A quintessentially Australian experience: an invitation to appear on the Hamish and Andy radio show. Somehow this impressed my local staff more than when I go on the ABC to talk about foreign policy.
Hamish Blake has just won the Gold “Logie” as this year’s most popular TV personality in Australia. He and comedic partner Andy Lee are ubiquitous across TV, radio and the new media here with their irrepressible, irreverent sense of humour. I was invited on because they’re just about to go to the UK and broadcast their show from a pub in East London for a few weeks. They’re going to make a lot of new friends there.
I realised what I had let myself in for when the first question was “Do you have Low Commissioners as well as High Commissioners”. The effervescent pair are so quick witted it’s hard to keep up: the conversation veered at high speed from the Archbishop of Canterbury to British backpackers being rescued on Bondi Beach, and parties at Buckingham Palace. We finished by speculating whether “feeling a bit Hamish and Andy” could become the latest cockney rhyming slang.
You can hear the chat on Hamish and Andy’s podcast: I’m sandwiched between interviews with One Direction and Rihanna (18′ 48″), though sadly I was just sitting in my office on the end of the phone line. I think that’s because I’ve got a great face for radio.
I first met the pair at the lauch of the GREAT campaign in Melbourne – see what they had to say about Great Britain on the red carpet.
Very funny, I had heard about this but I have only just stumbled across the link – great podcast. You came across really well Paul.
Hi Paul, thanks for reminding me about them. I really miss that show and their earlier one Radio Karate. I look forward to their comeback show on Today Network.