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Craig Reucassel

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Craig Reucassel
Reucassel in 2013
Birth nameCraig Bruce Reucassel
BornSouth Africa
MediumRadio, television, print and stage
NationalityAustralian
Years active1999–present
GenresSatirical comedy
Children2
Notable works and rolesThe Chaser
The Chaser Decides (2001, 2004, 2007)
CNNNN (2002–03)
The Chaser's War on Everything (2006–07, 2009)
The Chaser's Age of Terror Variety Hour (2008)
Yes We Canberra! (2010)
The Checkout (2013–2018)
The Hamster Decides (2013)
War on Waste (2017–23)
Websitechaser.com.au

Craig Bruce Reucassel is an Australian radio and television presenter and comedian. He is currently the presenter of Breakfast on ABC Radio Sydney.

He was an original member of the satirical team, The Chaser.

Early life

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Reucassel was born in South Africa and moved to Adelaide at a young age with his parents.[1][2][3] There, he attended Semaphore Park Primary School.[4] The family relocated to the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, and Reucassel attended Bowral Public School and Bowral High School.[5][1]

Reucassel attended the University of Sydney, and completed a Bachelor of Economics (Social Science) degree in 1999 and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2002. Reucassel ran the arts revue and the canoe club, and was an editor of the student newspaper Honi Soit.[6] He also debated at several World Universities Debating Championships, ranking 30th in the World at Manila in 1999[7] and 167th in Glasgow in 2001.[8] In 2000, he competed in the Philip C. Jessup Cup international law mooting competition, his team winning the Australian rounds.[9] He graduated from the Sydney Law School, along with Chaser colleagues Julian Morrow, Dominic Knight and Chas Licciardello.[10]

Triple J

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In 2004 and 2005, Reucassel embarked on a radio journey, co-hosting the drive-time show "Today Today" on Triple J alongside his fellow Chaser, Chris Taylor.[11][12]

Their partnership on "Today Today" was not only a source of entertainment but also showcased their versatility as comedic talents beyond television. The show provided a platform for Reucassel and Taylor to engage with listeners in a more intimate setting.

Following their successful stint on drive-time radio, Reucassel and Taylor reunited for their Sunday afternoon show, "Bloody Sunday," which saw them return for relief shifts in mid-2006 and during the summer of 2006–07. This return to the airwaves demonstrated their enduring appeal and ability to captivate audiences across different time slots and formats.

The Chaser's War on Everything

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Craig Bruce Reucassel played a pivotal role as a founding member of the acclaimed satirical group, The Chaser team. His contributions extended across various media platforms, including their satirical newspaper and several television programs aired on ABC TV. Notable among these were "The Election Chaser," "CNNNN," "The Chaser Decides," and "The Chaser's War on Everything."

Reucassel's involvement with "The War" has been significant, spanning from its pilot episode to its subsequent successes. Additionally, his personal life includes a partnership with his wife Keisha, with whom he shares three children. Interestingly, their son Ollie has even made appearances in sketches featured on "The War."

Known for his daring and humorous confrontations, Reucassel was often the chosen one to engage with prominent figures, such as former Prime Minister John Howard. One particularly memorable encounter involved an axe stunt during one of Howard's morning walks, a moment that etched itself into the annals of Australian political satire.

Speedos incident

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On March 19, 2007, an incident unfolded during a campaign event for the New South Wales State Election involving the then opposition leader, Peter Debnam, and the comedic antics of Craig Bruce Reucassel. Dressed in nothing but Speedos and a baseball cap,[13] Reucassel humorously parodied Debnam's penchant for campaign appearances in swimwear.

As TV cameras shifted their focus to Reucassel rather than Debnam, the comedian seized the opportunity to inject humor into the situation, quipping, "Sorry, I'm not Peter Debnam, he's over there. Just because I'm wearing this doesn't mean I'm Peter Debnam." Despite his comedic efforts, Reucassel's attempts to elicit a response from the opposition leader were met with silence, and even his gesture to shake Debnam's hand went unnoticed.[citation needed]

The axe stunt

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On 2 August 2006, Reucassel responded to a news story about a private school student who had hugged then-Prime Minister John Howard while holding a screwdriver during one of Howard's morning walks. To test the Prime Minister's security arrangements, he approached Howard during a morning walk and asked for a hug while holding a large plastic battle axe. Reucassel did receive the hug, but a later approach while holding a running chainsaw was not so successful. There was much debate surrounding whether to turn on the chainsaw and whether they would be shot at for doing this.[14][15] Cut out from this segment was an unsuccessful attempt that took place between the axe and the chainsaw, in which Reucassel was holding a four-point-star mace.[16]

Television career

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One of his notable hosting roles was on the Australian adaptation of Balls of Steel, which premiered in April 2011.

Since 2013, Reucassel, alongside fellow Chaser member Julian Morrow, has been a main presenter on the ABC program "The Checkout." This show delves into consumer rights and exposes unethical business practices, empowering viewers with valuable information about their purchases.

In 2017, Reucassel embarked on a significant environmental initiative with the four-part ABC TV series "War on Waste." This groundbreaking program shed light on Australia's alarming rates of clothing and food waste, highlighting their environmental consequences and advocating for sustainable solutions.

Following the success of "War on Waste," Reucassel continued his environmental advocacy with the 2018 series "Fight For Planet A: Our Climate Challenge." This installment focused on the detrimental impact of single-use plastics, such as straws, on the environment, urging viewers to adopt eco-friendly practices.

In 2019, he began acting as one of the hosts of The Drum on ABC TV.[17]

Reucassel ventured into directing with the two-part ABC TV series "Big Deal" in 2021. This investigative program, hosted by actor Christiaan Van Vuuren, explored the influence of lobbying and donations on Australia's political landscape.

Other work

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Reucassel speaking at the 2017 Australian Skeptics convention.

In 2012, Reucassel was a patron of the Left Right Think-Tank, Australia's first independent and non-partisan youth think-tank.[18]

Since 2024, Reucassel has been presenting Breakfast on ABC Radio Sydney. [19]

Television

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery". Media Spy. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Fight for Planet A". Hawke Centre. University of South Australia. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  3. ^ Simon Wooldridge (1 September 2007). "Burning with the times". Rolling Stone Australia.
  4. ^ Rebekah Devlin; Peter Woods; Carla Caruso; Noami Jellicoe (20 June 2005). "Ducking the dark days of childhood". The Advertiser.
  5. ^ McClellan, Ben (15 March 2011). "Chaser star at White Ribbon do". Southern Highland News. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Editors". Honi Soit. 2 March 2014.
  7. ^ World Debate Website Archived 23 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ World Debate Website Archived 18 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "The Sydney Law School Reports – Volume 1 2000" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 September 2006. Retrieved 9 January 2007.
  10. ^ "The Sydney Law School Reports – April 2004 Newsletter" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 September 2006. Retrieved 9 January 2007.
  11. ^ Quinn, Ben (15 October 2005). "Comedy of terrors". The Newcastle Herald. Jhn Fairfax Holdings Limited.
  12. ^ Javes, Sue (8 November 2003). "Identity Crisis Chases Sons of Satire into Radio Make-or-break". The Sydney Morning Herald. John Fairfax Holdings Limited.
  13. ^ "Speedo wearing comedian confronts Debnam". The Age. 19 March 2007.
  14. ^ "Australia's Most Wanted – The Chaser's War on Comedy". The Australian. 17 March 2007.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ "Chaser star cleared over Bulldogs stunt". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 January 2007. Archived from the original on 24 January 2007.
  16. ^ The Chaser's War on Everything Season 1.2 DVD audio commentary.
  17. ^ nextbravething (31 March 2019). "ABC's The Drum". Holly Ransom. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  18. ^ "Craig Reucassel". Left Right Think-Tank. Archived from the original on 14 January 2012.
  19. ^ Quinn, Karl (28 November 2023). "Craig Reucassel to host ABC breakfast radio, Valentine back to afternoons". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  20. ^ "Spy Shop". JTV. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  21. ^ "The Chaser – The Silic & Lee Show at the Logies 2012". SilicAndLeeShow. 25 April 2012. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  22. ^ The Silic & Lee Show at the Logies: Red Carpet Special 2012 at IMDb
  23. ^ ""The War on Waste"". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  24. ^ ""War on Waste: Craig Reucassel reveals the shocking truth about our bananas"". News.com.au. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  25. ^ ""Take up the challenge… Fight for Planet A"". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  26. ^ "Australia it's time to get prepared for… Big Weather (and how to survive it)". ABC Help. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  27. ^ "Airdate: Big Deal". TV Tonight. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  28. ^ Connery, Tess (19 October 2021). "Why Craig Reucassel tackled the political lobbying industry on Big Deal". Mediaweek. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  29. ^ "Is Australian politics as corrupt as the USA? This week on Big Deal". TV Blackbox. 25 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
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