| Hamish & Andy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Medium | Television,radio,podcasting |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Notable works and roles |
|
| Website | www |
Hamish & Andy are anAustraliancomedy duo formed in 2003 byHamish Blake andAndy Lee. Best known fortheir various drive time radio programmes on theHit 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 aweekly self-titled podcast once a week from March through to December and occasionally publish a secondary programme, theRemembering Project, to revisit their old radio segments in December through to the end of March.
The duo have also worked extensively intelevision, known as correspondents onRove and for their various seasons ofHamish & Andy's Gap Year which won multipleLogie Awards includingMost Popular Light Entertainment Program in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
They have made numerous appearances hosting events, competing ongame shows and in celebrity sporting events. They also performed in a touring rockcover band,Cool Boys and the Frontman, throughout 2016 and 2017. The pair were ranked the highest-paid commercial radio hosts in Australia, with individual salaries of A$4 million, as of 2014.[1]
Hamish Blake andAndy Lee met while both studying at theUniversity of Melbourne in 2001.[2] They entered comedy competitions together and just a year after meeting, they started their career in radio by hosting a show oncommunity radio stationSYN FM.[3]
The duo beganpresenting radio on theStudent Youth Network, initially hostingCruise Control in the Monday afternoon timeslot during the station's test broadcasts in June 2002. They later co-hosted the station's Friday afternoon drivetime showThe Buzz in 2003[4]. Soon after Hamish began writing for theFox FM breakfast show (The Matt & Jo Show), the pair began hosting a Monday night late-night radio program calledAlmost Tuesday on the same station. The duo then hosted the Fox FM programAlmost Midday on Saturday mornings, which was so successful it was syndicated nationally across theToday Network.
In 2023, the duo announced on theirRemembering Project podcast that they had retrieved various CDs containing content fromAlmost Midday and planned on adding them to theirHamish & Andy Unlimited subscription service forApple Podcasts and theirLibsyn-powered Android app.[5]
The duo presented two radio specials onBBC 6 Music in the United Kingdom on 21 December 2009 and 26 January 2010. On Friday 11 June, it was announced on theChristian O'Connell Breakfast Show that Hamish & Andy would be presenting three shows in London during July 2010 to cover O'Connell's holiday. Hamish and Andy signed a deal to present a series of shows to air onAbsolute Radio Sunday evenings.[6]
The duo hosted a two-hour weekday radio show titledHamish & Andy from 2006 to 2013. It was broadcast in all the seven major cities of Australia in the afternoondrive time slot. The show was the highest-rated radio series in Australian history, with approximately two million listeners daily. During its broadcast, the show had completed two domestic and two foreign caravan tours, aBass Strait sailboat trip, and trips to Afghanistan, Beijing, Japan, India, and the US, recording live on location. They were also syndicated internationally, with a highlights package broadcast onBBC Radio 6 in December 2009. In 2010, they also presented three shows in London to coverChristian O'Connell on hisbreakfast show.
The duo have released two compilation albums of segments from their daily radio show,Unessential Listening (2008) andCelebrating 50 Glorious Years (2010). Both albums wonARIA Awards forBest Comedy Release.[7] The program won 14Australian Commercial Radio Awards.
Blake and Lee announced in August 2010 that they would be cutting down their show to a single program each week from 2011 onward, in the Friday afternoon drive time slot. The final daily program aired on 3 December 2010.[8]
Hamish and Andy returned to daily radio in early 2013 with a new show titledBusiness Brunch, airing from 9 am to 10 am Tuesdays to Fridays (except in Sydney, where it would air from 10 am to 11 am, followingThe Kyle & Jackie O Show). This complemented their regular drive time show which had moved to just be on Mondays.[9] Rather than having recurring segments each day,Business Brunch aimed to cover one topic per show. Listeners were invited to contribute their expertise on a wide range of topics via their website, rather than through the traditional radiophone-in method. The lateNine Network news personalityPeter Harvey provided the voice of the introduction, even after his death (as it was the wish of him and his family).
The pair announced in a June 2013 show that they had been "promoted" to the early drive slot of 3pm to 4pm weekdays. The show was renamedHappy Hour and continued the aim of discussing one topic per show. The move to this slot signaled a hiatus from their weekly 4–6pm drive show.[10] They briefly returned to the drive slot for two weeks in July 2014 to fill in for current drive hostsDan & Maz during radio survey break.[11]
In October 2014, it was announced the duo would return to their weekly drive time slot on theHit Network from 6 July 2015.[12][13] In 2016, the duo announced that 2017 would be their final year on radio, and that they would be retiring to focus on their television careers once more.[14] Their show's final episodes that year received an estimated 30 millionpodcast downloads.[15]
After they retired from radio, Hamish & Andy announced the programme will continue in aweekly podcast-only format from 2018. As of 2024, there have been 244 episodes in seven seasons.[16] In 2020, they also began a spin-off podcast called theRemembering Project, where they revisit a random segment from their back catalogue of over 2,500 radio episodes.
| Program name | Year | Timeslot | Duration | Station |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cruise Control | June 2002[17] | Mondays 1pm-2pm | 1 hour | SYN |
| The Almost Tuesday Show | 2003[3] | Mondays 10pm–12am | 2 hours | Fox FM |
| The Almost Midday Show | 2004–2005[3] | Saturdays 10am–12pm | 2 hours | 2004: Fox 2005:Hit Network (formerly Today Network) |
| Hamish & Andy | 2006–2010[18] | Weekdays 4–6pm | 2 hours | January 2006: Fox June 2006: Hit and regionals |
| 2011–2012[19] | Fridays 4–6pm | 2 hours | Hit and regionals | |
| January–July 2013[20] | Mondays 4–6pm | 2 hours | ||
| Hamish & Andy's Business Brunch | Tuesday–Friday 9–10am | 1 hour | ||
| Hamish & Andy's Happy Hour | July 2013–November 2014[21] | Weekdays 3–4pm | 1 hour | |
| Hamish & Andy | July 2015–December 2017[22] | Weekdays 4–6pm | 2 hours | |
| Hamish & Andy (podcast) | February 2018–present[23] | Thursdays | 45 mins | Listnr and podcast platforms |
| Hamish & Andy's Remembering Project | October 2020–present[24] | Wednesdays | 20 mins |
Hamish & Andy have presented a number of television series and specials since 2003. They began on sketch shows but have found greater success in recent years with their travel diary-style programmes.
Series Special
| Year | Program | Network | No. of episodes | Episode duration | Timeslot | Airdate(s) | Viewers (Aus metro capitals) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Premiere | Season Finale | |||||||
| 2003 | Radio Karate | Channel 31 | 6 | 30 mins | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| 2004 | Hamish & Andy | Seven Network | 6 | 60 mins | 9:30 p.m. Wednesday | 31 March 2004 | 5 May 2004 | N/A |
| 2006 | Real Stories | Network Ten | 8 | 30 mins | 9:00 p.m. Tuesday | 22 August 2006 | 10 October 2006 | 788,000 (season average) |
| 2008 | Hamish & Andy: Re-Gifted | 1 | 60 mins | 7:30 p.m. Wednesday | 19 November 2008 | 1,136,000[25] | ||
| 2009 | Hamish & Andy's American Caravan of Courage | 1 | 60 mins | 7:30 p.m. Thursday | 10 September 2009 | 1,307,000[26] | ||
| Hamish & Andy: Re-Gifted – Another Very Early Christmas Special | 1 | 60 mins | 7:30 p.m. Monday | 23 November 2009 | 1,052,000[27] | |||
| 2010 | Hamish & Andy's Caravan of Courage: Great Britain & Ireland | 1 | 60 mins | 8:30 p.m. Thursday | 17 June 2010 | 1,749,000[28] | ||
| Learn India with Hamish & Andy | 1 | 60 mins | 7:30 p.m. Sunday | 3 October 2010 | 1,231,000[29] | |||
| Hamish & Andy's Reministmas Special | 1 | 60 mins | 7:30 p.m. Sunday | 21 November 2010 | 1,183,000[30] | |||
| 2011 | Hamish & Andy's Gap Year | Nine Network | 10 | 60 mins | 8:30 p.m. Thursday | 28 July 2011 | 29 September 2011 | 961,000 (season average) |
| 2012 | Hamish & Andy's Euro Gap Year | 7 | 60 mins | 8:00 p.m. Thursday | 14 June 2012 | 26 July 2012 | 1,248,000 (season average) | |
| Hamish & Andy's Caravan of Courage: Australia vs New Zealand | 2 | 90 mins | 6:30 p.m. Sunday | 11 November 2012 | 18 November 2012 | 1,338,000[31] 1,219,000[32] | ||
| 2013 | Hamish & Andy's Gap Year Asia | 6 | 60 mins | 8 p.m. Monday 7 p.m. Monday | 8 July 2013 | 19 August 2013 | 1,372,000 (season average) | |
| 2014 | Hamish & Andy's Gap Year South America | 6 | 60 mins | 7:30 p.m. Tuesday | 1 July 2014 | 5 August 2014 | 1,000,000 (season average) | |
| 2017 | True Story with Hamish & Andy (season 1) | 10 | 30 mins | 7:30 p.m. Monday | 5 June 2017 | 29 August 2017 | 1,047,000 (season average) | |
| 2018 | True Story with Hamish & Andy (season 2) | 10 | 30 mins | 8:40pm Tuesday | 7 August 2018 | 9 October 2018 | 725,000 (season average) | |
| 2019 | Hamish and Andy's “Perfect” Holiday | 3 | 60 mins | 7:00pm Sunday | 17 November 2019 | 1 December 2019 | 1,457,000 | |
Blake united with Lee in 2003 when they developed aChannel 31sketch show, calledRadio Karate, with friendsRyan Shelton and Tim Bartley. Blake reunited with Lee in 2004 when they were named hosts of a newSeven Network variety program,Hamish and Andy, a show described as a successor toBig Bite. It premiered in 2004, and steadily built a moderate cult audience. However the show did not rate well and was cancelled after its initial run of six episodes.[33] The 2004 series was then given a repeat run on7HD in 2007, and many clips survive from these reruns.
In 2020, it was revealed that the tapes forHamish and Andy had been taped over by the Seven Network byCommonwealth Games broadcasts when asked if they still had them.[34]
In 2005, they were recruited by comedianRove McManus to develop asatirical television comedy series,Real Stories, which aired on Network Ten in 2006. From 2007 to 2009, the duo appeared fortnightly onRove in a mixture of pre-recorded segments and live appearances. They hosted theLogie awards in 2007 and 2008 (and went on to open the 2013 and 2014 ceremonies), and theARIA awards in 2008. They appeared onJoker Poker andAustralia's Brainiest Comedian in 2005,Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? in 2009, andGood News Week in 2010. The group appeared onThe Jay Leno Show twice in 2009, and onThe 7pm Project numerous times from 2009, in a similar manner as they did onRove. They appeared on the UK'sThe Graham Norton Show in June 2010.
The duo have presented numerous televisedclip showspecials on Network Ten.Hamish and Andy: Re-Gifted at the end of 2008, andHamish & Andy: Re-Gifted – Another Very Early Christmas Special at the end of 2009, were both produced in conjunction withRoving Enterprises and consisted mostly of highlights of their fortnightly appearances onRove. Their 2010Hamish & Andy's Reministmas Special served as a continuation of both and recapped many of their adventures during the year, mostly as part of their radio show.
In addition to these, they produced three travel specials for Ten.Hamish & Andy's American Caravan of Courage in 2009 (another Roving Enterprises co-production) summarised their two-week road-trip across theUnited States. Similarly, 2010'sHamish & Andy's Caravan of Courage: Great Britain and Ireland recapped their next caravan trip made as part of their radio show. Their third travel special,Learn India with Hamish & Andy, aired as part of the network's lead-up to the2010 Commonwealth Games inDelhi.[35]
Following a series of media reports, the pair confirmed in February 2011 that they had joined theNine Network on a two-year contract, to produceHamish and Andy's Gap Year.[36][37] The show first aired on 28 July 2011. The show premiered to strong ratings and has since gone on to three more seasons (Hamish & Andy's Euro Gap Year in 2012 andHamish & Andy's Gap Year Asia in 2013 andHamish & Andy's Gap Year South America in 2014).
The pair also filmed a fifthCaravan of Courage adventure in 2012, in which they compared their home country, Australia, to their neighbours New Zealand in two 75-minute specials.[38]
In December 2016, the duo announced that 2017 would be their last year on radio, in order to focus on television. They also announced an as yet unnamed TV show to be aired on the Nine Network in mid-2017.[39] The duo advertised on their website and radio show, for listeners to contribute "great stories" for "The Great Stories Project"[40] which was the basis of their 2017 television showTrue Story with Hamish & Andy on the Nine Network. The series was a success, and it was renewed for a second season in 2018.
The duo starred in the three-part seriesHamish and Andy's “Perfect” Holiday in 2019, which documented their holiday across the United States and Canada.
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [41] | |||
| Unessential Listening |
| 4 | |
| Celebrating 50 Glorious Years |
| 6 |
On 7 July 2007, they presented theAustralian leg ofLive Earth and appeared at the MelbourneSound Relief concert in 2009. They played in the 2008 and 2009E. J. Whitten Legends Game. They made a mockumentary short film,The Greystone 2800, that won the 2005 Melbourne Comedy Festival Short Film competition. They also hostedFHM'sSearch for Australia's Funniest Man.
They had minor acting roles on thesoap operaNeighbours, portraying radio presenters Fred and Big Tommo on the episode dated 27 August 2008.[44] The episode featured them promoting university drop-outTy Harper's (Dean Geyer) band, and interviewing schoolgirlsRachel Kinski (Caitlin Stasey) andDonna Freedman (Margot Robbie) about their situation with Harper. They make acameo appearance in the 2010 short filmIA: Interview Artist.
They have also made appearances on manyAustereo radio shows, occasionally filling in forKyle & Jackie O,Matt & Jo, orFifi and Jules when a regular presenter fell ill.
Hamish and Andy hosted "the richest horse suit race in Australia" in the small Victorian country town ofWedderburn, Victoria. It drew about 7,000 people and featured performances by themselves,Jessica Mauboy, andBirds of Tokyo.
In 2024, the duo (as "Hubbl & Andy") appeared in television advertisements forHubbl,Foxtel'sdigital media player device.[45]
TheARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented byAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of themusic of Australia. They commenced in 1987.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Unessential Listening | Best Comedy Release | Won | [46] |
| 2011 | Celebrating 50 Glorious Years | Won |
