Andrew Denton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andrew Denton
Denton in 2004
Born	(1960-05-04) 4 May 1960 (age 65) Sydney, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Occupation	Television presenter producer writer radio personality comedian
Spouse(s)	Jennifer Byrne

Andrew Christopher Denton, born on May 4, 1960, is a well-known Australian TV producer, comedian, and presenter. He has hosted popular shows like Enough Rope and Randling on the ABC. Denton is famous for his funny style and his unique way of interviewing people. He also helped introduce the comedy group The Chaser to Australian audiences.

Early Life and Education

Andrew Denton is the son of Kit Denton, a writer known for his novel The Breaker. Andrew went to primary school in Sydney. Later, he attended Blue Mountains Grammar School and Guildford Grammar School. In 1982, he finished his studies at Mitchell College of Advanced Education. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. During his college years, he was active at the campus radio station, 2MCE.

Andrew Denton's Career Journey

Starting in Radio

Denton began his media career working in Australian radio. He started as a writer for radio host Doug Mulray at Triple M Sydney. He also got involved early in the Theatresports movement in Sydney. Later, Denton hosted a morning radio show for Triple M in Sydney. His show included a reality program called House From Hell. In this show, contestants lived together and faced different stunts.

Television Shows and Success

Denton first appeared on TV as an extra in the ABC series The Investigators. He then joined a team that placed second in the comedy show Theatresports in 1987.

From 1988 to 1995, he hosted several TV shows on ABC-TV. These included Blah Blah Blah (1988), The Money or the Gun (1989–1990), and Live and Sweaty (1991–1995). He also hosted a comedy talk show called Denton (1994–1995) on the Seven Network. Most of these shows were talk-based. Live and Sweaty was a sports show with a panel of guests.

On The Money or the Gun, Denton had a fun tradition. Each week, a different musical guest would perform a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". They would play it in their own unique musical style. Later, on his show Denton, the actual musicians from Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, performed a Rolf Harris song.

Denton also started a segment called "Musical Challenge." Here, musical guests had to perform a song chosen from a barrel. This idea led to three albums being released on CD. These albums were titled Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge. They featured artists like Tina Arena singing Cold Chisel's "Cheap Wine" and The Wiggles singing AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top".

In the early 1990s, Denton was the first guest programmer for the music video show Rage. He also appeared as a contestant on the game show Sale of the Century.

In 2003, Denton started hosting Enough Rope with Andrew Denton. He was also an executive producer for ABC shows like The Election Chaser and CNNNN. People really liked and recognized Denton on Australian television. Enough Rope finished in late 2008. In 2003, Denton also narrated the animated documentary series Human Contraptions.

When asked about being a good interviewer, Denton said it's important to do your research. He also stressed the importance of listening carefully. He believes you should be open to the interview going in unexpected ways.

In 2009, Denton hosted the second season of Elders. This series featured interviews with famous older Australians. After this, Denton spent a few years working behind the scenes. In 2012, he returned to hosting the ABC game show, Randling.

In 2014, Denton appeared on the SBS TV show Who Do You Think You Are?. On this show, he traced his family history. He found out his Jewish family line came from Poland. He visited the Treblinka extermination camp and thought about what might have happened if his grandfather had not moved to England.

In 2018, Denton hosted Interview for the Seven Network.

Documentary Films

Denton's first full-length documentary film was God on My Side. It showed his visit to a convention for religious broadcasters. The film was first shown at the Sydney Film Festival in June 2006. It later played in Australian cinemas. Denton has stated that he is not against Christianity.

In 2011, Denton was an executive producer for the horror film The Tunnel. This film was funded by many people. It was made with Denton's production company, Zapruder's Other Films.

Stage Performances

Denton has also performed on stage. He played Malcolm Turnbull in a play called A Royal Commission into the Australian Economy. He also took part in the early years of the ABC's World Series Debating.

Behind the Scenes: Production Company

Zapruder's Other Films is a production company that Denton co-founded in 1989. The company was named after Abraham Zapruder, who filmed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This company produced many well-known TV shows, including:

• CNNNN (2002–2003)
• Enough Rope (2003–2008)
• The Gruen Transfer (2008–present)
• Elders (2008–2009)
• Hungry Beast (2009–2011)
• Randling (2012)

In 2012, Zapruder's Other Films joined with another company to form CJZ. In 2013, Denton sold his share of the company. At the same time, he announced he was taking a break from television.

Writing and Literature

Denton joined writer Tony Horwitz for parts of his research for the book Spying on the South. Denton is even a character in the story of the book.

Andrew Denton's Personal Life

Andrew Denton lives in Sydney with his wife, TV presenter Jennifer Byrne. They have a son together. In 2017, Denton was diagnosed with a heart condition. He had successful surgery to fix it. He is a supporter of the South Sydney Rabbitohs sports team. Denton is also an atheist.

Discography

Compilation Albums

Singles

Awards and Nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are yearly awards given by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). They celebrate great music in Australia.

Logie Awards

Andrew Denton has been involved with the Logie Awards since the 1990s. He even hosted the awards ceremony in 1999 and 2000. Denton was nominated for several Logie awards, including:

• The Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 2008 and 2009 for Enough Rope.
• "Most Popular Light Entertainment Personality" in 1994 and 1995 for Live and Sweaty and Denton.
• "Most Popular Comedy Personality" in 1996 for Denton.
• "Most Popular Presenter" in 2005, 2008, and 2009 for Enough Rope.

See also

In Spanish: Andrew Denton para niños