51 Facts About Paul McDermott

Paul Anthony Michael McDermott was born on 13 May 1962 and is an Australian entertainer, best known both for Good News Week and for his role as a member of the musical comedy group the Doug Anthony All Stars.

Paul McDermott has frequently appeared at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and taken part in its two major televised productions, the Comedy Festival Gala and the Great Debate.

Paul McDermott was born in Adelaide, South Australia, a fraternal twin and one of six children in a Catholic family.

Paul McDermott's father, John, was a senior public servant and his mother, Betty, a home manager.

Paul McDermott attended Marist College Canberra, where he describes himself as having been painfully shy and a "bit of a loner"; Dickson College; and the Canberra School of Art at the Australian National University, where he studied art for four years.

Paul McDermott describes painting as his first love, and still considers his final year piece at art school to be his finest work.

Privately, Paul McDermott maintains his interest in art through painting, drawing and hand-crafting books.

Paul McDermott has criticised the war on drugs and society's tendency to ignore the large drug subculture that involves people of all ages.

Paul McDermott has one son with his partner Melissa Lyne.

Paul McDermott is the first cousin of retired Adelaide Crows AFL footballer and current Adelaide media personality Chris McDermott.

Paul McDermott took lead vocals on most songs and wrote much of the material.

Paul McDermott began busking in 1985, which he says equipped him with useful experience and the ability to cope with most situations when he later started performing in clubs.

Paul McDermott joined a group called Gigantic Fly which performed at a new Canberra club called Cafe Boom Boom.

Paul McDermott was asked to join the group when the third member, Robert Piper, left due to other commitments.

Paul McDermott says that he was not particularly interested in returning to comedy, which he came to regard as an "aberration, something that had been good to do for eight years but now it was over," until in 1996 he was recruited as host of the satirical news-based quiz show Good News Week.

In 2014, McDermott and Tim Ferguson reunited to tour Australia as the Doug Anthony All Stars, with frequent collaborator Paul Livingston replacing Richard Fidler as guitarist due to Fidler's radio commitments.

In 1996, Paul McDermott was given the role of hosting the ABC's new topical comedy game show Good News Week.

Paul McDermott's monologues broke new ground in Australian TV for their direct and harsh criticisms of prominent figures, especially politicians.

The ABC received a large number of complaints about Paul McDermott for making light of tragic events, use of profanity and drug references, but his willingness to push boundaries was the reason for his popularity.

In 1998, Paul McDermott hosted a spin-off called Good News Weekend, which followed a similar format, but with questions based around pop culture.

In 2004, Paul McDermott hosted the ABCTV dancing competition Strictly Dancing, which was notable for featuring same-sex dancing partners.

Paul McDermott was nominated for the 2010 Gold Logie award for his hosting role.

In 1996, Paul McDermott was recruited by director Ted Robinson, with whom he had previously worked on The Big Gig, to host Good News Week, which aired on the ABC from 1996 to 1998, and on Network Ten from 1999 to 2000 and then returned in 2008 for a new series.

Paul McDermott hosted Good News Week from 1996 until its cancellation in 2000, as well as its two spinoffs, Good News Weekend and GNW Night Lite, and reprised this role when the series returned in 2008.

Paul McDermott opens each show with a humorous monologue based on the news on the week and is responsible for posing questions and awarding points to teams.

Paul McDermott had dreadlocks at the time, and was best known for the crude, aggressive "bad boy" character he had played in the Doug Anthony All Stars, which many tended to confuse with his actual personality.

Paul McDermott cut off his dreadlocks for the show and succeeded in broadening his appeal by showing a gentler, more charming side as host.

In one episode, Paul McDermott performed the self-penned "Shut Up and Kiss Me" as a duet with Fiona Horne.

Paul McDermott expressed his relief when the show was cancelled in 2000, saying that he could not have maintained the relentless production schedule for much longer.

The revived series premiered on 11 February 2008 with Paul McDermott reprising his role as host.

In 2010, Paul McDermott was nominated for a Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television.

Paul McDermott hosted the AFI awards in 2002, and in 2004 and 2005 presented the ABC show Strictly Dancing.

Paul McDermott reunited with Robinson in 2007 when he was named host of a new ABC variety program, The Sideshow, a show described as a successor to The Big Gig.

Paul McDermott says he was saddened by The Sideshows cancellation as he believed it was an excellent venue for performers of alternative work which would have achieved ratings success if it had been allowed to continue.

Paul McDermott returned to regular television hosting in July 2015 as the host of Room 101, an Australian version of the long running British TV show of the same name, airing on SBS One.

In 2018, Paul McDermott returned to the ABC as presenter of quiz show Think Tank.

The group featured Mick Moriarty, who Paul McDermott had collaborated with on Good News Week, and Cameron Bruce, who he later collaborated with on the Sideshow.

The songs were interspersed with comedic material in which Paul McDermott spoke about his experiences in the entertainment industry, reflections on global politics and banter with the audience.

Columbia Artists expressed interest in the show, but after nearly a decade of international travel with the Doug Anthony All Stars, Paul McDermott did not wish to go to New York to do an off-Broadway show.

Paul McDermott reappeared in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival from 2002 with Cameron Bruce and Mick Moriarty in a music-based comedy trio called GUD.

Paul McDermott says that GUD is in a similar vein to the Doug Anthony All Stars in that it revolves around music, comedy and the inter-relationships between the band members onstage.

Paul McDermott has frequently participated in the televised Comedy Festival Gala, appearing in 2008 as its host, and has often captained one of the two competing teams in the festival's Great Debate since his first debate appearance in 1994.

Paul McDermott has written as a columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun-Herald, The Weekend Australian and The Age.

Paul McDermott has written and illustrated three children's books, two of which have been adapted into short films with McDermott scripting, directing, performing and painting all of the animations.

Paul McDermott describes the stories as "little Gothic, dark, morality tales" which draw on the dark children's tales he consumed during his own childhood, such as the Brothers Grimm's fairy tales.

Paul McDermott says he enjoys filmmaking because it brings together all of his skills.

Paul McDermott reportedly has plans to work on a third short film, entitled Crab Boy and the Girl in the Shell, and has expressed an interest in moving into feature films.

Paul McDermott voiced characters in the 2009 short film Tegan the Vegan.

Paul McDermott has had roles in Australian film, musical theatre and radio.

Since the end of Good News Week, McDermott has toured in a series of concerts called "Paul Sings", in which he performed a number of serious songs, most of which were previously aired on Good News Week or The Sideshow.

Paul McDermott was appointed Fringe Ambassador for the Adelaide Fringe in 2013.