You've Gotta Start Somewhere

Carrie Bickmore is one of the most well-known faces on Australian television. As the host of The Project she’s been delivering the news differently for ten years, she’s also host of Carrie & Tommy on the Hit Network and a mum of three kids. And this year she was awarded an Order of Australia medal for her contribution to media and brain cancer research through her charity, Carrie’s Beanies for Brain Cancer. So, basically she’s a bloody legend. In this episode of You’ve Gotta Start Somewhere Carrie Bickmore talks about how a wise career counsellor got her to choose journalism over ballet, how a Stephen Bradbury moment saw her hitting the airwaves for the first time, why her first night on Rove Live was one of the most terrifying of her career and how she ended up hosting one of the most well-known shows on Australian television. Episode show notes: http://rachelcorbett.com.au/ygss/carrie-bickmore About the host... My name is Rachel Corbett and I've spent almost two decades working in me

Derryn Hinch is an Australian journalist whose career has spanned almost six decades. He’s recently made a return to the small screen as the host of Hinch on Sky News Australia after spending three years as a Senator in Canberra as leader of Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party. Derryn started his career as a journalist at the Taranaki Herald in New Zealand when he was 15 and hasn’t stopped working since (apart from a couple of stints in prison after being convicted of contempt of court). In this episode he talks about reporting on some of the biggest events of the 20th Century, why he lied about his age for the first part of his career, why going to prison appealed to the journalist in him and the pain of having a show you love cancelled. Derryn’s story is a fascinating tale of guts, talent, resilience all mixed with a bit of being in the right place at the right time. After listening to this you’ll know exactly why he’s still on our screens all these decades later. Episode show notes: http:/

Dr Chris Brown is a veterinarian, television presenter and half the Australian female population's hall pass. He started out as a guest host on the super popular Harry's Practice after being discovered trying to pick up a girl in a pub. True story. He was attempting to impress her with tales of the life of a vet and a TV executive just happened to overhear him. The rest, as they say, is history. Harry's Practice was cancelled not long after Chris' appearance and he's not so sure it was a coincidence. But he must have done something right because he's gone on to become one of Australia's busiest and most loved media personalities. Dr Chris Brown hosts a list of shows as long as your arm including Bondi Vet, The Living Room, I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here, Chris & Julia's Sunday Night Takeaway and Vet Gone Wild. In this episode of You've Gotta Start Somewhere, Chris Brown he reveals why a six-foot-five bloke should never attempt the worm, why he's uncomfortable with fame, the joy o

Tim Ross (aka Rosso) is an Australian comedian, radio host, design enthusiast and television presenter. Rosso is best known for his work as part of the comedy duo Merrick and Rosso with fellow comedian, Merrick Watts. Their partnership began after Merrick saw Rosso play in his comedy band Black Rose and fell in love with his moon boots. They struck up a friendship and the rest, as they say, is history. Together Merrick and Rosso created their own unique style of comedy gig that was more like a band gig than the traditional ‘man and the mic’ stand up shows that were popular at the time. After the amazing success of their live shows they were approached to host Triple J breakfast and were then poached to be the launch breakfast show for new Sydney radio station, NOVA. Since parting ways Rosso has continued to work as a stand-up mixing his love of design with comedy in his Man About The House tours. He’s also a published author and host of the award-winning ABC TV series, Streets of Your

Natarsha Belling is a journalist and newsreader with just about one of the most infectious laughs you’ll ever see on television. Ever since preschool Natarsha knew she wanted to be a journalist and worked her butt off to make sure she got into the career she was so passionate about. She started out as a reporter for Prime Television in Orange and also worked for the ABC. When she joined Ten News she was originally hired as a medical reporter, a job she loved. And over 20 years later Natarsha is still working at Ten. Proof that hard work and a killer attitude pays off. In this episode Natarsha Belling talks about her surprising love of DIY (she’s always covered in paint), why knowing what you want to do from a young age can be stressful, the importance of working for free if you really want to do something and the sexual harassment she’s seen over the years and why it’s important to call people out on their shitty behaviour. Episode show notes: https://rachelcorbett.com.au/ygss/natarsha

Meshel Laurie is a comedian, radio and television host and author. Meshel started out as a stand-up comedian in the 90s, treading the boards with a lot of the comedy stars of today including Dave Hughes, Rove McManus and Wil Anderson. Meshel’s first comedy show was Daisy Belles with Corinne Grant but her career really started to take off after she debuted her solo show The Whore Whisperer: Confessions of a Madam all about her time working as a receptionist in brothels. Since then Meshel has been a regular on television and radio hosting breakfast and drive shows for some of the biggest radio stations in the country. She’s also been on just about every TV show there is including The Project, The Glass House, Spicks and Specks, Studio 10 and Hughesy, We Have A Problem. Meshel has written a number of books including three books on Buddhism, a religion she’s embraced and that she credits with changing her attitude to the media business and life in general. In this episode, Meshel Laurie ta

Hamish Macdonald is an Australian journalist and host of The Sunday Project. He’s had an incredible career that’s seen him reporting from war zones, disasters and major world events. He’s also worked as a reporter for some of the biggest news organisations in the world including the UK’s Channel 4 News, ABC News in the US and Al Jazeera English. After years of living out of a suitcase, Hamish has finally settled back in Sydney where he’s host of The Sunday Project and a regular on ABC Radio National. In this episode Hamish Macdonald talks about why jobs that look amazing on paper aren’t everything they’re cracked up to be, why conflict reporting isn’t as scary as you’d think it is, how a year at Havard reignited his passion for journalism and why growing up in a country town like Jindabyne prepared him for life as a foreign correspondent. Episode show notes: https://rachelcorbett.com.au/ygss/hamish-macdonald/ About the host... My name is Rachel Corbett and I've spent almost two decades

Joe Hildebrand is an Australian journalist and host of the daytime television program, Studio 10. Joe started his career as a cadet journalist at the Australian Associated Press and worked his way up to Editor at Large at News Limited which he admits is basically a fancy way of saying he can write what he wants. He’s appeared as a commentator on television programs including Q&A and Paul Murray Live. And also had a brief stint as a drive radio host on Triple M with Matt Tilley. In this episode Joe Hildebrand talks about The Chaser boys influence on his career, how a badly photoshopped photo of Jeff Kennett helped get him his first job, the pressures of being expected to be the "guy who knows everything" and why the best way to ensure a long career in media is to channel Bart Simpson. Episode show notes: https://rachelcorbett.com.au/ygss/joe-hildebrand About the host... My name is Rachel Corbett and I've spent almost two decades working in media professionally, creating and hosting radi

Chris Bath is an Australian journalist, radio and television presenter. She’s currently the host of Evenings on ABC Radio Sydney and presenter of 10 News First Weekend on Network 10. Chris’ path to working as a journalist started when she was a waitress at a Sydney restaurant where she met Sydney Morning Herald columnist, Peter Bowers. After suggesting she should study journalism Chris put in a last-minute application and ended up winning a scholarship to attend Charles Sturt University. During her time at CSU, Chris was a regular on the university radio station and in her final year was offered at cadetship at Sydney radio station, 2UE. Over her career, she’s been at the helm of a bunch of TV programs including Sunday Night and The Project. And she was also a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. In this episode Chris Bath talks about her dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, how some less than constructive criticism helped her find her 'newsreader voice,' the most difficult interview s

Lehmo is one of Australia's most well-known comedians and in this episode of You've Gotta Start Somewhere, Rachel Corbett sits down with him to find out how he went from a regular country kid with no dreams of being a comedian to one of Australia's most well-known media personalities. Discover more episodes at youvegottastartsomewhere.com

Season two of You've Gotta Start Somewhere is on the way and guests include Chris Bath, Meshel Laurie, Hamish McDonald and Lehmo. Catch up on all the episodes at youvegottastartsomewhere.com

Comedian, Shaun Micallef talks about how his wife is the reason he got into comedy, how he worked out how to make an audience laugh at four years old, the one tactical move he's made in his career and how doing radio changed the way he performs.

Shaun Micallef is an Australian comedian, actor, writer and television presenter who worked in what would seem to be the world’s least funny field before getting into comedy - insurance law. After ten years of talking to his wife about his desire to perform she eventually told him to give it a crack or never speak to her about it again. So he packed up the car and headed to Melbourne to start his career as a comedy writer. Shaun was first introduced to mainstream audiences on the sketch comedy show, Full Frontal and quickly became a fan favourite with characters like Milo Kerrigan. After the success of that show Shaun went on to create and star in a number of his own shows including The Micallef P(r)ogram(me), Welcher & Welcher, Micallef Tonight, Newstopia, Mr & Mrs Murder and Mad As Hell. He’s also host of the weird and wacky game show, Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation. In this episode Shaun Micallef talks about working out how to make an audience laugh at the ripe old age of four, his s

Amanda Keller is an Australian comedian, television and radio presenter. She’s one of the hardest working people in media hosting WSFM’s breakfast radio show, Jonesy & Amanda, Channel 10’s The Living Room and Dancing with the Stars. Amanda started her career as a producer working on Simon Townsend’s Wonder World and Midday with Ray Martin. She stepped in front of the camera after some strong encouragement from Ray Martin and never left. Amanda worked as a reporter on one of Australia's most well-known (and well-remembered) shows of the ’80s, Beyond 2000, and after a call up from her old university buddy, Andrew Denton she became a regular on his show, Denton. When that series finished she joined him on Triple M where they hosted breakfast radio together for years. In this episode, Amanda Keller talks about the power of radio and the connection you make with an audience, what it was like being on air the morning after September 11, how it's taken her a long time to get comfortable with

James Mathison is a television presenter who rose to fame as the host of Australian Idol. James’ very first television appearance was on Channel 10’s, The $20 Challenge but his career really started when he won a VJ search for Channel V on Foxtel. After working at Channel V with Osher Gunsberg the pair were offered a gig hosting a brand new show called Australian Idol. Little did he know it would end up being one of the biggest shows on Australian television. In this episode, James Mathison talks about the perils of fame, what it was like hosting a juggernaut like Australian Idol, why early success can give you a warped sense of reality and what it's like to go from media to politics. Episode show notes: https://rachelcorbett.com.au/ygss/james-mathison/ About the host... My name is Rachel Corbett and I've spent almost two decades working in media professionally, creating and hosting radio shows and podcasts for Australia’s largest media organisations. I’m also a regular on Channel 10’s

Shane Jacobson is an Australian actor, writer, director and comedian. Shane became a household name after playing the role of Kenny Smyth, a portaloo plumber, in Kenny. A film he wrote with his brother Clayton. Shane was a performer from a young age, acting in amateur theatre shows. He tried his hand at stand-up and ended up with his own radio segment because someone tipped a Gold FM off about the funny voicemail messages he used to write and record for friends. In this episode, Shane Jacobson talks about the lengths he went to, to promote Kenny, the decades it took him to be an overnight success, the bizarre privilege of being mates with his idol, Paul Hogan and why he knew he was a performer when he was in nappies. Episode show notes: https://rachelcorbett.com.au/ygss/shane-jacobson/ About the host... My name is Rachel Corbett and I've spent almost two decades working in media professionally, creating and hosting radio shows and podcasts for Australia’s largest media organisations. I

Ross Greenwood is the Nine Network’s business and finance editor and host of Money News on 2GB. Ross started his career in print journalism and decided to specialise in finance after noticing the finance guys seemed to take a lot of long lunches. Smart move. His first TV gig was as the money guy on Healthy, Wealthy & Wise and he’s now a reporter and commentator on The Today Show where he hosts his Money Minute segment. Ross was the editor of a number of finance publications including Business Review Weekly, Personal Investor and Shares, a magazine he co-founded in London. In this episode, Ross Greenwood talks about his early days working at The Melbourne Truth, how going into every job with an escape plan has served him well, what it was like to build a magazine from scratch and why finance doesn't have to be boring. Episode show notes: https://rachelcorbett.com.au/ygss/ross-greenwood/ About the host... My name is Rachel Corbett and I've spent almost two decades working in media profes

Deborah Knight is a journalist, newsreader and host of The Today Show. Deborah was part of the “Mitchell Mafia” studying journalism at Charles Sturt University. After graduating she started working for 2GB in Wagga Wagga before moving to Mix 106.5 in Sydney and then the ABC. Deborah has reported on some of the biggest news stories of the last two decades and was in Washington the day of the September 11 attacks. In this episode, Deborah Knight talks about her early love of journalism and writing letters to the editor at 14, how she's dealt with contracts that have unexpectedly come to an end and the bizarre feedback she received when she was pregnant on-air. Episode show notes: https://rachelcorbett.com.au/ygss/deborah-knight/ About the host... My name is Rachel Corbett and I've spent almost two decades working in media professionally, creating and hosting radio shows and podcasts for Australia’s largest media organisations. I’m also a regular on Channel 10’s The Project and have worke

Gorgi Goghlan is a journalist, singer and host of The Project. Gorgi grew up on a sheep farm in Warrnambool and started her career as a teacher at McKinnon Secondary College. While she loved teaching her students she also loved performing and on nights and weekends she would perform in her own one-woman Shania Twain tribute show. Complete with back up dancers. Eventually she realised she needed to make performing a bigger part of her life so she said goodbye to her high school kids and went off to follow her dreams. Gorgi started in television on the community television station, Channel 31 and eventually got a gig as a reporter on The Today Show. In 2010 she was announced as host of The Circle along with Denise Drysdale, Yumi Stynes and Chrissie Swan. In this episode, Gorgi Coghlan talks about the heartbreaking moment she left her career as a high school teacher, her super power when it comes to manifesting her dreams, how she ended up behind the desk at The Project and starting up th

Michael Usher is an Australian journalist, newsreader and host of Seven News Sydney and The Latest: Seven News. Michael started his television career at the Golden West Television Network, Bunbury where he was posted to Kalgoorlie. After dipping his toe in regional reporting he moved to STW-9 Perth and eventually to the Nine Network in Sydney where he got a job as Olympic reporter covering the Atlanta and Sydney Olympic Games. He’s also worked as a foreign correspondent and has reported from some of the most dangerous places on earth. But now sits safely behind the news desk at Channel 7. On this episode, Michael Usher talks about his biggest on-air stuff ups, the psychological toll of reporting from war zones, what it feels like to have a front row seat to history and why Rose Porteous made him a special video for his wedding. Episode show notes: https://rachelcorbett.com.au/ygss/michael-usher/ About the host... My name is Rachel Corbett and I've spent almost two decades working in me