, the programme was acquired by Channel 4. The programme has completed sixteen series as well as three Champion of Champions specials and four New Year's Treat one-offs by January 2024, and is set to continue for at least five more series until 2026.

Neel Kolhatkar is an Australian comedian, YouTuber and actor. As of April 2022, Kolhatkar has received 86.5 million views on his YouTube channel.

References

  1. ↑ "Tom Gleeson's motoring past and present". The Courier-Mail . 6 September 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  2. ↑ "Gunnedah born Tom Gleeson takes a swipe at Tamworth on the ABC". The Northern Daily Leader. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  3. ↑ "Stand and deliver". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 October 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  4. ↑ "Tom Gleeson from Hard Quiz". ABC News. 21 January 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  5. ↑ "The Fantastic Leslie". Last.fm. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  6. ↑ Turner, Tonya (25 February 2009). "Tom Gleeson rediscovers comedy on mission for Diggers". The Courier-Mail . Archived from the original on 27 November 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
  7. ↑ "FRINGE WORLD Awards | FRINGE WORLD Festival - 14 January - 13 February 2022".
  8. ↑ Adelaide Fringe 2020 awards Adelaide Now [ dead link ]
  9. ↑ Ife, Holly (17 September 2009). "Ginger ninjas invade our TV screens". News.com.au . Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  10. ↑ "Red Rooster: They don't get it". Bestadsontv.com. 6 January 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  11. ↑ Kalina, Paul (29 May 2015). "Tom Gleeson on the science of being funny, why he's got a good face for TV and his love of a rant". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "Mia, do you sometimes feel like you're running out of things to be outraged about?". mUmBRELLA. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  13. ↑ Andrews, Michelle (26 April 2017). "We all have Tom Gleeson to thank for our new Bachelorette". Mamamia.
  14. ↑ Knox, David (6 October 2022). "2023 Upfronts: Paramount". TVTonight.
  15. ↑ "ARIA Awards Best Comedy Release". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  16. ↑ Idato, Melissa Singer, Andrew Hornery, Karl Quinn, Michael Lallo, Michael (30 June 2019). "Logies 2019 LIVE: Tom Gleeson wins Gold". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 June 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.