Craig Reucassel
Craig Reucassel | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1976 South Africa |
| Occupation(s) | Comedian, television presenter, radio presenter |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Known for | Member of The Chaser, host of ABC Radio Sydney Breakfast program, The Chaser's War on Everything, Balls of Steel Australia, The Checkout, War on Waste |
Craig Bruce Reucassel is an Australian comedian and presenter known for his work on radio and television, currently anchoring the Breakfast program on ABC Radio Sydney. He was among the founding members of the satirical ensemble, The Chaser.
Early life
Originally from South Africa, Reucassel relocated with his family to Adelaide during his early childhood. His education began at Semaphore Park Primary School before moving to the Southern Highlands, where he attended Bowral Public School followed by Bowral High School.
He completed a Bachelor of Economics (Social Science) in 1999 and later obtained a Bachelor of Laws in 2002, both from the University of Sydney. While studying, he took leadership roles in the arts revue and canoe club, served as editor of the student publication Honi Soit, and participated in international debating and law mooting contests. His team secured victory in the Australian stage of the 2000 Philip C. Jessup Cup. He graduated alongside fellow members of The Chaser, including Julian Morrow, Dominic Knight, and Chas Licciardello.
Triple J
During 2004 and 2005, Reucassel co-hosted the drive-time radio program "Today Today" on Triple J with fellow Chaser Chris Taylor. Their collaboration continued with the Sunday afternoon show "Bloody Sunday", and they returned for guest hosting in mid-2006 as well as over the 2006–07 summer period, highlighting their enduring popularity across various radio formats.
The Chaser's War on Everything
As an original member of The Chaser team, Reucassel contributed to their print publication and several ABC television projects including "The Election Chaser", "CNNNN", "The Chaser Decides", culminating in the acclaimed series "The Chaser's War on Everything". He appeared consistently from the pilot through the entire run of the show.
Renowned for his bold comedic interactions, Reucassel frequently confronted public figures such as former Prime Minister John Howard, famously staging a stunt involving an axe during Howard’s morning walk. His personal life includes his wife Keisha and their three children; their son Ollie has made occasional appearances in sketches featured on "The War."
Speedos incident
On 19 March 2007, amid campaigning for the New South Wales State Election, Reucassel humorously approached opposition leader Peter Debnam wearing only Speedos and a baseball cap, parodying Debnam’s own swimwear promotional appearances. As cameras captured the moment, Reucassel remarked, "Sorry, I'm not Peter Debnam, he's over there. Just because I'm wearing this doesn't mean I'm Peter Debnam." Although he attempted to engage Debnam with a handshake, the opposition leader chose not to respond.
The axe stunt
On 2 August 2006, Reucassel challenged security protocols by approaching Prime Minister John Howard during a morning walk while brandishing a large plastic battle axe, requesting a hug—which Howard granted. A subsequent attempt involving a running chainsaw was unsuccessful amid discussions about safety concerns. An intermediate stunt featuring a four-point-star mace was filmed but ultimately omitted from the final broadcast.
Television career
Reucassel took on hosting duties for the Australian version of Balls of Steel in April 2011.
Beginning in 2013, he, alongside fellow Chaser member Julian Morrow, served as a principal presenter on ABC's consumer advocacy show "The Checkout," which aims to reveal unethical practices within the business sector.
In 2017, he fronted the four-episode ABC series "War on Waste," which brought attention to Australia's challenges with clothing and food waste while advocating for sustainable habits.
The subsequent 2018 series, "Fight For Planet A: Our Climate Challenge," concentrated on the environmental consequences of single-use plastics and promoted environmentally responsible behaviors.
By 2019, Reucassel had joined ABC TV's The Drum as a presenter.
He made his directorial debut with the two-part 2021 ABC documentary "Big Deal," an inquiry into the effects of lobbying and political donations in Australia, hosted by Christiaan Van Vuuren.
Other work
In 2012, Reucassel acted as a patron for the Left Right Think-Tank, recognized as Australia's inaugural independent and non-partisan youth-focused think-tank.
Since 2024, he has been hosting the Breakfast program on ABC Radio Sydney.
Television
- CNNN – (2002–2003)
- The Panel – (3 episodes) (2003, 04, 07)
- The Chaser's War on Everything – (2006–2009)
- Spy Shop – (1 episode) (2007)
- Good News Week – (3 episodes) (2008–10)
- Q&A – (3 episodes) (2008–11)
- Top Gear Australia – (1 episode) (2010)
- Balls of Steel Australia – (20 episodes – Host) (2011–2012)
- You Have Been Watching – (1 episode) (2011)
- The Joy of Sets – (1 episode) (2011)
- The Silic & Lee Show at the Logies: Red Carpet Special 2012 – (1 episode) (2012)
- The Checkout – (2013–2018)
- War on Waste – series (2017–2023)
- Fight for Planet A – series (2020)
- Big Weather (and how to survive it) – series (2020)
- Big Deal – two-part documentary exploring political lobbying practices (2021). Presented by Christiaan Van Vuuren, this project marked Reucassel's first role as director.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1976 births
- The Chaser members
- Australian television writers
- Australian television personalities
- Triple J announcers
- Australian male comedians
- Australian people of South African descent
- Comedians from Adelaide
- Living people
- Sydney Law School alumni
- Australian male television writers
- South African emigrants to Australia
- ABC radio (Australia) journalists and presenters
- University of Sydney alumni