Meshel Laurie

Meshel Laurie is an Australian comedian and radio & television personality.

Career

Comedian

Laurie's first Melbourne International Comedy Festival show was Dairy Belles which she performed with Corinne Grant. In 1998 she was granted the Brian McCarthy Memorial Moosehead Award to produce The Virgin Mary 2 - This Time It's Personal. Her success began to skyrocket when, in 2000, she debuted The Whore Whisperer: Confessions of a Madam at the Melbourne Fringe Festival - a show all about her experiences working in brothels.[1] A sell-out in its first season, The Whore Whisperer went on to sell out seasons at the Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe and the Sydney Opera House.[2]

Radio

In 2000, Laurie co-hosted Enough Rope on 3RRR with Josh Kinal.[3] This was a weekly programme about comedy that included the comedy tracks, a look at the comedy industry and interviews with numerous guests including: Wil Anderson, Daniel Kitson, Simon Munnery, Rachel Berger. Regular segments featured Adam Richard and Toby Sullivan. The show was controversially cancelled at the end of 2002.

In 2005, Meshel joined Nova 106.9 in Brisbane as a founding breakfast presenter on Meshel, Ash, Kip and Luttsy - it became the highest rating breakfast show in Brisbane. Over the years Ash, Kip and Luttsy resigned with other presenters joining Laurie including Tim Blackwell and Marty Sheargold. Meshel, Tim and Marty remained in breakfast until August 2011 when the show was moved to Melbourne to broadcast live nationally on Drive on Nova FM.[4]

In October 2013, Nova 100 announced that she would join Tommy Little to host Meshel & Tommy replacing Hughesy & Kate.The show started in December 2013.

In January 2014, Meshel was replaced by Kate Ritchie on drive joining Tim Blackwell and Marty Sheargold.

Television

In 2004, Laurie hosted Stand Up!,[5] a comedy show on ABC TV. She was also a regular on national variety show Rove Live.[6] Laurie has also appeared on The Glass House, Spicks and Specks, Good News Week, ADbc,[7] The Circle and The Project.

Since July 2013, Meshel has co-hosted This Week Live, alongside Dave Thornton, Tommy Little and Tom Gleeson.

Personal life

Laurie was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, and moved to Melbourne early in her career as a stand-up comic to take advantage of its strong comedy industry/community.

In June 2009, Meshel announced via Twitter that she was pregnant with twins,[8] due in the summer. On 23 November 2009, Laurie announced the birth of her twins – a boy, Louis, and a girl, Dali – born on 20 November 2009.

In 2010, Meshel launched a blog to help promote charity and the ways that people can give back to communities all around the world.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Transcription from an article in Inpress Magazine, October 2000
  2. ↑ Sydney Morning Herald article
  3. ↑ Interview with Andrew Denton referencing the use of the "Enough Rope" name before his tv show
  4. ↑ Brisbane Courier Mail
  5. ↑ Keough, Laurelle. "Media Room - Programming 2004". About the ABC. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  6. ↑ Sydney Morning Herald review of Stand Up!
  7. ↑ http://www.sbs.com.au/adbc/ SBS website for ADbc
  8. ↑ twitter.com/meshel_laurie
  9. ↑ Meshel Laurie Blog and Charity