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Out of the Question with Adam Zwar
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Out of the Question with Adam Zwar

Author: Adam Zwar

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'Out of the Question with Adam Zwar' features in-depth interviews with the most interesting and accomplished people in entertainment, politics and sport.
116 Episodes
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S1 E111 - Tom Ballard

S1 E111 - Tom Ballard

2023-03-2617:32

This week’s guest on Out of the Question is the comedian and TV host, Tom Ballard. You all know Tom from Triple J, multiple hosting and guesting engagements on the ABC and Channel 10 as well as the iconic Tonightly with Tom Ballard. We talk about that here. There’s also his stand up and his book, I Millennial. And now he’s back with a new Melbourne Comedy Festival Show, It Is I, which is at the Victoria Hotel from March 30 and ALSO Yes/No – A Comedy Lecture, which is also at the Victoria Hotel from April 15. Tickets at the Festival website.Tom on Tonightly being cancelled. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
Too much has happened since Dave O’Neil recorded this episode of Another 10 Questions back in the peak pandemic days of November, 2021. The point of Another 10 Questions was to invite guests back onto the pod as a catch up or check in. And since Dave was on the very first episode of this podcast back in 2015, there was a lot to talk about. Most listeners will be familiar with Dave’s work on Spicks and Specks, Agony, Randling, The Nugget, and more recently, great cameos in Utopia and Fisk. He was also the head writer on Totally Full Frontal, and with the screenwriter, Mark O’Toole, he wrote the feature films Take Away and You and Your Stupid Mate.Catch Dave’s new Melbourne Comedy Festival show Overweight Lightweight at Morris House from March 29 to April 9. Tickets here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1 E110 - Mel Buttle

S1 E110 - Mel Buttle

2023-03-1930:56

This week’s guest on Out of the Question is the comedian Mel Buttle. I’ve been a long-time fan and this is our first ever chat. I particularly love her Mum character, which she occasionally releases on social media. We talk about the genesis of that here. We also talk school, jobs, growing up in Queensland and the Great Australian Bake Off which Mel co-hosted for five years. Stay tuned for her handy baking tips.You can also check out Mel’s new Melbourne Comedy Festival Show Let Me Know Either Way which is at the Melbourne Town Hall from April 11. Tickets at the Festival website. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
“I feel like I'm a very, very big energy in a world that wants you to be a little bit smaller.” - Nikki Britton.This week’s guest on Out of the Question is the comedian Nikki Britton. Apart from her live work, you might have seen Nikki on Have You Being Paying Attention, The Project and How to Stay Married.She’s returning to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with her show, Getting Out in Front of It, from April 11. You can get tickets at the Festival website.We had some tech difficulties in this chat, which I hope aren’t too obvious. I was stuck in a motel in Castlemaine, where I’m filming a TV show, and Nikki was in her car after doing some sort of fitness thing. Also, I had food poisoning. Which probably didn’t contribute to anything. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1 E108: Sammy J

S1 E108: Sammy J

2023-03-0528:17

This week’s guest on Out of the Question is writer, comedian, and musician, Sammy J.It’s a great chat. How could it not be? We talk about Sammy’s start in comedy, some of the formative shows he was involved in as a writer performer, the sitcom he created with Heath McIvor called Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane, and then his transition to political satire with Sammy J's Playground Politics. Now he’s taking a live version of his political satire featuring stand up, songs and storytelling around Australia. For bookings check out Sammy-j.comRight now, you can hear him host Breakfast on ABC Melbourne. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
This week, I’m extremely excited to have Osher Günsberg on the show. Most people know him from hosting the Bachelor and it’s associated spin offs I was more an Australian Idol guy who loved the on screen chemistry shared by Osher and James Mathison.  But that’s just me showing my age. During our conversation, we talk about all that, as well as his radio days, as well as getting back on the horse when you’re down as well as the extreme heights he hit hosting TV shows in the US.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
This week’s very special episode of Out of the Question is a Wilfred reunion episode with my fellow Wilfred creator, Jason Gann. We talk about the origins of Wilfred and where Jason is in his life right now. I met him as an acting student at the University of Southern Queensland. After graduating, he performed for the Queensland Theatre Company and the Twelfth Night Theatre in Brisbane before moving to Melbourne and appearing in The Wedge, Wilfred, and also the feature film Rats and Cats, which screened at SXSW. He then went on  to make the Channel Ten series, Mark Loves Sharon, before moving to the US where he starred in, executive produced and was one of the writers on the US version of Wilfred, which ran for four seasons on FX.Don’t forget to check out our Wilfred Australia tribute page. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1 E105: Titus O'Reily

S1 E105: Titus O'Reily

2023-02-1236:28

My guest this week is satirist, humourist, author and stand up – Titus O’Reily. Titus used to be called Alex Twomey. He was a corporate guy who specialised in crisis and issues management. As we discover in this interview, Alex started writing a blog while still working in his office job and gave himself the pen name “Titus O’Reily”. The blog was hilarious and it turned out I wasn’t the only one to think so. He was soon asked to write books and perform live shows and more success followed. Now you see him regularly casting his jaundiced eye over every AFL season on radio and his regular appearances on The Front Bar where he mocks his own team, Melbourne, for being posh and my team, Carlton, for everything. His blockbuster podcast Sports Bizarre with Mick Molloy, in which Titus tries to bamboozle Mick with the strangest stories to occur in world sport, is back for another season. So check that out. This conversation looks under the bonnet of how you transition from a real job into becoming a comedy professional. It’s full of wisdom and revelation, but always returns to the theme of hard work.Check out Sports Bizarre here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1 E104: Sarah Wilson

S1 E104: Sarah Wilson

2023-02-0524:12

This week’s guest is my long time pal and work colleague, Sarah Wilson. Sarah is a multi-New York Times and Amazon best-selling author, podcaster, international keynote speaker, philanthropist and climate change advisor. She founded the I Quit Sugar movement – a digital wellness program and 13 award-winning books selling into 52 countries. And in 2022 she sold the business and gave everything to charity. In what seems to be a lifetime ago, Sarah was the editor of Cosmopolitan Australia; host of Season 1 of Masterchef Australia; was a journalist at the Sunday Magazine, which appeared in the Sunday Herald Sun and Sunday Telegraph – and that’s where we became mates.I always leave a chat with Sarah feeling a little wiser than I did at the start. I hope you enjoy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1E103: Adam Collins

S1E103: Adam Collins

2023-01-2951:05

I’ve been lucky with the content offered by the guests on this podcast – but this guy has an unusually inspiring story. Working class boy, becomes a political operative at 19, works his way up to being an advisor in the Rudd and Gillard Governments before pivoting to cricket commentary and becoming one of the best-known cricket broadcasters in the world. His name is Adam Collins, and in 2018, he saw there was no Australian radio presence covering the test series between Australia and Pakistan in the UAE, so he used the money he was saving to buy a house and bought the rights to broadcast the series. He talks about the stress of that deal here, particularly finding a station he could on sell the broadcast to, as well as overcoming tech and censorship issues. Right now, the whole saga is being developed into a feature film. Quick shout out to The Final Word - the best cricket podcast going around hosted by Adam and his on-air partner, Geoff Lemon.I hope you enjoy this chat. Check out the exclusive bonus video below where Adam discusses the two funniest cricketers he’s met.Links: The Final Word PodcastAdam's collaboration with Wayne Swan which set his career pivot to cricket journalism in motion. BONUS VIDEO: THE FUNNIEST CRICKETERS ADAM COLLINS HAS MET This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1E102: Andrew Hansen

S1E102: Andrew Hansen

2023-01-2226:32

This week’s guest on Out of the Question is writer, comedian, and musician, Andrew Hansen. He’s the member of The Chaser who sings and sometimes gets into trouble for the lyrics he sings. I think he’s hilarious in the style of a shorter Cleese or a stronger jawed Tim Brooke-Taylor – while, at the same time, being completely his own thing. He’s also been a radio presenter on the ABC, Triple M and Nova. And he’s toured his live stage shows around the country many times. In fact, you can catch his new show Andrew Hansen Is Cheap in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Launceston in the next few months. Just type in bio.to/andrewhansen and all will be revealed. Alright. We had a good chat. He’s a decent man, Andrew Hansen. Before the interview proper, I told him how great I thought his Billy Connolly impersonation was and we started talking about impersonation comedy in general. A serious moment when Andrew talks about what it’s like to be sued over a joke. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1E101: Luke Darcy

S1E101: Luke Darcy

2022-07-1023:11

This week’s guest is the former Western Bulldogs great, turned AFL commentator, turned radio host, Luke Darcy. In 2002, Luke was awarded the AFL Players Association Most Valuable Player Award, the Australian Football Media Association Player of the Year Award, and the Herald Sun Player of the Year Award. He represented Australia in the International Rules Series against Ireland that same year and was captain of the Bulldogs in 2005/6. When he retired he proved he had a natural talent for broadcasting and remains one of the Seven Networks biggest stars – not just with its Saturday Night AFL coverage, but also hosting the Olympics. Luke recently found time in his busy schedule to launch the Empowering Leaders Podcast,  where he and his guests break down the fundamentals of a 21st century style of leadership, touching on themes such as collaboration, integrity, and innovation. Episodes drop every Wednesday. I started our discussion by asking Luke, how his colleagues would describe him? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1E100: Dave O'Neil

S1E100: Dave O'Neil

2022-07-0326:54

Welcome to the 100th episode of Out of the Question, the show formerly known has 10 Questions. It’s been a wild 100 episodes recorded over seven years – the most recent 50 coming a lot quicker than the first. I’m not going to mention individual episodes, but I want to thank all the guests who have come on and revealed their most personal stories and opinions. I’m so spoiled that when an interview subject doesn’t bear their soul, I’m  left wondering why. So thank you to all the generous guests. Quick apology for the sound quality in first fifty eps. No Zoom in those days. You either had to be in the same city or record the episode over the phone and no one wanted to do Skype. I’m sure there were other options, but I just didn’t have the bandwidth to seek them out. Now to help celebrate the big three figures, I’ve invited back the first ever guest on the podcast – Dave O’Neil. Over the past 100 eps, Dave has been on the show twice and gets mentioned in passing by guests every other week. We recorded the first ever episode in August 2015. In fact, we had to record it twice because we had phone problems. So, for this landmark episode, I’ve asked Dave to list the five biggest events in his life since that day.  We start proceedings with the fifth biggest event and move on from there.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1E99: Ash Williams

S1E99: Ash Williams

2022-06-2621:29

It’s been seven years since I last interviewed Ash Williams for this podcast. Back then, the former Hughesy and Kate co-host had recently returned from LA, where he’d made guest appearances on Anger Management, The Exes and You’re The Worst. He also sold photos of his feet, appeared in tickling videos and worked as a shirtless waiter at a gay bar. We’ll hear all about that in this interview. But in recent years, he’s been a  morning television regular, fronted colour reports for the Australian Open and hosted Miss Universe Australia. But probably his biggest gig was appearing in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. We talk about all that in the interview and you can also check out the related video content at adamzwar.substack.com.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1E98: Mark Howard

S1E98: Mark Howard

2022-06-1934:54

It was a treat for a sports nuffy like me to interview the football and cricket commentator, Mark Howard. I think Mark, or Howie’s as he’s commonly referred to, is one of cricket’s strongest ball-by-ball commentators. He’s always prepared. He’s got insight. And he brings out the best in the former stars offering special comments. During our chat, I learned he started his career in television as a crew-guy on the Forumula One broadcast. He then took a job as a reporter for Ten Sports, before becoming a boundary rider and commentator on Ten and Triple M’s AFL coverage. But perhaps his biggest break was commentating the Big Bash on Ten, before moving to Fox Sports – where he now commentates the network’s cricket and AFL coverage. He can also be seen hosting Fox Footy’s new late night show – Best on Ground. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1E97: Peter Helliar

S1E97: Peter Helliar

2022-06-1226:07

This week’s guest is one of the enduring stars of Australian comedy. He’s good-hearted, infinitely likeable, smart and funny. I speak, of course, of the great Peter Helliar. I’ll take it for granted that we all we Peter best for his on air partnership with Rove McManus as well as his work on Skithouse, Before The Game, co-hosting The Project and his super-star alter ego – the final pick in the 2004 AFL draft, Brian Strauchan.  There are also his successful TV shows, It’s a Date and How to Stay Married. And then there’s his stand-up – which is consistently funny, and also forms a heartfelt connection with the audience. Don’t forget to check out Pete’s movie podcast You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet, where he talks to movie lovers about classic and beloved movies they haven't quite got around to seeing.... until now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1E96: Adam Spencer

S1E96: Adam Spencer

2022-06-0538:01

This week’s guest has been part of our lives for decades. The high school debating star studied law, science and maths at university before winning Raw Comedy and embarking on a stellar radio career – first on Triple J and then on 702. I speak of course of the guy who hates being called “a math’s genius”, Adam Spencer. Still, Adam’s pretty good at maths and has written five books on the subject, including the recently released Maths 101.Adam’s TV appearances include Good News Week and The Glasshouse as well as weekly sports wrap, The Back Page. And apart from always being  in-demand for corporate gigs, he’s also co-founder of Dry July which has raised over $75 million for adult cancer services.BONUS CONTENT: IF ADAM COULD GO BACK FIVE YEARS, WHAT ADVICE WOULD HE GIVE HIMSELF? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1E95: Van Badham

S1E95: Van Badham

2022-05-2941:52

This week we’re talking to the playwright, author, and Guardian columnist, Van Badham. Over the course of our chat, we cover her humble beginnings to early steps as a playwright at the University of Wollongong to studying theatre in Britain and having multiple award-winning plays staged over there, to her residency at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and being appointed Literary Manager at Britain’s renowned Finborough Theatre. We also discuss Van returning to Australia, and taking a job working at the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne before The Guardian and television punditry came calling. It’s been a wild journey, but it was a journey Van always knew she’d be going on.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
S1E94: Jean Kittson

S1E94: Jean Kittson

2022-05-2223:48

I’ve met this week’s guest many times over the years – generally at gigs or in the green rooms of TV studios, and I never waste the opportunity to tell her how great she was on the iconic late 1980s early 90s sketch show, The Big Gig, or the spoof hospital soap opera, Let The Blood Run Free. I speak of course of the legendary Jean Kittson. INnmore recent years, Jean‘s popped up as a regular on The Einstein Factor, The Glass House and 20 to One. But her main vocation has been writing. There have been regular columns in the Sunday Telegraph, and the SMH, and two successful books – her DIY guide to life, Tongue Lashing, released in 1998, and You’re Still Hot To Me – The Joys of Menopause, released in 2014. Now, in what can only be put down to as just plain excellent taste on behalf of Channel Nine, Jean is appearing as a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice Australia starting at 7pm on May 22. As usual, I started off my chat with Jean by asking her how her fellow workers would describe her. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
It was quite an emotional day when I interviewed this week’s guest, the former rugby international turned best-selling author, Peter FitzSimons. Because it was the day after my father died. I’ve written about my Dad, Desmond Zwar, a lot on social media. He was the author of 20 non fiction books, including The Loneliest Man In the World about Rudolf Hess, In Search of Sir Keith Murdoch, This Wonderful World of Golf, where he went on the golf tour with Peter Thomson, and the runaway best seller, Golf: The Dictionary with illustrations by the great Jeff Hook. Dad, an avid reader, was in a nursing home towards the end of his life, so I ran his Kindle account. Whenever he wanted to read another book, I would buy it and sync it into his Kindle. And the last book I bought Dad, and the last book he read, was Peter FitzSimon’s biography of Ned Kelly. So it was strangely appropriate that the day after Dad’s passing, I was interviewing Peter. I didn’t tell him the situation. I didn’t want to make him feel weird. But the coincidence was not lost on me.Some would know Peter from his seven rugby tests with the Wallabies as a lock forward from 1989 to 1990. Others would know him from his columns in the Sydney Morning Herald. But most would have read, or at least threatened to read, one of his 27 books – many of which have become best sellers. There have been the rugby books, which we’ll talk about later, joke books, a book on Nietzsche, historical biographies on Nancy Wake, Kim Beasley, Douglas Mawson, Kingsford Smith, Breaker Morant, and James Cook, and then there have been the books on big subjects like Gallipoli, Kokoda, the Batavia and the Eureka Stockade. And now he’s written The Opera House :The extraordinary story of the building that symbolises Australia. In this interview, we get into the guts of how Peter came to be a writer, the word he most overuses in his books, and how he gave up the grog and managed to fit even more into his day. PETER ON GIVING UP THE GROG This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekicker.substack.com
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