Nine Network
A little more than 20 years ago, Andy Lee and Hamish Blake were helming their own TV show, Hamish & Andy. They were young 20-somethings who had reached a milestone many strive their entire careers for – and then it ended. After six weeks, the show was cancelled and the comedic duo were suddenly out in the cold.
Fast forward to today and it would seem none of it mattered, with Hamish and Andy going on to helm a national radio show, podcasts and multiple TV projects. But, at the time, Andy wasn’t sure what would happen next.
“That could’ve been the end of it but I’m glad it wasn’t,” Andy, 43, tells TV WEEK. “To be honest, I was a little relieved [it was axed]. It was a lot to take on at 21 and I was surprised they gave us our own show. There were parts we were super-proud of and others we didn’t like or weren’t old enough to talk about.
“At the time, we thought we’d do this forever and then, by the time we were 23, we were out of a job. But it was the best thing for our careers.”
For Andy, such lows have led to euphoric highs. The Hundred With Andy Lee, which sees a panel of comedians joined by 100 everyday Aussies via Zoom to dissect our habits, was born out of the global pandemic. With little human connection, the show allowed a cross-section of Australians to be part of something.
As Andy and regular panellists Sophie Monk and Mike Goldstein ready themselves for its eighth season, it’s clear the format is a certified hit.
“The fact that people share such amazing stories is why viewers love it,” Andy says. “We made a show about Australia and we must be arrogant that we just want to hear about ourselves!
“When the world is divided, to see how close we are is incredible. You can go from disagreeing with someone to realising you both look in the toilet before you flush!”
Anyone who uses Zoom can likely recall a horror story that involves microphones not being muted or cameras capturing unexpected content. The same happens while filming the show, Andy reveals.
“We’ve had someone fall asleep on air and we tried to wake him up. Or often someone’s pet has done something in the background,” he says.
“But here’s the scoop that could bring the whole franchise down: we actually have 110 people on the panel, 10 of which sit off-screen. So if someone’s [internet] connection goes down, it’s repopulated by a standby person. If you see a young surfer-looking dude replaced by a 78-year-old lady of Chinese descent, they didn’t morph, they’ve just been replaced!”
So what happens in the ad breaks with 100 people on Zoom? Not much, it turns out. “Most people reach for their phones, much like we do at home!” Andy spills.
It’s the everyman element of the show that works so well – also a polished trait of Andy’s brand. He taps into our human interests and finds a laugh in the every day. As such, it’s not surprising he’s been nominated four times for the public-voted TV WEEK Gold Logie Award.
In 2024, almost a decade on from his last nomination, Andy was surprised to be in the mix again. Only this time, it wasn’t for his work on a two-person series with Hamish but for his own show.
“I was shocked [to be nominated],” he says. “But I’ll add relief in there, too, that I still get to do what I’m doing. I don’t really follow awards or numbers that closely but the show is so much fun to make and people want to participate. So in that respect, it validates that you’re onto something good, and I’m proud of that.”
If Andy had any doubt about his clout in the Australian landscape, his off-set activities only enhance his prominence further. His popular children’s book series, Do Not Open This Book, is being adapted into TV series Do Not Watch This Show by the ABC, with a cast that includes some of the biggest names in Australian comedy, such as Dave Hughes, Denise Scott and Joel Creasey.
“Then we have other people pop in, like Hamish, Mick Molloy, Glenn Robbins, Chrissie Swan and Carrie Bickmore,” he adds. “It’s been a lot of fun.”
Away from work, Andy and his fiancée, Rebecca Harding, are preparing for their wedding while also renovating their historic Ravenswood property in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn.
“We’ve been engaged for about a year now and it’s exciting,” Andy says happily. “It’s a great period of time of a relationship to be in.”
Despite the stress of renovating, Andy insists he and Bec have “clear lines” to avoid any drama.
“I have zero style, so Bec works on that, while I love functionality,” he says. “So we have captains of our divisions, which makes our lives easier. I sometimes say to Bec, ‘I’m going to site today for a meeting about electrical work’ and she says, ‘No, thanks!’ So I know what she’s interested in.”
At the same time, Andy is commuting back and forth to New York, where he recently opened Australian pub Old Mates. Fellow investors include famous faces such as Hamish, professional surfer Mick Fanning, Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins, Aussie NBA player Patty Mills, former tennis ace Ash Barty and Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman.
“It’s a huge relief to have it open,” he says of the pub, adding that it was “slightly embarrassing” when they ran out of beer on its preview night. “It really caught us on the hop that people enjoyed it so much, so we’re hustling every day.”
It may add more to his schedule but it allows Andy and Bec to enjoy time abroad.
“[But] Bec and I used to go to New York once or twice a year anyway, so it gives us [another] excuse to go there,” he says.
To say Andy’s busy is an understatement. In fact, he may just be the busiest he has ever been. But his dreams have finally become reality, all at the same time. And that in itself, he reckons, is worth a few sleepless nights.
“I am a little bit tired,” he admits with a laugh. “But we’ve been working on these things over many years, it’s just all happening at once.”
Plus, if it all falls over, finding a wedding venue will be an easy and cheap solution.
“Well, if we run out of money during these renovations, we might need to hold it [the wedding] at Old Mates,” he jokes. “Luckily, I know the guys there and I might be able to get a good rate.”
The Hundred with Andy Lee airs on Wednesday at 7.30pm, on Nine Network.
