Josh Zepps
Encyclopedia
Josh Zepps is an Australian
-born media personality, political satirist
, and TV show host
. Zepps, the son of actor Henri Szeps
, changed his last name
from "Szeps" to avoid pronunciation confusion. Josh Zepps attended Fort Street High School
and the University of Technology, Sydney
. His work has included satirical writing and presenting for Australian radio, as well as the hosting of Brink, an American
TV series.
", one of three mascots in the Sydney Summer Olympics
. After leaving the university in 2000, Zepps was hired as a script assistant on BackBerner
, a comedy television series. He also worked in the production of 2SM
and 2GB
, two Australian radio station
s. In 2003, Zepps was hired by Mike Carlton
of 2UE
, a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia. Zepps developed a radio soliloquy
for 2UE called "John Howard
's Diary", in which he made a weekly impersonation of the Australian Prime Minister
's thoughts on the past week's events. Zepps said to The Sydney Morning Herald
in 2003 that "if John Howard wasn't in power, it's entirely possible my life would be going in a completely different direction". After John Howard was defeated in the 2007 Australian federal election, Zepp's radio spoof became "Kevin Rudd
's Diary", a satire of the new Prime Minister in the same format. Zepps was the creator of Never Never Newsreel
, a weekly syndicated satirical radio sketch that ran until June 2008.
and discovery
. The series ended the following year.
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...
-born media personality, political satirist
Political satire
Political satire is a significant part of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where such arguments are expressly...
, and TV show host
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
. Zepps, the son of actor Henri Szeps
Henri Szeps
Henri Szeps OAM is an Australian actor best known for his role as Robert Beare in the ABC situation comedy series Mother and Son.-Early life:...
, changed his last name
Last Name
"Last Name" is the title of a song composed by country singer Carrie Underwood, Hillary Lindsey and Luke Laird. It is the third single from Underwood's second studio album, Carnival Ride. It was released in the United States on April 7, 2008, by which point the song had already charted...
from "Szeps" to avoid pronunciation confusion. Josh Zepps attended Fort Street High School
Fort Street High School
Fort Street High School is a co-educational, academically selective, public high school currently located at Petersham, an inner western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
and the University of Technology, Sydney
University of Technology, Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney is a university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1981, although its origins trace back to the 1870s. UTS is notable for its central location as the only university with its main campuses within the Sydney CBD...
. His work has included satirical writing and presenting for Australian radio, as well as the hosting of Brink, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
TV series.
Voice career
Zepps was cast as the voice of "Olly the KookaburraKookaburra
Kookaburras are terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea. They are large to very large, with a total length of . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, and is onomatopoeic of its call...
", one of three mascots in the Sydney Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. After leaving the university in 2000, Zepps was hired as a script assistant on BackBerner
BackBerner
BackBerner was an Australian political satire sketch comedy television series, broadcast on and produced by ABC TV with Crackerjack Productions. The program was hosted by stand up comic Peter Berner and noted Australian character actor Louise Siversen...
, a comedy television series. He also worked in the production of 2SM
2SM
2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, New South Wales, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group...
and 2GB
2GB
2GB is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia broadcasting on 873 kHz, AM. It is one of Australia's most popular talk-back radio stations, and is the number one station in Sydney.-History:The station commenced broadcasting in August 1926...
, two Australian radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s. In 2003, Zepps was hired by Mike Carlton
Mike Carlton
Mike Carlton is an Australian media commentator and broadcaster. He formerly co-hosted the daily breakfast program on Sydney radio station 2UE with Peter FitzSimons and later Sandy Aloisi. He is a columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald, having been sacked from the position on 29 August 2008, for...
of 2UE
2UE
2UE is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia owned by Fairfax Media. It is Sydney's and Australia's oldest commercial radio station, first broadcasting on 26 January 1925 on 1025 kHz AM before moving to 950 kHz in 1935 when virtually all Australian radio stations were assigned new...
, a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia. Zepps developed a radio soliloquy
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a device often used in drama whereby a character relates his or her thoughts and feelings to him/herself and to the audience without addressing any of the other characters, and is delivered often when they are alone or think they are alone. Soliloquy is distinct from monologue and...
for 2UE called "John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
's Diary", in which he made a weekly impersonation of the Australian Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
's thoughts on the past week's events. Zepps said to The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
in 2003 that "if John Howard wasn't in power, it's entirely possible my life would be going in a completely different direction". After John Howard was defeated in the 2007 Australian federal election, Zepp's radio spoof became "Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
's Diary", a satire of the new Prime Minister in the same format. Zepps was the creator of Never Never Newsreel
Never Never Newsreel
The Never Never Newsreel was a weekly syndicated satirical radio sketch created by Australian satirist Josh Zepps that ran until June 2008. It was heard on Radio 2UE in Sydney and on syndicated stations across Australia....
, a weekly syndicated satirical radio sketch that ran until June 2008.
Brink
Beginning in 2008, Zepps was the host of the Science Channel's Brink, a news-style TV series which examined breakthroughs in technologyTechnology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and discovery
Discovery (observation)
Discovery is the act of detecting something new, or something "old" that had been unknown. With reference to science and academic disciplines, discovery is the observation of new phenomena, new actions, or new events and providing new reasoning to explain the knowledge gathered through such...
. The series ended the following year.
External links
- John Zepps Profile at the Science Channel