Osher Günsberg

Osher Günsberg^[1] (born Andrew Günsberg on 29 March 1974), widely recognised by his former stage name Andrew G, is an English-born Australian television and radio presenter and journalist who is best known as the host of the reality series Australian Idol. He is also known for his hosting roles on Channel [V], Live to Dance on CBS and radio shows including Take 40 Australia and The Hot Hits.

Günsberg also narrated the factual television programs Bondi Rescue and Recruits. He is a regular contributor to The Project.

In 2013, he began hosting the Australian version of reality television series The Bachelor.

Early life

Günsberg was born in London to a Czech-Jewish father and a Lithuanian mother.^[2] At four months of age, he moved to Adelaide and then to Brisbane, where he spent most of his youth and attended St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace. He had an intense interest in music from a young age, playing in school orchestras, and performing in barbershop quartets and school musicals. In his youth, he learned to read and write music, and to play the bass and double bass, attending music school on the weekends, as well as studying for a year at South Brisbane TAFE where he completed an Advanced Diploma of Contemporary Music majoring in performance.

Bands

After leaving school, Günsberg worked his way through music school as a roadie, where he learned many aspects of the music industry. Following this in 1994, he started performing in bands around the Brisbane scene, such as Feeble's Junky, and later, was in the original line-up of Resin Dogs, playing double bass. Feeble's Junky released two CDs, Panticlerevgator in 1996 and Dive in 1997.

Radio

At 20, Günsberg started working as a "Black Thunder" driver and did on-air midnight-to-dawn shifts for B105 radio station in Brisbane, during which time he bore the nickname "Spidey". He filled in for late-night announcing shifts, before taking on the role of the regular midnight-dawn announcer. In 1998, he left B105FM to join SAFM for the afternoon shift. In 1998, at the age of 24, he adopted the stage name of "Andrew G" while doing the afternoon shift at SAFM after his program director said, "Günsberg? Adelaide? Nahh, Andrew G!", thus becoming the first person to ever call him by this name and ensuring some confusion amongst audiences between Günsberg and his new namesake, former Australian rugby league footballer for the Brisbane Broncos, Andrew Gee. In 2009, he decided to drop his abbreviated stage name and revert to his full surname.^[3]

From 2004 to 2009, he formally hosted the Australian radio chart countdown programme Take 40 Australia, which airs on nearly 100 stations nationwide. For a month in September 2009, he filled in for controversial breakfast radio presenter Kyle Sandilands on 2Day FM's The Kyle and Jackie O Show along with Dannii Minogue and Brian McFadden. Günsberg finished with Take40 Australia on 29 November 2009.

In December 2009, he launched a re-formatted version of The Hot Hits, bringing the show live every week around Australia from Los Angeles. The show was re-named The Hot Hits Live from LA. In July 2010, after only six months on air, the show was nominated for an Australian Commercial Radio Award in the category of "Best Syndicated Program".^[4]

In November 2015, Southern Cross Austereo announced that Günsberg would join HIT 105's breakfast show with Abby Coleman and Stav Davidson.^[5] He also hosted Summer Breakfast across the Hit Network with former The Bachelorette contestant Heather Mailman.

In August 2016, Southern Cross Austereo announced a revamped weekend lineup. Günsberg will host Osher's Love Line on Sunday nights.

Television

Channel [V]

In 1999, Günsberg shot a short video tour of himself on his skateboard and sent it to Channel [V], resulting in his selection as a host for the station.

For the next seven years, Günsberg worked mainly in live broadcasting, and hosted the flagship request show, By Demand (later whatUwant), and various late night shows (including The Joint). He also hosted a nightly live variety show during the Sydney Olympics of 2000, Rings of Fire.

Günsberg was also involved with Channel [V]'s Bus tours — a show broadcast via satellite from the back of a truck from various locations in Australia. Bands and skaters would perform, and crowds varied in size from several hundred to several thousand. They toured throughout summer around the country, broadcasting from cities, beaches, snowy mountains and deserts.

He travelled to Europe and North America in July 2005 to shoot the interview series Andrew G's Excellent Adventure. Highlights included a ride in the private plane of the Offspring's Dexter Holland to the Vans Warped tour, and seeing Jamiroquai perform to 100,000 in Naples, Italy.

In 2006, it was announced that Günsberg would be leaving Channel [V].^[6]

Network Ten

In 2003, Günsberg became co-host (with Channel [V] co-star James Mathison) of Australian Idol on Network Ten. For this role, Günsberg was nominated for the Silver Logie in 2004. After Mathison announced that he was moving on to other projects, Günsberg hosted the seventh season of Australian Idol solo in 2009. He was also the compere of Network Ten's game show The Con Test.

He appeared on a celebrity episode of the Australian version of Ready Steady Cook in October 2005. As a committed vegan, his recipe ideas were not extremely well received by the audience. According to Günsberg, the audience's response when he revealed tofu on the menu, was "similar to the look you see on peoples [sic] faces when they view two dogs rooting on the side of the road — puzzled, curious, but all together uncomfortable."^[7]

He was one of the co-hosts of the televised Australia Day-eve celebrations on 25 January 2006. In October 2006, he was a contestant on the Australian comedy TV Show, Thank God You're Here, and played in Celebrity Joker Poker, winning $10,000 for charity. In 2007, he hosted The Con Test. In February 2007, he appeared as himself on the soap opera Neighbours.^[8] From 2007–09, he co-hosted the Sydney New Year's Eve telecast alongside Kim Watkins & Fuzzy. He also served as a creative consultant on the production.

Günsberg also narrated the Network Ten / Cordell-Jigsaw productions, Bondi Rescue and the second season of Recruits. He was a contestant in Season 2 Episode 34 of Good News Week that aired on Channel 10 on 14 September 2009.^[9] He has been an occasional guest host for Charlie Pickering and is still a regular contributor to The Project. Since 2013, he has been the host of the Australian version of reality television series The Bachelor.

CBS

In October 2010, CBS announced that Günsberg would be the host of the new Paula Abdul dance competition Live to Dance.^[10] The show made its debut in January 2011 on CBS. It was announced that Live to Dance would not return for a second season.

Other media

In 2004, Günsberg was named Cleo magazine's "Bachelor of the Year". In 2005, he appeared (with Jackie O) in a television commercial for the Ford Focus, in which he 'forgets' that he has left an iPod on the roof of the vehicle (an exaggerated demonstration of the smoothness of the vehicle's handling).

Personal life

Günsberg holds dual British and Australian nationality.^[11]

In 2008, he married Israeli actress and producer Noa Tishby.^[12][13] On 27 December 2011, he announced on Twitter that his marriage to Tishby was over.^[14]

In September 2010, Günsberg exhibited a year of daily photographic self portraits (June 2009 – June 2010) at Mart Gallery in Surry Hills, Sydney, with part of the proceeds going to Lifeline.^[15]

Günsberg currently produces a podcast titled 'The Osher Günsberg Podcast', which has enjoyed success over the past couple of years. Each episode consists of approximately an hour long conversation with a person of interest, celebrity, expert or inspirational individual.

At the age of 38, he decided to change his name to 'Osher' – Hebrew for 'happiness' – in order to signal his changed outlook and attitude toward life. He claims that 'something about being Osher just feels right'.^[16] He is an avid cyclist.^[17] In October 2016, following criticism for attending Derby Day during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, Günsberg stated "I say that I’m vegan because it's the quickest way to get the explanation across but the truth is I've never really called myself vegan".^[18]

References

External links

• Andrew G at the Internet Movie Database
• Andrew G's Australian Idol Biography
• Take40
• Günsberg's MySpace
• Official Blog
• WHO.com Australian Idol blog
• MCM Entertainment
• 365 Days – A set on Flickr