Well you love the show, you love the hosts, but what do you know about them? Well of course you know all about Ben, i mean no one that famous can get around without having some of his dirty laundry aired in public! But need a refresher on Ben anyways? And what about Sam, Josh, Trevor and previous hosts Anthony, Matt, Peter & Kelly? Read on...
ABOUT BEN (2006-Current)
"I don't set out to be a celebrity, but if that's how the public want to treat me then who am i to complain?"
Benjamin James Waterworth (although he is never called Benjamin, well, not to his face at least) is a national treasure. He has been one of the most recognisable faces in the world for the last 30 years. But who is the man behind the celebrity? Who is the man who controls The Brink? And why is he the way he is?
"I guess if you could sum me up in a word, it would be successful" Ben claims, "i have been blessed with such a lucky life and supreme talent and ability, that of course i was destined for success."
Ben first broke out onto the international stageby claiming gold at the first ever Modern Olympics in 1896 in Athens, by winning the 100m Sprint. Further success was gained when he won his second gold medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, this time in the sport of Swimming. A third gold would follow, this time in Montreal in 1976, doing so in Rowing. Between those games, Ben was constantly active in numerous other sports, the media, organising the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and discovering such talent as Dawn French, Don Bradman and Bert Newton. He even had a crucial hand in bringing Television to Australian shores.
Ben celebrates winning gold in Montreal in 1976. Photo courtesy of Channel 7
Bens attempted comeback to Olympic competition in 1984 at the Los Angeles games was met with massive controversy in the now infamous 'Bengate' saga, in which he helped the Australian Synchronised Swimming team win gold only for it to be stripped from them when it was found out that Ben was actually male. Despite the backlash, Ben continued to remain a media personality, helping the likes of Eddie McGuire and Rove McManus break into the industry, as well as a young Ian Thorpe before their current fued started. He remains the ambassador for the Australian Synchronised Swimming team, teaching his trademark 'Quasimodo' routine to all his pupils.
"No one knew the entire story after LA," Ben says, "they just believe what they hear in the media and i must admit it's great to be on that side of the fence now".
Ben in the Hobart 2020 Olympic bid video
Despite numerous comeback attempts in sports ranging from Diving to Curling, Ben has found a new calling, in hosting Hobart's most popular radio show The Brink, and running the bid for the 2020 Olympics in Hobart.
"To me thats my life now," he says, "I would rather do this than be married with kids and live in the suburbs, although staying in my mansion with those bikini models a bit more might be nice too".
When he is not travelling the world gathering up support for the games or being busy bossing the Brink people around, Ben likes to relax by his pool, listening to his tunes and counting his money.
ABOUT SAM (2011-Current)
"I actually really do like grass pulling. I would much rather be doing that then staring at Ben's face sometimes. Although he sometimes has grass on his face, so that comes in handy when I'm bored"
Samuel McCrossen's journey into the world of radio can never be overlooked, as he has endured more than most people do in an entire lifetime. The fact that he is now sitting opposite the most respected radio host in the world on the greatest radio show of all time, is testament to his tenacity and hard work ethic.
"Some people say I have balls bigger than an Elephant," Sam says, "but I tend to disagree with this. They are more the size of a mediumly proportioned donkey, with less fur."
Born into a poor family in Burkina Faso, Sam worked his way up through the ranks of water carrying and dirt sweeping to become the leading water carrier in the small African nation. This achievement though was nothing to be proud of, as the leading water carrier in the nation was often targeted by local gangs. And due to this constant target practice being labelled upon him, Sam soon fled to nearby Benin to try his hand at grass pulling. Here though Sam was not welcomed, and it was by chance that he was rescued by the countries owner, Ben Waterworth.
Sam carrying water in his native Burkina Faso
After initially thinking things would be looking up, Sam was soon treated as a slave by Ben's staff, and he endured a tough 5 years sorting out grains of rice in Ben's basement to ensure that they were all of equal size so that Ben's OCD could be managed. One day though Sam decided to stand up for his rights, and confronted Ben personally.
"Ben apparently had no idea I was even there," Sam recalls, "once he discovered I was though he was deeply sorry and offered me a piece of cheese to make up for it. This was fine by me, so when he also offered me the chance to come on The Brink I certainly took that…with a grain of rice."
Sam sorting out Ben's rice
Sam entered his role with flying colours and his fortnightly appearances have been met with large plaudits by both of his parents back in his native Burkina Faso, as well as his pet crocodile called Bitey.
In his spare time Sam enjoys sniffing garlic and reading the nutritional information on cans of dog food. He is a fan of the Geelong cats and once had a positive thought about Kyle Sandilands.
ABOUT JOSH (2008-2010, 2011-Current)
"The radio industry is a funny thing. One minute you're on air interviewing Arnold Schwarzneggar, the next minute your staring at Ben's ass waiting for an idea to pop out. It's incredible"
If Ben is a national treasure, then Josh is a national map. Because without the map you don't have the treasure. It would seem though that with the history he has with Waterworth, that the pair are an unlikely due for success. But when the door opened to radio superstardom once again in January 2008, the history was soon in the past and Josh was back in the hotseat he so comfortably occupied all those years ago.
"To me it was like a nice warm piece of pie," Josh says, "it is delicious to start off with, get's a little bit annoying and boring in the middle but once you get to the end you just want more."
Josh first tasted stardom in the late seventies after escaping the clutches of the evil Kyrgyzstan government and fleeing into nearby Russia, where he soon took over the nations radio airwaves with his own show From Russia with Josh, which he was awarded after being the only one who could say "Fannybums" without laughing. He hosted this show all the way into the the mid eighties to which he first came accross Ben at a chance meeting at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, with Josh being there for commentary, and Ben being there as an athlete.
Josh in the Seoul 1988 Commentators Booth
An immediate relationship was formed and faster than you could say "are they a gay couple?" they were on the road touring war torn countries, bringing audio goodness in their charasmatic ways.
"It was fun," Josh recollects, "one minute we would be reading to blind African kids and then the next we would be in an orgy with supermodels, it was an experience i won't soon want to forget"
But the charasma and charm would soon wear out. Not long after accepting the guernsey on the JAB Schoolie Hour, Josh clashed heads with Anthony, and Ben soon booted his co-host in favour of a younger more vibrant J, in the name of Jo Mackey.
"That was rock bottom, i didn't realise you could go so low," Josh recalls, "i now know how men feel after watching an episode of Greys Anatomy"
After several failed comebacks, which included hosting the Bermudan version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Josh was about ready to give up and retreat to the hills of his home country of Kyrgyzstan when he receieved a phone call.
Promotional Posted for the Bermudan Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
It was Ben, and he needed a new co-host due to Anthony's misadventure in the Ugandan Jungle and a piece of Cake. Josh had arrived back on the scene.
"I had never been so happy to hear somebody go missing in the Ugandan Jungle!" Josh exclaimed
Since January 2008, Josh has been back in the hot seat, being a perfect match for Ben's extravagant and controversial flair. In his spare time, Josh enjoys romance novels and eating nougat. He is fluent in Mandarin and cites Rosie O'Donnell as a hero. In 2010 Josh left to serve as a Mormon Missionary and returned in full force during the final show of 2011.
ABOUT TREVOR (2006-Current)
Trevor is the voice over man who does most of the work when the boys are on air. He announces, advertises and helps control the big ship that The Brink is. He also produces the show, organises the web crew and helps with the R&D team, and organises the boys trips overseas and meetings with delegates. However much he does, he is still confined to a cage 23 hours a day, and other than that nothing much is known about him. The photo above is the only one ever taken...
PREVIOUS HOSTS
ABOUT ANTHONY (2006-2007, 2010)
"I will chase cake until the day I die...and that just might be the cause of it!"
The journey of Anthony Joel Stewart Moran is one that could be told in a movie about as long as all three Lord Of The Rings movies. But unfortunately this bio won’t fit into an area of 3921 hours, so it has to be condensed.
The man who came up with the name The Brink started out life like most, growing up in rural Iceland before blossoming through several years of award winning Scandinavian and Baltic journalism. After the second world war Anthony moved into sports journalism where he came across Ben, and a relationship was formed that would go down in history.
“Ben to me was somewhat of a father figure,” Anthony recalls, “he would tell really bad jokes and drive you places when you wanted”
Times changed however, and Anthony struck a low with Ben and was soon out on his rear end, living as a homeless man on the streets of rural Addis Ababa. It was 20 years before Anthony was re-discovered by Ben again in 2006.
Anthony homeless in Addis Ababa
“Ben had met Josh, I had been forgotten,” Anthony remembers, “but one time he felt like and Ethiopian Sausage and he found me eating out of a nearby ashtray I was very lucky”
2006 was the birth year of The Brink, and Anthony blossomed with Ben as they re-found immediate success with their instant on air chemistry. Massive followings and ratings occurred and soon the world was Brink crazy. In 2007 breakfast radio beckoned and soon a mainland tour which gave their fans a massive amount of pleasure. A second show was added but Anthony was soon to lose it again. At the end of 2007 he went missing in the Ugandan jungle as was presumed dead. Both of his fans went into mourning.
“To me it was a simple case of being hungry,” Anthony says, “I saw a piece of cake and knowing how good Ugandan Baked goods are I simply couldn’t resist”
The Ugandan Jungle that Anthony ventured into
But hope came forth in 2009, and it was soon discovered that Anthony was alive and well and it was Arnold Schwarzneggar who had attempted to get rid of Anthony. After nearly 2 years off the air Anthony returned as a guest in 2009 and in 2010 he returned to full time host of The Brink, much to the delight of his now single fan. However that fan was let down again by an even juicier piece of cake in another African jungle.
ABOUT MATT (2010)
"The Brink has become my life. No doubting that. It will forever run through my veins"
While Anthony and Josh formed a close personal bond with Ben in making The Brink a staple of Hobart’s breakfast diet, Matt was a relative late comer to the celebrity and radio scene. And while the world of politics and radio seem at somewhat opposite ends, Matt has attempted to blend the two together and bring out the best of both worlds.
Born in the outer regions of Lima in Peru, Matt instantly became involved in local government elections and was elected as the Mayor of Lima as a 3 year old. Soon national politics beckoned and at the ripe old age of 6 he was crowned as President of Peru.
Matt being sworn in as Peruvian President
“It really was a proud moment,” Matt recalls, “both my mother and father were so proud that they sacrificed an extra mule that Christmas”
Unfortunately for Matt the public were disgusted at such an old person being elected as President, and after only 6 months on the post he was exiled to New Zealand where he soon took up the role as an Administrator for the Dunedin Council of the Ageing. He continued there until 2006, when he received a strange sign from above.
“I was doing what I do most nights and sitting on a scented toilet role holder when something struck me,” Matt remembers, “and by the time I realised it was a glass bottle of Cascade Beer falling from the nearby Tasmanian Embassy I instantly knew what it meant”
Matt and his best friends in New Zealand
Matt boarded the next plane to Hobart, where he was instantly greeted by a Liberal Party member who sniffed out his raw political abilities, signing him up as their next big thing for the party. Spending the next years conceiving a plan of attack, he launched his campaign for office in 2008.
“I wanted to be known as Matt Stevenson the Tasmanian and not the ex-President of Peru,” Matt says, “that politically dynasty of national health care and compulsory nose picking is something that I am proud of yet want to build up in Tasmania at my own pace”
In 2009 in a chance meeting Matt met Ben and it was radio-love at first sight. After several guest appearances throughout the year Matt soon formed a close bond and in 2010 was asked to add some extra flavour to the show and become a third co-host. He left in 2010 due to other commitments, like being busy and just yeah...'busyness'
ABOUT PETER (2011)
"So I'm short? Sue me then! Actually don't...because I have so much money I don't need yours"
Peter George Wallhead was born into a wealthy family in the small island nation of the Maldives and has enjoyed a fruitful and happy life, if not sometimes incontinent and unsurprising. Through thick and thin, this little man has gone on to big things, and currently occupies the most sought after seat in the world. That of Brink co-host opposite Ben Waterworth.
"Do I consider this to be the greatest job in the world? No, that job would be Ben's," Peter says, "however getting the opportunity to be in the presence of greatness really gives me wood"
Peter being rich in his home nation of the Maldives
Born into the prestigious Wallhead wall business, Peter soon flourished as a baby, beginning walking and talking after only 3 days. By the age of 6 months he was already driving and by the time he turned one he was flying his parents around the world. After learning the ways of the family business, Peter then soon became the leading wall builder in all of the Maldives, a feat that was soon rewarded by being voted 'Maldivian of the Year' a record 5 times. After all this early success, Peter was touted as the next big thing in International Wall Building.
However as Peter began to age, his parents soon became worried about his size, with Peter not growing an inch since the day he was born. However despite this setback, Peter continued to move forward in leaps and bounds, and in 2004 he flew his plane all the way to Australia to attempt to get the Wallhead Wall building company off the ground in the lucky country. He soon succeeded and during his first year in Australia he began appearing on the EC Schoolies Hour, the precursor to The Brink. After a few nervous moments with Ben however, Peter couldn't handle the pressure, and decided to return to Wall building full time.
Peter giving the thumbs up after building another wall
After a few years, Peter missed the radio bug that had bitten him so briefly yet violently those years before. In 2011 the phone rang, he answered it, and he was offered a full time position on the greatest radio show in the world. It was an opportunity that Peter hopes will pay off.
In his spare time away from the show Peter enjoys reading Walls & Beams Weekly as well as conducting scientific experiments on infant wombats. Peter is a mad fan of the Gold Coast Football club and cites Bindi Irwin as an idol. He left in 2011 due to 'other commitments' (note the quote marks there).
ABOUT KELLY (2011)
"Yeah, that's how I roll, so what?!"
Kelly Louise Trepkowski knew as soon as she accepted the most coverted job in the world she would be compared to the greatest female radio hosts of all time such as Jackie O, Kim Geale and Anthony Moran. However despite the pressure of being the first Brink host with an obvious Vagina, she has stepped into the role with a poise and presence that even Ben would be jelous of.
"You know, I am a woman, so what?" Kelly says, "to be honest I'm probably the most masculine host this show has ever had!"
Born into a middle class family in southern Kosovo, Kelly soon found her way living off street magicians before eventually discovering the dark art of magic. It was through this that she made a living for herself and was known in most of Eastern Europe as 'Abrakadelly' and performed to massive crowds from Warsaw to Moscow. After over 10 years and tens of dollars later, Kelly retired from the magic industry, boxed herself up in a crate and set sail in the Atlantic Ocean, declaring whichever country she landed in would be her new home.
Kelly as a magician
After 4 years of floating around the globe, Kelly soon reached land, only to realise she was in Spain and that there was no way in hell she could end up living there. So 3 months went by in which she conducted 'certain business' before purchasing a plane ticket to Hobart.
"I really thought to myself out of all the cities in the World, which city rhymed with Motart, and then I found my answer and went straight there!" Kelly exlaims.
More months went by without work, before Kelly stumbled accross the Time magazine cover featuring Ben as 'Man of the Year' and immeadiately knew she had to get involved with him somehow. She soon bribed her way into becoming a host.
Kelly packs herself away for her long journey
In her spare time away from the show Kelly suffers from Liberal Party supporter syndrome as well as being a fan of the Western Bulldogs. She cites Charlie Sheen as an idol and respects 2 of the 5 Spice Girls. In 2011 she left the building.
