Red Symons
Redmond Symons | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 13, 1949 England |
| Occupation(s) | Artist, musician, media personality, radio host, television personality |
| Years active | 1970s–2017 |
| Known for | Lead guitarist for Skyhooks; judge on 'Red Faces' and Australia's Got Talent; host of ABC Radio Melbourne breakfast program |
| Notable work | Skyhooks, Hey Hey It's Saturday, Australia's Got Talent, ABC Radio Melbourne breakfast program |
Redmond Symons (born 13 June 1949) is an Australian artist and media figure. He gained recognition as the lead guitarist for the band Skyhooks, became known for his role as the sharp-tongued judge on 'Red Faces' from the variety program Hey Hey It's Saturday, and served as a judge on Australia's Got Talent. From 2003 to 2017, Symons was the host of the breakfast program on ABC Radio Melbourne.
Early life and education
Symons was born in England and relocated to Australia at the age of nine in 1958. His schooling included Emerald Primary School, Monbulk High School, Upwey High School, and later the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Queen's College. He completed a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in pure mathematics and computer science.
Music
Following university, Symons became the guitarist for the Australian rock group Skyhooks during the 1970s. He also took on the role of musical director for theatrical companies such as The Pram Factory, a prominent Melbourne theatre collective. Throughout his music career, Symons released three solo singles: "It's Only a Flipside" (EMI 1976), "The Big Time" (Mushroom 1987), and "Sex Appeal" (Mushroom 1988); however, none reached the top 100 charts in Australia.
Television
In 1985, Symons made a guest appearance on Neighbours portraying Gordon Miller, a criminal character and former spouse of Terry Robinson.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he maintained a presence both as a performer in the house band and an on-screen personality on Hey Hey It's Saturday, while also composing music for television series such as Blue Heelers and creating commercial jingles.
Between 1992 and 1995, he served as the narrator for The Rocky Horror Show during tours across Australia and Singapore.
Symons was featured on the Australian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2003, becoming the first celebrity contestant in Australia to reach the $500,000 question. He ultimately left with $16,000 designated for charity after incorrectly answering the final query.
From 2001 through 2011, he appeared in promotional campaigns for Thrifty-Link Hardware.
In 2002, Symons hosted Nine Network’s game show Shafted, which was cancelled within months. He subsequently competed on Celebrity Big Brother.
His television persona is characterized by sharp wit and sarcasm, particularly evident during his judging duties on 'Red Faces'. On Test Australia: The National IQ Test, he achieved an IQ score of 131, surpassing other celebrity participants.
In October 2005, Symons and his wife Elly won 'Celebrity Couples Great Temptation', with Elly performing strongly in the fast money segment. That same year, he secured third place in Network Ten’s Australia's Brainiest Comedian contest.
Symons joined Channel Seven’s panel of judges on Australia's Got Talent in 2007 alongside Dannii Minogue and Tom Burlinson, remaining until 2009 when Brian McFadden took over his position.
In August 2008, he appeared on a celebrity edition of Deal or No Deal, winning $4,000 for a home viewer. Additionally, he was a frequent contributor to ABC TV’s quiz program The Einstein Factor as part of its brains trust.
He took part in both Hey Hey Reunion Specials in 2009 and returned for the show's revival in 2010.
Symons made another appearance on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in February 2021, walking away with $1,000 after missing his tenth question regarding the etymology of the term 'entrepreneur'.
Radio career
Symons initially contributed as a weekly host on the breakfast show of ABC Radio Melbourne, before assuming the role permanently in 2003.
In June 2017, he conducted an interview with fellow ABC presenter Beverley Wang regarding her podcast It's Not a Race. The conversation featured contentious questions and remarks that appeared to justify a previous "blackface" sketch from Hey Hey It's Saturday. Following public backlash, the ABC removed the segment and issued an apology for its airing.
In December 2017, Symons declared his exit from the breakfast program at ABC Radio Melbourne after the network decided against renewing his contract.
Personal life
Symons wed Elly Agrotis in 1990, and together they had three sons: Samuel, Raphael, and Joel. A February 2010 episode of Australian Story documented Samuel’s fifteen-year fight against cancer, which was honored with a silver medal at the 2011 New York Festivals and received the 2010 Quill award from the Melbourne Press Club for Best Current Affairs Feature. Samuel passed away at age 27 on 3 October 2018 due to aggressive brain cancer.