John-Michael Howson

John-Michael Howson
Born	(1936-08-08) August 8, 1936 Elwood, Victoria, Australia
Occupation(s)	Author, journalist, entertainer, radio presenter
Years active	1950s–2017
Known for	Writing and performing in Australian entertainment; radio presenting on 3AW; contributions to children's television series The Magic Circle Club and Adventure Island

John-Michael Howson (born 8 August 1936) is an Australian author, journalist, entertainer, and radio presenter based in Melbourne. His involvement in Australia's entertainment sector as a writer, producer, and performer extends over five decades.

Early life

Born on 8 August 1936 in Elwood, Victoria, Howson experienced his parents' separation during childhood. Subsequently, he relocated to Western Australia with his mother and stepfather, who was formerly a policeman and publican. He completed his education as a boarder at St Ildephonsus College in New Norcia.

Career

Howson’s professional journey commenced as a cadet journalist at Mildura’s Sunraysia Daily. Upon moving to Melbourne, he crafted sketches and songs for both amateur and professional ensembles before heading to London. There, he contributed to a men’s fashion publication covering European trends and penned comedy scripts for live revues, stand-up acts, and television shows, including the British program That Was The Week That Was.

In 1964, Howson received an invitation to develop topical content for Melbourne’s ATV-0, notably for The Ray Taylor Show. He became well-known for his contributions to the ATV-0 children’s fantasy series The Magic Circle Club (1965–67), portraying Fee Fee Bear (whose face remained hidden within the costume), and as Clown on the ABC’s Adventure Island (1967–72). Co-created alongside Godfrey Philipp, Howson authored the majority of scripts—five half-hour episodes weekly—and wrote lyrics for original songs typically composed by Bruce Rowland. Due to his demanding schedule, numerous Adventure Island scripts were typed behind the set.

Additionally, Howson wrote scripts and sketches for Graham Kennedy’s In Melbourne Tonight and The Mavis Bramston Show. His 1965 Bramston sketch titled "Flower arranging," which incorporated suggestive quotations from Constance Spry’s text through the Chief Censor (Gordon Chater), provoked nationwide debate and remains iconic in Australian television history.

Film and television acting

Howson appeared as a bellboy in the 1975 Australian film Alvin Rides Again. In 1976, George Stamkoski produced a documentary portrait of Howson called "Hollywood Hollywood," supported by the Australian Film Commission. That same year, Howson demonstrated his dramatic talents in the ABC adaptation of Frank Hardy’s Power Without Glory. He also took minor roles in the 1978 films The ABC of Love and Sex: Australia Style and John D. Lamond’s softcore film Felicity. Throughout the 1980s, he featured in Houseboat Horror, an Australian feature filmed on videotape that is frequently mentioned among the worst movies ever produced.

Theatrical productions

During the late 1960s, Howson broadened his scope to include writing scripts and lyrics for original Australian stage musicals in partnership with local composers. Early projects included Razza-ma-tazz (and all that Jazz), set against Melbourne’s pre-war red-light district backdrop, staged at Southland Theatre in 1968 with veteran actress Madeleine Orr. That year also saw him co-develop It happened in Tanjablanka, a spoof of 1940s Hollywood created with Peter Pinne and Don Battye. In 1972, Howson wrote What’s in a name, a piece confronting prejudice and intolerance that was performed at Melbourne’s St Paul’s Cathedral. The following year, he adapted Norman, Is That You? for Australian audiences, enjoying successful seasons in Melbourne and Sydney. This adaptation included a new title track co-written with composer Peter Best, which was released as a single by lead performer Bobby Limb.

Returning to stage musicals in the late 1990s, Howson shifted towards jukebox-style productions rather than original compositions. He co-wrote Shout! The Legend of The Wild One, centered on singer Johnny O'Keefe, with Melvyn Morrow and David Mitchell; it premiered in Melbourne during the early 2000s. The same creative team developed Dusty – The Original Pop Diva, focusing on Dusty Springfield, which debuted in Melbourne in 2006. In 2007, Howson collaborated with composer Jason Sprague on Hotel Havana. Other musicals include Pyjamas in Paradise, depicting teenage parties at Queensland’s Surfers Paradise, and Dream Lover, a jukebox musical about Bobby Darin.

Reporter

In the realm of entertainment journalism, Howson was widely recognized by the moniker "John-Michael 'Hollywood' Howson," a sobriquet bestowed upon him by Mike Walsh. He initially rose to prominence through appearances on The Mike Walsh Show and subsequently on The Midday Show with Ray Martin. His distinctive, flamboyant style and incisive celebrity critiques helped cement his reputation. Aspiring to further develop his writing career, Howson relocated to West Hollywood, yet maintained strong ties with Australian media by contributing to Network Ten's Good Morning Australia alongside Bert Newton and regularly appearing on 3AW until his termination in November 2017 following contentious comments.

Writer

Howson penned the memoir I Found It at the Flickers (1985), which offers insight into his Melbourne childhood and enduring love for film. Additionally, he authored two collections of horror tales: Once Upon a Nightmare: Ten Tales with a Twist (1998) and Deadly Dreams: Ten More Tales with Twist (2000), both released by Pan Macmillan.

Radio panelist

As a frequent contributor to 3AW's Sunday panel, Howson became known for his provocative remarks, including statements critical of Muslims that drew negative attention and were featured on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation program Media Watch in 2010. His conduct on air included a notable 2011 episode where he vocally condemned the Seven Network's coverage of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, during which he verbally abused fellow presenters.

In 2012, Howson faced a month-long suspension after making a Nazi-related insult directed at Julian Assange's mother, despite issuing an apology. Further controversy arose in 2016 when he used a disparaging term about African gangs, eliciting formal reprimand from 3AW's management.

His tenure ended in November 2017 following incendiary comments about climate activists that implied self-harm; this prompted an immediate apology and managerial intervention but ultimately led to his dismissal from 3AW, concluding his extensive radio career.

Honours

In recognition of his contributions as a writer and performer within the entertainment sector, Howson was awarded an Order of Australia Medal during the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Personal life

Residing initially in Melbourne's Balaclava neighborhood, Howson spent 17 years living in Los Angeles, where he obtained dual citizenship in the United States and Australia. Following the success of Shout, he returned to Melbourne in 2006. There, he lives with his Guatemalan partner Alfie and their three dogs. In recent years, Howson has openly discussed his homosexuality, a subject he had kept private previously due to his conservative Roman Catholic upbringing.

Community service

Howson serves as patron for both the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus and the annual St Francis's Day Blessing of Animals hosted by St James the Great.

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1974	Alvin Rides Again	Bell Boy
1978	The ABC of Love and Sex: Australia Style	Leatherman at orgy	Documentary
1978	Felicity	Adrian/lingerie salesman
1980	Nightmares	Bennett Collingwood	Released as Stage Fright in the US
1984	Second Time Lucky	Devil's Assistant
1989	Houseboat Horror	'J'	Direct-to-video release
1994	Muriel's Wedding	Himself	Uncredited appearance
2008	Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!	Himself	Documentary
2009	Remembering Nigel	Himself
2022	Pushing the Boundaries: The Mavis Bramston Show	Himself	Documentary

Television

Year	Title	Role	Remarks
1965–1967	Magic Circle Club	Fee Fee Bear	Also contributed as a writer
1967	Hey You!	Writer	Co-developed alongside Godfrey Philipp
1969	Sounds Like Us	Clown
1967–1972	Adventure Island	Clown and Golden Harp	Co-created with Godfrey Philipp and served as writer
1976	Power Without Glory	Fashion Designer	Television miniseries
1976–1983	The Don Lane Show	Himself	Multiple guest appearances
1978	Good Morning Sydney	Himself	Host, entertainment segment
1980	The Royal Charity Concert	Himself
1980	Catch Us If You Can	Himself	Television special
1981–1984	The Mike Walsh Show	Himself	Featured as entertainment reporter
1994	The Gordon Elliott Show	Himself
1997	Tracey Takes On...	Reg Redpath
2000	Russell Gilbert Live	Himself	Guest appearance
2001	Rove Live	Himself	Guest role
2004–2005	Good Morning Australia	Himself	Entertainment reporter contributions
2005–2011	20 to One	Himself	Media commentary role
2006	Bert's Family Feud	Himself	Participated as contestant, team leader, and audience member
2006	Spicks and Specks	Himself	Guest spot
2021	Studio 10	Himself	Guest appearance