Doug Mulray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doug Mulray
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|---|---|
| Born |
Douglas John Mulray
1 December 1951 Sydney, New South Wales Australia
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| Died | 30 March 2023 (aged 71) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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| Other names | Uncle Doug |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1975–2019 |
Douglas John Mulray (born December 1, 1951 – died March 30, 2023) was a famous Australian comedian, radio, and television host. People often called him Uncle Doug. He grew up in Dee Why, a suburb in Sydney's Northern Beaches. Doug Mulray was known for his funny and cheeky personality. He loved to make jokes, create funny parodies, and be a bit mischievous on air.
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Doug Mulray's Radio Career
Doug Mulray started his career in radio after his father, a lawyer, suggested it. He began at a station called 2AD in Armidale in September 1975. After a few months, he moved to 2GO in Gosford. He also worked in Melbourne on 3AW for a short time.
Becoming a Radio Star
In the late 1970s, Doug got a job in Sydney at a new station called 2JJ, which later became Triple J. Here, he became very popular. In 1982, he moved to another new station, Triple M. As the breakfast show host, he made the station's audience grow a lot! Their ratings went from 2.6 percent to an amazing 18 percent.
Doug was famous for creating funny characters on his show. These included:
- Madam Zenda, who made silly predictions about the future.
- Jack Africa, a man who was always worried that chickens were after him.
- The Prime Mincer, a funny take on the Australian Prime Minister at the time, Bob Hawke.
- Gloria, who was based on another radio host, Alan Jones.
Doug also brought other talented people to his show, like Andrew Denton. Andrew Denton was the head writer and saw Doug as a mentor. Denton said that Doug Mulray was the first person to make an FM radio station number one, beating the older AM stations.
Later Radio Work
After leaving Triple M, Doug worked for a short time at 2SM and then at 2WS. He left 2WS in July 1999. While he didn't reach the same high ratings he had at Triple M, his breakfast show was still considered one of the best Australian FM breakfast shows of all time in 2014.
Doug Mulray's Television Career
In 1992, Doug hosted a TV show called Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos. It was a spin-off of Australia's Funniest Home Videos. However, the show was stopped by the owner of Nine Network, Kerry Packer, just halfway through its first episode. The show was considered too cheeky for TV. Doug Mulray was then let go from the Nine Network. The show's time slot was replaced with episodes of the American TV show Cheers.
Returning to TV
Even after this, Doug returned to the Nine Network in 2002 for a special event. He even made a subtle joke about his past ban while Kerry Packer was in the audience! In 2005, he was also a judge on the TV series StarStruck.
Doug also hosted his own show called Mulray on the Seven Network in the early 1990s. He was also part of the commentary team for car racing events like the Australian Touring Car Championship and Bathurst 1000 for Channel Seven.
In 2008, Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos was shown again on the Nine Network. Doug Mulray chose not to host it again.
Honours and Awards
In 2009, Doug Mulray was recognized for his great work in radio. He was added to the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame.
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards celebrate the best music in Australia.
| Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Nice Legs Shame About the Fez | Best Comedy Release | Nominated |
Personal Life and Passing
Doug Mulray was married to Lizzie Muir. He passed away in Sydney on March 30, 2023, at the age of 71. He had liver cancer. Many radio and media personalities, including Andrew Denton, shared their tributes and memories of him.
Music Albums
Doug Mulray also released comedy albums.
Studio Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS |
||
| What a Rude Album (with Ken Sterling) |
|
22 |
| 2 Rude (with Ken Sterling) |
|
24 |
| Nice Legs Shame About the Fez |
|
32 |
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS |
|||
| "I'm a Punk" / "Doug's Dub" (as The Rude Band) |
1982 | — | What a Rude Album |
| "You Are Soul" | 1986 | 34 | non-album single |
| "Werewolf" | 1993 | 77 |
Film and TV Appearances
Doug Mulray also worked as a producer and director, and appeared in various TV shows and documentaries.
As Producer / Director
- 2004 – Kurt Elling: Live at the Basement (TV Movie documentary) (executive producer)
- 2003 – Steve Poltz: Live at the Basement (Video documentary) (executive producer)
- 2000 – The Basement (TV Series) (director, also executive producer of one episode)
- 2000 – The Breakfast Show (executive producer)
As Actor
- 1980 – Making Weekend of Summer Last – Narrator
As Himself
- 1989 – 60 Minutes Episode dated 29 April 1989 (TV Series)
- 1992 – Australia's Funniest Home Videos (TV Series)
- 1992 – Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos (TV Series)
- 1994 – Mulray (TV Series)
- 1996 – Beauty and the Beast (TV Series)
- 2000 – The Basement (TV Series)
- 2002 – The Fat Episode #5.2 (TV Series)
- 2005 – Starstruck (TV Series)
- 2007 – Getaway 15th Birthday Special (TV Series)
