Charlie Pickering

Early life and education

Charlie Pickering was born in Melbourne on 29 August 1977.

He attended St Leonard's College and Brighton Grammar School.

He graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American History and a Bachelor of Laws degree.

Career

Early career

Pickering first worked as a lawyer.

He appeared with the sketch comedy group Enter the Datsun in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) in 1998, 1999, and 2002. He had left his job as a lawyer by 2002, when he appeared in MICF with Michael Chamberlin in Boiling Point, a show which earned them the Piece of Wood Award. In 2003, Pickering and Chamberlin teamed up again in Boiling Point 2, the pair also appearing the same year with fellow comedian Terri Psiakis in Equal Third.

In 2004, Pickering appeared in Revolver. In 2005, Pickering launched Betterman at the MICF, a show he went on to tour in New Zealand where he won the Best International Act in the New Zealand Comedy Guild Awards, and also at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where he was nominated for the Perrier Award's Best Newcomer. In 2006 he presented his show Auto at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, receiving a nomination for the Barry Award. For the April 2013 Melbourne International Comedy festival, he co-hosted with Waleed Aly a series of shows titled The World's Problems Solved.

Television

In 2008, Pickering co-hosted a show with Michael Chamberlin on The Comedy Channel called The Mansion. The series ran for 13 episodes. Pickering hosted season 3 of Channel V's travelling game show, Cash Cab. From 2009 to 2012, he was a team captain on Network Ten's quiz show Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation, representing Generation X.

In July 2009, he became a co-host on Network Ten's infotainment program, The Project, with Carrie Bickmore and Dave Hughes. On 12 March 2014, Pickering announced that he was leaving The Project, and in April 2015 he started hosting a weekly comedy/news satire program on ABC entitled The Weekly with Charlie Pickering.

In 2018, Pickering hosted Tomorrow Tonight on the ABC with Annabel Crabb.

Other television appearances include Rove Live, The Glass House, Today, Stand Up! (ABC), The 2006 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala (Network Ten), @Seven, The Project, Hughesy, We Have a Problem, Show Me the Movie!, Celebrity Name Game and Would I Lie to You? Australia. In 2025 he appeared as a contestant on Claire Hooper's House Of Games.

Radio

Pickering has also worked in Australian radio, including youth radio station Triple J from 2001 to 2003. He was a pundit on Fighting Talk on BBC Radio 5 Live in 2006 and 2007.

In December 2022, ABC announced that Pickering would host ABC Radio Melbourne's Breakfast program on Fridays from January 2023, while Sammy J would be hosting the Monday through Thursday shows. He remained in the position until December 2023 as it was announced that Sammy J would return to hosting Breakfast five days a week.

He began hosting the program Thank God It's Friday on ABC Radio Melbourne, ABC Radio Sydney and ABC Radio National stations after Richard Glover retired at the end of 2024.

Publications

Pickering published his first book, Impractical Jokes, in 2010.

Personal life

Pickering married Sarah Krasnostein and they have two children. He converted to Judaism in 2013.

Political views

When co-hosting The Project, Pickering said that he had voted Liberal once.

New Matilda described The Weekly with Charlie Pickering as "a satirical news program with a progressive bent". On the program, Pickering has used his editorials to support halal certification and gay marriage, and to speak out against the detention of asylum seekers.

He has been a strong critic of the Catholic Church. In June 2018 he denounced the Catholic seal of the confessional, and in March 2019, he ridiculed people who questioned the guilt of Cardinal George Pell in a segment of The Weekly he called "The Pedo Files".

Bibliography

• Pickering, Charlie. Impractical Jokes, Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 2010,

References

References

1. (29 August 2016). "Today's Birthday Charlie Pickering". Shepparton News.
2. Safran, John. (2015-04-09). "Chasing Charlie Pickering".
3. "AusStage".
4. Smith, Rohan. (2015-04-24). "These people are funnier AND smarter than you".
5. (2002-04-17). "Sharp satire stays on the boil".
6. "Melbourne International Comedy Festival".
7. Low, Lenny Ann. (2006-03-24). "Charlie Pickering: Betterman".
8. (2003-04-03). "Radio stars on stage".
9. (2004-04-01). "Trip through time with a young love".
10. Harford, Sonia. (2013-04-01). "World peace? It's in the to-do tank".
11. (2008-06-19). "Big house hilarity".
12. Blackiston, Hannah. (2019-04-23). "Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation to return May 1".
13. (2017-10-11). "Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation is back — with a controversial change".
14. (14 June 2009). "Ten on its new daily show: 'It's not The Daily Show'". Mumbrella.
15. Davidson, Helen. (2014-03-12). "Charlie Pickering quits The Project". The Guardian.
16. Kalina, Paul. (2015-04-15). "The Project: Charlie Pickering reveals internal fighting behind exit".
17. "Charlie Pickering - Token Artists Management".
18. "Claire Hooper's House Of Games: Series 1". iview.abc.net.au.
19. (2022-12-09). "Charlie Pickering to present Friday Breakfast on ABC Radio Melbourne". ABC News.
20. Jaspan, Calum. (2023-12-06). "Ali Moore lands full-time Drive gig as ABC Melbourne locks in 2024 line-up".
21. (2 December 2024). "Chris Bath and Charlie Pickering join ABC Radio Sydney in 2025". About the ABC.
22. Ziffer, Daniel. (2007-04-16). "Charlie Pickering: Impractical Jokes".
23. (12 March 2014). "Charlie Pickering announces he is leaving The Project". [[News Corporation (1980–2013).
24. (8 August 2023). "Charlie Pickering: From chasing the corner office to taking centre stage". ABC News Australia.
25. [https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/charlie-pickering-says-goodbye-to-channel-tens-the-project-as-cohost-carrie-bickmore-weeps/news-story/5d449f223e53fc522ab0ce535a52be17 Charlie Pickering says goodbye to Channel Ten's The Project as co-host Carrie Bickmore weeps] {{Webarchive. link. (23 June 2018 ; April 8, 2014)
26. [https://newmatilda.com/2015/08/26/our-leaders-biggest-threat-isnt-boats-its-us-charlie-pickering-takes-australias-refugee/ To Our Leaders The Biggest Threat Isn't Boats, It's Us: Charlie Pickering Takes On Australia's Refugee Policy] {{Webarchive. link. (23 June 2018 ; newmatilda.com; August 26, 2018)
27. [https://www.mamamia.com.au/charlie-pickering-marraige-equality/ Charlie Pickering just obliterated Tony Abbott’s opposition to same-sex marriage] {{Webarchive. link. (23 June 2018 ; www.mamamia.com; May 28, 2015)
28. [https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/charlie-pickering-takes-on-government-secrecy-surrounding-offshore-detention/ Charlie Pickering Takes On Government Secrecy Surrounding Offshore Detention]; www.pedestrian.tv; August 27, 2018
29. [https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/current-affairs/charlie-pickering-skewers-catholic-church-on-tv/news-story/2d492257ab18e13aa684461654888180 Charlie Pickering skewers Catholic Church on TV]; news.com.au; June 21, 2018
30. ''Cardinal George Pell sentenced''; The Weekly with Charlie Pickering: Episode 1, 2019