Jonathan Coleman
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Coleman nicknamed Jono (born 29 February 1956 in Hackney
, London
, England
), is an Australian television personality, radio announcer and writer and performer of comedy.
, created and hosted by journalist Simon Townsend
.
This was followed by several years as a DJ and presenter on the ABC's youth radio network Triple J
, including a stint as co-host (with Ian Rogerson) on the popular Sunday afternoon comedy program Off The Record
, a program that featured the talents of comedy group The J-Team, which included comedians Lance Curtis
and Angela Webber
.
In 1988 Jonathan Coleman and Ian 'Dano' Rogerson began hosting a new music programme on The Seven Network. Saturday Morning Live was broadcast from Sydney, nationally from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Saturday morning. The programme was a mixture of music videos, live performances, interviews with musicians and performers, location items and comedy performances (usually in character by Jono & Dano). The show was immediately popular and soon became the most watched music programme on Australian television.
For the second season of Saturday Morning Live in 1989 the producers decided to expand on the comedy aspect and introduced a cast of comedic performers to work alongside Coleman and Rogerson. The new format was not successful and in mid 1989 the comedy component was dropped and the emphasis on music (in particular live performances) was re-established. To appeal to a younger demographic two young actors from the Seven Network teen drama Home & Away were recruited onto the show. Emily Symons
and Mat Stevenson
co-hosted the new Saturday Morning Live as well as presenting occasional location reports.
Just as the programme was re-establishing its audience and the ratings were improving the Seven Network suddenly axed Saturday Morning Live in December 1989. This would be the last time Jono & Dano worked together as a double act on television.
In 1992, Coleman worked as an announcer and sidekick on the Lifetime
game show Born Lucky hosted by former one-time Wheel of Fortune and Entertainment Tonight
s Bob Goen
.
In 1996, Coleman appeared in an episode of the ITV
sitcom Is It Legal?
as a DJ on the fictional station Hounslow FM.
in May 1993, presenting the Sunday - Thursday evening show from 7-10pm. In July 1993, he co-presented the Breakfast show alongside Russ Williams, where he remained until October 1997, moving to the drivetime show upon Chris Evans' arrival at the station.
Coleman was fired from Virgin Radio
in early 1998 and moved to London's Heart 106.2
, presenting the Breakfast show. He co-hosted the show with Harriet Scott
from mid 2002.
In early 2005 , despite his breakfast show contributing to Heart 106.2
becoming the most listened to commercial radio station in London, he was axed, moving to sister station LBC 97.3
, where for a short time he took over the weekend mid-morning show from 10am-1pm.
On 25 July 2005 Coleman took over the 3-5pm Afternoon show on BBC London 94.9
and from 17 October 2005, he took over the Breakfast show from Danny Baker
, co-presenting with JoAnne Good
. In late 2006, he had left BBC London and the UK to be near his 81-year-old mother Sylvia, in Sydney
, Australia
.
) and regional stations. The show emerged following the demise of "The Jonathan Coleman Experience
", a show he hosted with "RockWiz
" presenter, Julia Zemiro
.
Since returning to Australia, Coleman also became a regular reporter for Channel Seven's morning news program Sunrise
, for which he had previously appeared presenting entertainment news from London. His regular segment was reviewing movies. He now presents entertainment news for Mornings with Kerri-Anne
on the Nine Network.
He has also presented many television programmes for the BBC
and appears regularly for many international television crossovers from the United Kingdom for Australian television. Coleman also wrote for Punch magazine titled Coleman's Bowls. He currently writes a weekly column for the national newspaper Daily Star.
He has also appeared in the British television programmes, Celebrity Fit Club, Celebrities Under Pressure
, I'm Famous and Frightened!
and Have I Been Here Before?
, and provides the voice of the narrator for the children's show The Koala Brothers
.
Coleman has also provided many voice-over
s and narrations for many products both in Australia and internationally for companies such as Tooheys
, Foster's
, Qantas
, the Australian Tourist Commission, and BBC TV, as well as in-flight programs for Qantas, Air New Zealand
and Britannia.
His earlier Australian television work included regular appearances on children's show Simon Townsend's Wonder World
as a reporter and regular TV appearances with his partner Ian Rogerson such as Saturday Morning Live . He also worked on radio in Sydney with him as the duo Jono and Dano with Ian Rogerson.
Jonathan Coleman is also the voice of the popular Australian 70s and 80s music radio program "My Generation", heard on the Australian Radio Network stations Gold 104 (Melbourne), WS-FM (Sydney), 4KQ (Brisbane), Mix 102.3 FM (Adelaide), Mix 106.3 FM (Canberra), and more than 85 other radio stations throughout Australia.
In 2007, he filmed a cameo for long running Australian soap opera
Neighbours
, which he was one of the witnesses at Karl and Susan Kennedy's wedding.
released a statement regarding his actions. Sunrise announced that their viewers would decide whether he would be fired. He kept his job with 70% of the vote.
from 1990 until his return to Australia
in 2005. He now resides in Sydney
, and is married with two children.
Metropolitan Borough of Hackney
The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965. Its area became part of the London Borough of Hackney.-Formation and boundaries:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
), is an Australian television personality, radio announcer and writer and performer of comedy.
Television
Coleman's broadcasting career started in the late 1970s in Australia when he was chosen a member of the reporting team for the popular afternoon children's TV magazine show Simon Townsend's Wonder WorldSimon Townsend's Wonder World
Simon Townsend's Wonder World! was a multi-award–winning Australian children's television show that aired on the Ten Network from 1979 until 1986...
, created and hosted by journalist Simon Townsend
Simon Townsend
Simon Townsend is an Australian journalist who became a popular television host during the 1980s. He is currently a tutor in journalism.-Vietnam War Conscientious Objector:...
.
This was followed by several years as a DJ and presenter on the ABC's youth radio network Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
, including a stint as co-host (with Ian Rogerson) on the popular Sunday afternoon comedy program Off The Record
Off the Record
"Off the record" is a term related to journalism sourcing; see Journalism sourcing#Using confidential information.Off the record may also refer to:- Music :* Off the Record , a 1977 album by Sweet...
, a program that featured the talents of comedy group The J-Team, which included comedians Lance Curtis
Lance Curtis
Lance Curtis was a popular Australian actor, writer and comedian who became well known in Australia in the early 1980s through his many radio, TV and film appearances...
and Angela Webber
Angela Webber
Angela Webber was an Australian author, TV writer, producer and comedian.-Early life:Webber was born in 1954 to Bruce Webber, the head of light entertainment for ABC radio, and Nan, a journalist...
.
In 1988 Jonathan Coleman and Ian 'Dano' Rogerson began hosting a new music programme on The Seven Network. Saturday Morning Live was broadcast from Sydney, nationally from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Saturday morning. The programme was a mixture of music videos, live performances, interviews with musicians and performers, location items and comedy performances (usually in character by Jono & Dano). The show was immediately popular and soon became the most watched music programme on Australian television.
For the second season of Saturday Morning Live in 1989 the producers decided to expand on the comedy aspect and introduced a cast of comedic performers to work alongside Coleman and Rogerson. The new format was not successful and in mid 1989 the comedy component was dropped and the emphasis on music (in particular live performances) was re-established. To appeal to a younger demographic two young actors from the Seven Network teen drama Home & Away were recruited onto the show. Emily Symons
Emily Symons
Emily Symons is an Australian actress.Symons's mother remarried when she was just four years old and Symons did not see her biological, English father again until ten years later. She left school before finishing her exams and launched herself into the acting world...
and Mat Stevenson
Mat Stevenson
Mat Stevenson is an Australian actor.He is best known for playing Adam Cameron in the television soap opera Home and Away from 1989 to 1994, making a return appearance in 1999. Prior to Home and Away, Stevenson played the part of "Skinner", a treacherous petty criminal whom Todd Landershad...
co-hosted the new Saturday Morning Live as well as presenting occasional location reports.
Just as the programme was re-establishing its audience and the ratings were improving the Seven Network suddenly axed Saturday Morning Live in December 1989. This would be the last time Jono & Dano worked together as a double act on television.
In 1992, Coleman worked as an announcer and sidekick on the Lifetime
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
game show Born Lucky hosted by former one-time Wheel of Fortune and Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
s Bob Goen
Bob Goen
Robert Kuehl "Bob" Goen is an American game show emcee and television personality, best known for his work on Entertainment Tonight between 1993 and 2004...
.
In 1996, Coleman appeared in an episode of the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
sitcom Is It Legal?
Is It Legal?
Is It Legal? is a British television sitcom set in a solicitors office in Hounslow, west London, which ran from 1995 to 1998. It was produced by Hartswood Films and was shown on ITV for Series 1-2 and Channel 4 for Series 3...
as a DJ on the fictional station Hounslow FM.
UK Radio
Coleman's UK radio career began at BBC GLR, before moving to Virgin RadioVirgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
in May 1993, presenting the Sunday - Thursday evening show from 7-10pm. In July 1993, he co-presented the Breakfast show alongside Russ Williams, where he remained until October 1997, moving to the drivetime show upon Chris Evans' arrival at the station.
Coleman was fired from Virgin Radio
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
in early 1998 and moved to London's Heart 106.2
Heart 106.2
Heart 106.2 is an Independent Local Radio station based in London and is owned by Global Radio as part of the Heart Network.On 25 June 2007 it was announced that Heart along with its sister stations The Arrow, Sky News Radio, LBC and Galaxy were to be sold for £170 million to Global Radio from...
, presenting the Breakfast show. He co-hosted the show with Harriet Scott
Harriet Scott
Harriet Marie Scott is a British radio presenter, and current co-host of the Breakfast show on London's Heart along with Jamie Theakston....
from mid 2002.
In early 2005 , despite his breakfast show contributing to Heart 106.2
Heart 106.2
Heart 106.2 is an Independent Local Radio station based in London and is owned by Global Radio as part of the Heart Network.On 25 June 2007 it was announced that Heart along with its sister stations The Arrow, Sky News Radio, LBC and Galaxy were to be sold for £170 million to Global Radio from...
becoming the most listened to commercial radio station in London, he was axed, moving to sister station LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3 is a London-based talk and phone-in radio station. It is one half of the latest incarnation of LBC, the news and speech service which was Britain's first commercial radio station when it went on air in October 1973...
, where for a short time he took over the weekend mid-morning show from 10am-1pm.
On 25 July 2005 Coleman took over the 3-5pm Afternoon show on BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9 is London's BBC Local Radio station, and part of BBC London. Broadcasting across Greater London and beyond on 94.9 FM, DAB, Virgin Media Channel 930, Sky Channel 0152 and also online...
and from 17 October 2005, he took over the Breakfast show from Danny Baker
Danny Baker
Danny Baker is an English comedy writer, journalist, radio DJ and screenwriter. Since the late 1970s, he has worked for a wide range of publications and broadcasters including NME, LWT, the BBC, and Talk Radio....
, co-presenting with JoAnne Good
JoAnne Good
JoAnne Dorothy Good is a British radio presenter, television presenter, broadcast journalist and actor.-Actor:As an actor, she is best known for her role as Carol Sands in the ITV soap Crossroads from 1982 to 1984. She played a schoolgirl in the 1978 cult British horror film Killer's Moon, and...
. In late 2006, he had left BBC London and the UK to be near his 81-year-old mother Sylvia, in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Return to Australia
Coleman reunited with Rogerson in 2009 and now presents "The Jono & Dano Show" between 4-7pm across Australia on the 'Classic Hits' network (part of Australian Radio NetworkAustralian Radio Network
The Australian Radio Network is a group of commercial radio stations around Australia and New Zealand. A joint venture of Australian media conglomerate APN News & Media and United States radio company Clear Channel Communications, the group is the largest radio company in Australasia...
) and regional stations. The show emerged following the demise of "The Jonathan Coleman Experience
The Jonathan Coleman Experience
The Jonathan Coleman Experience was an Australian nationally syndicated radio program. It was hosted by radio and television personality Jonathan Coleman and comedian Julia Zemiro.-Affiliates:...
", a show he hosted with "RockWiz
RocKwiz
RocKwiz is an Australian television quiz show series, focused on rock music, and broadcast on SBS One. It premiered in 2005.-Summary:The forty minute program airs on Saturday at 9:20 pm, and is hosted by Julia Zemiro. It is shot in The Gershwin Room at St Kilda's Esplanade Hotel, commonly...
" presenter, Julia Zemiro
Julia Zemiro
Julia Zemiro is an Australian television presenter, radio host, actor, singer and comedian.- Early life :...
.
Since returning to Australia, Coleman also became a regular reporter for Channel Seven's morning news program Sunrise
Sunrise (TV program)
Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On weekdays the programme follows Seven Early News, and runs from 6am through to 9am.-History:...
, for which he had previously appeared presenting entertainment news from London. His regular segment was reviewing movies. He now presents entertainment news for Mornings with Kerri-Anne
Mornings with Kerri-Anne
Kerri-Anne is an Australian morning television program shown on the Nine Network, hosted by Kerri-Anne Kennerley. It aired weekdays at 9am for two hours. The final episode of the series aired on November 25, 2011.-History:...
on the Nine Network.
He has also presented many television programmes for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and appears regularly for many international television crossovers from the United Kingdom for Australian television. Coleman also wrote for Punch magazine titled Coleman's Bowls. He currently writes a weekly column for the national newspaper Daily Star.
He has also appeared in the British television programmes, Celebrity Fit Club, Celebrities Under Pressure
Celebrities Under Pressure
Celebrities Under Pressure is a Saturday night entertainment show which aired in the United Kingdom on ITV.The show follows families allowing a celebrity to live with them for a week as they attempt to learn a new skill from their hosts. The celebrity's progress is followed through a video diary,...
, I'm Famous and Frightened!
I'm Famous and Frightened!
I'm Famous and Frightened was a Living TV reality TV show in which 8 celebrities stayed for three nights in a "haunted" castle. They had to then do terrifying challenges in order to raise money for charity; each one was evicted until only the winner was left.The first series aired on Friday 12...
and Have I Been Here Before?
Have I Been Here Before?
Have I Been Here Before? is an ITV daytime programme, presented by Phillip Schofield, made by ITV Productions. The programme offers celebrity guests the chance to see if they have lived before, in a past life...
, and provides the voice of the narrator for the children's show The Koala Brothers
The Koala Brothers
The Koala Brothers is an animated children's television show that features the adventures of two brothers, Frank and Buster, as they seek to help their neighbors in a sleepy town in the Australian Outback...
.
Coleman has also provided many voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
s and narrations for many products both in Australia and internationally for companies such as Tooheys
Tooheys
Tooheys is a brewery in the suburb of Lidcombe, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It produces beers under the Tooheys and Hahn trademarks, and is part of the New Zealand Lion Nathan beverages group.-History:...
, Foster's
Foster's Group
Foster's Group is a beer group with interests in brewing and soft drinks. Foster's Group is the brewer of the Foster's Lager. Foster's Group Limited is a publicly-listed company on the Australian Securities Exchange and is based in Melbourne, Victoria...
, Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
, the Australian Tourist Commission, and BBC TV, as well as in-flight programs for Qantas, Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
and Britannia.
His earlier Australian television work included regular appearances on children's show Simon Townsend's Wonder World
Simon Townsend's Wonder World
Simon Townsend's Wonder World! was a multi-award–winning Australian children's television show that aired on the Ten Network from 1979 until 1986...
as a reporter and regular TV appearances with his partner Ian Rogerson such as Saturday Morning Live . He also worked on radio in Sydney with him as the duo Jono and Dano with Ian Rogerson.
Jonathan Coleman is also the voice of the popular Australian 70s and 80s music radio program "My Generation", heard on the Australian Radio Network stations Gold 104 (Melbourne), WS-FM (Sydney), 4KQ (Brisbane), Mix 102.3 FM (Adelaide), Mix 106.3 FM (Canberra), and more than 85 other radio stations throughout Australia.
In 2007, he filmed a cameo for long running Australian soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, which he was one of the witnesses at Karl and Susan Kennedy's wedding.
Suspension from Sunrise
On 2 August 2007, Coleman was suspended indefinitely from Sunrise for revealing the supposed end to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on air. He later said that he had not read the book and the Seven NetworkSeven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
released a statement regarding his actions. Sunrise announced that their viewers would decide whether he would be fired. He kept his job with 70% of the vote.
Personal life
He lived in North LondonNorth London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
from 1990 until his return to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 2005. He now resides in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and is married with two children.
External links
- Official Website
- Jonathon Coleman at Harry M. Miller
- How a jolly expat and $600m are set to change our image - Sydney Morning Herald, 4 April 2004
- London Evening Standard Article on leaving Heart
- Jonathan Coleman temporarily dumped by Seven's Sunrise program after revealing the ending of the final Harry Potter book