Merrick Watts
Merrick Watts | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 18 November 1973 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation(s) | Comedian, radio and television presenter |
| Years active | 1996−present |
| Spouse | Georgie Sulzberger |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | http://www.merrickwatts.com.au/ |
Merrick Watts (born 18 November 1973) is an Australian comedian, radio and television presenter. He is best known for performing stand-up comedy and radio works as part of the comedy duo Merrick and Rosso with Tim Ross.
Career[edit]
Stand up[edit]
Watts began his career in comedy and first came together with Tim Ross when they teamed up for a one off comedy show in 1996.[1] They had many stand-up shows and comedy tours across Australia and appeared at many comedy festivals. They also published the comedy books Merrick and Rosso, The Book and Merrick and Rosso, The Book Volume 2.
Radio[edit]
Watts began his radio career with Tim Ross at Triple J performing a weekly guest spot on the drive-time program on Triple J radio in 1998 as Merrick and Rosso. They became full-time presenters and then in 2001 they moved to newly launched commercial radio station Nova 96.9 for the breakfast radio shift. Co-hosts on the breakfast show included Katrina Blowers, Sami Lukis and Kate Ritchie. Ross left the successful radio program in 2009.
Merrick continued on the breakfast show in 2010 with new co-hosts Scott Dooley and Ricki-Lee Coulter, although he announced on 24 August 2011 that he was leaving the show and the station on 2 September 2011.[2]-
In September 2011, Watts signed with Triple M. He was the host of a drive & night show called Merrick and the Highway Patrol with Rachel Corbett and Julian 'Jules' Schiller. The radio program was cancelled due to poor ratings and came to an end in November 2013.
In late 2013, it was announced that Merrick would co-host the new Breakfast program on 2Day FM alongside Jules Lund & Sophie Monk with Mel B, replacing The Kyle and Jackie O Show.
In October 2014, Southern Cross Austereo announced that Jules, Merrick & Sophie on 2Day FM would be axed due to poor ratings throughout the year and replaced by The Dan & Maz Show.
In 2015, Watts returned to Triple M to host his own drive show, Merrick and Australia which was later renamed Merrickville.
In 2019 he hosted the true crime podcast Police Tape.[3][4]
Television[edit]
The first television series hosted by Merrick and Rosso was Planet Merrick and Rosso (later known as Super Planet Merrick and Rosso) on The Comedy Channel. They had a guest role on top rating Australian drama series All Saints in 2003.[5] In 2003 their television show Merrick and Rosso Unplanned debuted on the Nine Network followed by The B Team on Network Ten in 2005. In 2008, they returned to the Comedy Channel with an original format entitled The Merrick & Rosso Show.
Watts had a regular role in the 2008 television comedy series The Hollowmen as Nick, a senior adviser to the prime minister. In 2009 he played the small but crucial part of Marty Johnstone in Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities.[6]
Watts has made guest appearances on the television shows Thank God You're Here, Rove Live, ADbc, Studio 10, The Project, All Star Family Feud, Celebrity Name Game, Show Me the Movie!, Have You Been Paying Attention? and Hughesy, We Have a Problem.
In 2013 Watts hosted the 8 part ABC1 TV show Tractor Monkeys.[7]
In 2020, Watts participated the Seven Network's reality program SAS Australia, where he passed selection[8] alongside two other contestants, Sabrina Frederick and Nick 'Honey Badger' Cummins .[9] In the same year, Merrick Watts appears in the series Operation Buffalo as Captain Jack Allen[10] for one episode.
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Celebrity Letters and Numbers | Self | 8 episodes |
| 2018-21 | Hughesy We Have A Problem | Self | 7 episodes |
| 2020 | SAS Australia[11] | Self | 12 episodes |
| 2020 | Operation Buffalo (TV series) | Jack Allen | 1 episode |
| 2019 | Get Krack!n | Mark | 1 episode |
| 2018 | Street Smart | Drug Officer | 1 episode |
| 2013 | Mr & Mrs Murder | Keith Skinner | 1 episode |
| 2013 | Tractor Monkeys[12] | Self | 8 episodes |
| 2011 | Shark; Broken Seal | Voice | Short |
| 2009 | Underbelly (TV series) | Marty Johnson | 1 episode |
| 2008 | The Hollowmen | Nick | 12 episodes |
| 2003 | All Saints (TV series) | Lawry | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Super Planet Merrick and Rosco | Self | 6 episodes |
| 1999 | Rove | Self | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Rage | Self | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Planet Rosco and Merrick | Self | 13 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Tractor Monkeys | Writer/Producer | 8 episodes |
| 2008-09 | The Merrick and Rosco Show | Writer | 16 episodes |
| 2007 | Merrick and Rosco Live and Totally Wrong! | Writer/Producer | |
| 2005 | Merrick and Rosco The B Team | Writer | 8 episodes |
| 2003-04 | Merrick and Rosco Unplanned | Producer | 10 episodes |
| 1999 | Super Planet Merrick and Rosco | Writer | 6 episodes |
| 1997 | Planet Merrick and Rosco | 13 episodes |
Other work[edit]
Merrick voiced a cartoon shark in the 2011 Movie Extra animated series "Shaaark".
Personal life[edit]
Watts married Georgie Sulzberger in 2006.[13] They have a son and a daughter.[14]
He was educated at Eltham High School and Diamond Valley College[15]
Discography[edit]
Studio albums[edit]
| Title | Details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [16] | ||
| Choice Cuts (as Merrick and Rosso) |
|
- |
| From Us to Youse (as Merrick and Rosso) |
|
52 |
Video albums[edit]
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Live And Totally Wrong (as Merrick and Rosso) |
|
Singles[edit]
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| "Teenage Mullet Fury" (As Merrick and Rosso with The Echuca Moama Sound Machine) |
1998 |
Awards and nominations[edit]
ARIA Music Awards[edit]
The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Teenage Mullet Fury | ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release | Nominated | [17] |
| 2003 | From Us to Youse | Won | ||
| 2008 | Live and Totally Wrong! | Nominated |
Other Awards[edit]
| Year | Award | State | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Perth Fringe Festival | Nominee | Best Comedy Show |
| 2016 | ACRA Awards | Winner | Best Documentary, Modern Warrior, Triple M Network |
| 2009 | ACRA Awards | Winner | Best Station Produced Comedy Segment |
| 2009 | ASTRA Awards | Winner | Most Popular Male Talent – Merrick & Rosso |
| 2005 | TV Week Logies | Nominated | Merrick and Rosso Unplanned – Most popular Light Entertainment Program |
| 2004 | ACRA Awards | Winner | Best on Air Team |
| 2003 | ACRA Awards | Winner | Best on Air Team (Metro) |
| 2003 | GQ Man of the Year Award | Winner | Comedians of the Year – Merrick & Rosso |
References[edit]
- ^ "About". The Official Merrick and Rosso website. Archived from the original on 11 July 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
- ^ Rao, Shoba: Merrick Watts leaving Nova 969, News.com.au, 24 August 2011.
- ^ "News Corp partners with NOVA Entertainment for Merrick Watts hosted true crime podcast". Mumbrella. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ Manning, James (5 June 2019). "Podcast Week: Cyber Hacker, Merrick Watts, Dan Barrett's Best". Mediaweek. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "Merrick and Rosso". The Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "Merrick Watts stars as Mr Asia Marty Johnston in Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities". Australia: News.com.au. 24 March 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Tractor Monkeys". ABC Television. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "It's all over: Who won SAS Australia 2020". SEVEN News. 24 November 2020.
- ^ (2 October 2020) Media Release: SAS Australia's full line up and air date revealed, TV Blackbox. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ "Merrick Watts". IMDb.
- ^ "SAS Australia: Meet the cast | TV Tonight". 19 October 2020.
- ^ "Merrick Watts to host Tractor Monkeys quiz for ABC1 | TV Tonight". 19 October 2012.
- ^ Rocca, Jane (19 January 2019). "Merrick Watts: What I know about women". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "Merrick Watts celebrates baby and ratings". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "Merrick Watts: What I know about women".
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 185.
- ^ "ARIA Awards Best Comedy Release". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- ^ "Merrick Watts" (PDF). Token. Retrieved 1 October 2021.