Marc Fennell
Marc Fennell | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Technology journalist, television presenter, radio broadcaster, author |
| Known for | Host of The Feed, Mastermind, Stuff the British Stole; presenter of Download This Show |
Marc Fennell is a prominent Australian figure in technology journalism, television hosting, radio broadcasting, and authorship. Recognized for his role as co-host on The Feed, he currently leads the television quiz show Mastermind and the radio and TV program Stuff the British Stole as of November 2023. Additionally, he was the presenter of the radio show Download This Show until 2025.
Early life and education
Fennell's heritage includes an Indian-Singaporean mother and an Anglo-Irish father.
He completed his Higher School Certificate in 2002 at St George Christian School.
Fennell enrolled at University of Technology Sydney but departed after just eight weeks to join SBS’s youth program The Movie Show.
Film critic
In 2002, Fennell earned first place in the inaugural AFI Young Film Critics Competition. Between 2003 and 2006, he worked as a film critic and reporter for Sydney’s FBi Radio.
He was among four hosts on SBS’s The Movie Show from mid-2004 until its suspension in June 2006. The series resumed in 2007 with a revamped format and new presenters.
Fennell contributed cinema coverage for the ABC Radio Network, including segments on ABC Local Radio and Triple J. From 2010 until the show ended in August 2012, he delivered the weekly movie feature on Network Ten’s The Circle.
He developed digital content focused on film culture, such as Bollywood For Beginners, a series exploring Bollywood history for SBS Television. He also co-produced Coming Sooner, a web series examining the development of movie trailers.
His published works include two books from HarperCollins: That Movie Book and Planet According to Movies.
Hungry Beast
Fennell served as presenter and reporter on ABC1’s Hungry Beast, which concentrated on digital media, popular culture, gaming, and technology topics. Selected by Denton, he was part of a nine-person team creating online content for Zapruder's Other Films. Before his time on Hungry Beast, Fennell collaborated with Dan Ilic to produce a YouTube parody of the Freeview launch, featured within their live comedy production Massage My Medium at the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Technology journalism
As host of ABC’s technology radio show Download This Show, Fennell covers subjects including social media trends, consumer tech gadgets, digital politics, hacktivism, and online privacy issues. The program broadcasts on Radio National, ABC Local Radio Digital, and across Asia Pacific through Radio Australia. He has also contributed technology segments for ABC News 24, appearing on programs such as News Exchange (now discontinued), The Drum, Weekend Breakfast, and the former Technology Quarter.
The Feed
From 2013 until its finale in 2022, Marc Fennell served as the host of SBS's current affairs series The Feed. In addition to co-hosting duties, his pre-recorded interviews with prominent figures in film and television became a defining element of the show. His investigative work on the theft of museum specimens earned him a Walkley Award in 2020.
India Now
In May 2022, Fennell took on the role of inaugural co-host for ABC’s weekly program India Now, created by the teams behind Planet America and China Tonight. Aimed at Australian viewers, the series explores news, culture, and politics from India and the surrounding region, presented by Australians of Indian descent. The show’s second season premiered in April 2023.
Podcasts
Fennell launched the podcast It Burns in 2019, which delves into the international competition to cultivate the hottest chili pepper. The following year, he produced Nut Jobs, an investigative series uncovering the $10 million theft of nuts in California. He also developed the podcast Stuff The British Stole, a collaboration between ABC and CBC, which later inspired a television adaptation broadcast in both Australia and Canada.
Documentaries
In 2021, Fennell presented Framed, a four-part documentary for SBS examining the theft of Picasso’s painting The Weeping Woman. He hosted the Australian edition of The School That Tried to End Racism for ABC and contributed reports to SBS’s international affairs program Dateline.
In 2023, he fronted The Kingdom, an SBS feature-length documentary investigating his former Pentecostal faith. The film focused on both achievements and controversies surrounding the Hillsong Church and highlighted the emergence of new megachurches across Australia. Later that year, Fennell led a three-part investigative series titled The Mission: The Strangest Art Heist You Never Heard Of, centered on art stolen in 1986 from Western Australia’s New Norcia Monastery.
Mastermind
Beginning in 2021, Fennell assumed hosting responsibilities for the Australian version of Mastermind, taking over from Jennifer Byrne. In 2025, he appeared as a contestant on Claire Hooper’s quiz show House Of Games.
Recognition and awards
In 2012, iTunes Australia recognized Download This Show as the top new podcast. The program has received multiple Best Audio Program awards at the Australian IT Journalism Awards (known as "The Lizzies") and was honored with Best Outlet in the 2023 Lizzies.
Personal life
Marc Fennell is married and has two children.