Craig Reucassel

Craig Bruce Reucassel is an Australian
radio and television presenter and comedian. He is currently the presenter of Breakfast on ABC Radio Sydney.

He was an original member of the satirical team, The Chaser.

Early life

Reucassel was born in South Africa and moved to Adelaide at a young age with his parents. There, he attended Semaphore Park Primary School. The family relocated to the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, and Reucassel attended Bowral Public School and Bowral High School.

Reucassel attended the University of Sydney, and completed a Bachelor of Economics (Social Science) degree in 1999 and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2002. Reucassel ran the arts revue and the canoe club, and was an editor of the student newspaper ''Honi Soit''. He also debated at several World Universities Debating Championships, ranking 30th in the World at Manila in 1999 and 167th in Glasgow in 2001. In 2000, he competed in the Philip C. Jessup Cup international law mooting competition, his team winning the Australian rounds. He graduated from the Sydney Law School, along with Chaser colleagues Julian Morrow, Dominic Knight and Chas Licciardello.

Triple J

In 2004 and 2005, Reucassel embarked on a radio journey, co-hosting the drive-time show "Today Today" on Triple J alongside his fellow Chaser, Chris Taylor.

Following their successful stint on drive-time radio, Reucassel and Taylor reunited for their Sunday afternoon show, "Bloody Sunday," which saw them return for relief shifts in mid-2006 and during the summer of 2006–07. This return to the airwaves demonstrated their enduring appeal and ability to captivate audiences across different time slots and formats.

''The Chaser's War on Everything''

Reucassel played a pivotal role as a founding member of the acclaimed satirical group, The Chaser team. His contributions extended across various media platforms, including their satirical newspaper and several television programs aired on ABC TV. Notable among these were "The Election Chaser," "CNNNN," "The Chaser Decides," and "The Chaser's War on Everything."

Reucassel's involvement with "The War" has been significant, spanning from its pilot episode to its subsequent successes. Additionally, his personal life includes a partnership with his wife Keisha, with whom he shares three children. Interestingly, their son Ollie has even made appearances in sketches featured on "The War."

Known for his daring and humorous confrontations, Reucassel was often the chosen one to engage with prominent figures, such as former Prime Minister John Howard. One particularly memorable encounter involved an axe stunt during one of Howard's morning walks.

Speedos incident

On March 19, 2007, an incident unfolded during a campaign event for the New South Wales State Election involving the then opposition leader, Peter Debnam, and the comedic antics of Craig Bruce Reucassel. Dressed in nothing but Speedos and a baseball cap, Reucassel humorously parodied Debnam's penchant for campaign appearances in swimwear.

As TV cameras shifted their focus to Reucassel rather than Debnam, the comedian seized the opportunity to inject humor into the situation, quipping, "Sorry, I'm not Peter Debnam, he's over there. Just because I'm wearing this doesn't mean I'm Peter Debnam." Despite his comedic efforts, Reucassel's attempts to elicit a response from the opposition leader were met with silence, and even his gesture to shake Debnam's hand went unnoticed.

The axe stunt

On 2 August 2006, Reucassel responded to a news story about a private school student who had hugged then-Prime Minister John Howard while holding a screwdriver during one of Howard's morning walks. To test the Prime Minister's security arrangements, he approached Howard during a morning walk and asked for a hug while holding a large plastic battle axe. Reucassel did receive the hug, but a later approach while holding a running chainsaw was not so successful. There was much debate surrounding whether to turn on the chainsaw and whether they would be shot at for doing this. Cut out from this segment was an unsuccessful attempt that took place between the axe and the chainsaw, in which Reucassel was holding a four-point-star mace.

Television career

One of his notable hosting roles was on the Australian adaptation of ''Balls of Steel'', which premiered in April 2011.

Since 2013, Reucassel, alongside fellow Chaser member Julian Morrow, has been a main presenter on the ABC program "The Checkout." This show delves into consumer rights and exposes unethical business practices, empowering viewers with valuable information about their purchases.

In 2017, Reucassel embarked on a significant environmental initiative with the four-part ABC TV series "War on Waste." This groundbreaking program shed light on Australia's alarming rates of clothing and food waste, highlighting their environmental consequences and advocating for sustainable solutions.

Following the success of "War on Waste," Reucassel continued his environmental advocacy with the 2018 series "Fight For Planet A: Our Climate Challenge." This installment focused on the detrimental impact of single-use plastics, such as straws, on the environment, urging viewers to adopt eco-friendly practices.

In 2019, he began acting as one of the hosts of The Drum on ABC TV.

Reucassel ventured into directing with the two-part ABC TV series "Big Deal" in 2021. This investigative program, hosted by actor Christiaan Van Vuuren, explored the influence of lobbying and donations on Australia's political landscape.

Other work

In 2012, Reucassel was a patron of the Left Right Think-Tank, Australia's first independent and non-partisan youth think-tank.

Since 2024, Reucassel has been presenting Breakfast on ABC Radio Sydney.

Television

*'' CNNN'' – (2002–2003)
*'' The Panel'' – (3 episodes) (2003, 04, 07)
*''The Chaser's War on Everything -'' (2006–2009)
*''Spy Shop'' – (1 episode) (2007)
*''Good News Week'' – (3 episodes) (2008–10)
*'' Q&A'' – (3 episodes) (2008–11)
*''Top Gear Australia'' – (1 episode) (2010)
*''Balls of Steel Australia'' – (20 episodes – Host) (2011–2012)
*''You Have Been Watching'' – (1 episode) (2011)
*''The Joy of Sets'' – (1 episode) (2011)
*''The Silic & Lee Show at the Logies: Red Carpet Special 2012'' – (1 episode) (2012)
*''The Checkout'' – (2013–2018)
*''War on Waste'' – series (2017–2023)
*''Fight for Planet A'' – series (2020)
*''Big Weather (and how to survive it)'' – series (2020)
*''Big Deal'' – two-part documentary series on the political lobbying industry (2021). Presented by Christiaan Van Vuuren, this was Reucassel's directorial debut.

References

External links

*
August 2006 ''Sydney Morning Herald'' article

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reucassel, Craig
1976 births
The Chaser members
Australian television writers
Australian television personalities
Triple J announcers
Australian male comedians
Australian people of South African descent
Comedians from Adelaide
Living people
Sydney Law School alumni
Australian male television writers
South African emigrants to Australia
Australian radio presenters
University of Sydney alumni