Julia Morris

Julia Morris
Morris at the 2016 Logie Awards
Birth nameJulia Carolyn Margaret Morris
Born (1968-04-20) 20 April 1968 (age 56)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
MediumStand-up, television
Years active1985–present
Children2
Notable works and roles
Websitejuliamorris.com

Julia Carolyn Margaret Morris (born 20 April 1968) is an Australian comedian, television presenter and actress who has worked extensively in Australian television and radio, touring the country with her solo comedy shows. She relocated to the United Kingdom in 2000, appearing on British television, then returned to Australia in 2007. She lived on the Central Coast for her childhood. She currently co-hosts Network 10's I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Australia alongside Robert Irwin and also narrates Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia.

Personal life

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Morris was educated at St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, St Joseph's Catholic College, East Gosford, Santa Sabina College, Strathfield, and the Ensemble Theatre School. She later attended acting school for two years in Los Angeles.

Morris married British comedian Dan Thomas[1] in Las Vegas on 31 December 2005.[2] They divorced in 2022.[3]

Career

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Television

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Morris at the 2016 Logie Awards

Morris's first television appearance was in 1985, aged 17, as a contestant on the talent show New Faces. She performed "Holding Out for a Hero", a Jim Steinman song made famous by Bonnie Tyler, and tied for first place.[4]

After several years in variety and stand-up, Morris's big break came when she joined the ensemble cast of the hit Australian sketch comedy series Full Frontal in 1995.[5] This led to hosting roles on Great Aussie Bloopers and "The Morris Report" on the live variety series In Melbourne Tonight, as well as regular appearances on The Midday Show, Good Morning Australia, Beauty and the Beast and Who Dares Wins as well as the action series Gladiators.[6]

Morris relocated to the United Kingdom in 2000. As well as stand-up, she made appearances on the TV quiz QI, an episode of the sitcom Not Going Out playing a successful beautician, and in the sixth episode of season three of Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D-List, offering advice on the British audiences. Morris also had a stint presenting the BBC's Liquid News show in 2002.

Since her return to Australia in 2007, Morris has made appearances on Thank God You're Here, Good News Week, Spicks and Specks, Rove Live, The Singing Office, It Takes Two, Sleuth 101, Studio 10, The Project, The Living Room, Have You Been Paying Attention? and Hughesy, We Have a Problem.[6] She won the third season of the reality singing series It Takes Two, in which she was partnered with opera singer David Hobson.[7] Her winnings were donated to the Emily Tapp Foundation, a charity dedicated to melanoma awareness and prevention.[8] She has also appeared in a series of commercials for All-Bran cereal, which also featured fellow actress and comedian Helen Dallimore.

Morris was the winning contestant on the 2011 series of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia, beating teammate Jason Coleman, model Jesinta Campbell and AFL footballer Shane Crawford.

In 2012, Morris has starred as Gemma Crabb in the Nine Network's Melbourne-made drama series House Husbands. The show commenced a second season on 8 April 2013.

In April 2013, Morris was announced as the new host of television talent show Australia's Got Talent, which has switched from the Seven Network to the Nine Network.[9]

On 1 February 2015, Morris began co-hosting the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! with Chris Brown on Network 10.

In 2018, Morris hosted an updated version of dating show Blind Date on Network 10.

On 24 February 2019, she also began co-hosting Chris & Julia's Sunday Night Takeaway with Chris Brown on Network 10.

At the 61st TV Week Logie Awards in 2019, Morris was nominated for the Gold Logie for the two aforementioned shows as well as I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!. She was again nominated for the Gold Logie in 2022[10] and then again in 2023.[11]

In 2020, Morris appeared as "Kitten" on the second season of The Masked Singer Australia and was eliminated in the semi-final, placing 5th overall.[12][13]

In early 2023, Morris appeared as a celebrity contestant on the Australian adaption of the British comedy panel game show Taskmaster, titled Taskmaster Australia. She competed alongside fellow entertainers Jimmy Rees, Danielle Walker, Luke McGregor and Nina Oyama.[14][15][16]

In July 2023, Morris began narrating a brand new show on Network 10 called Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia.[17][18]

Live performance

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Morris tours international comedy festivals, appearing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, South Africa's Vodacom Funny Festival, Montreal's Just For Laughs and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. She won a Herald Angel Award at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Time Out magazine's Comedy Performer of the Year Award in 2004.[5] She is a former manager of Sydney's Comedy Store venue.

In 1999 Morris toured in the critically acclaimed Australian production of the Off-Broadway musical I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.

Television-Film

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As actor

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Year Show Role Notes
1995–96 Full Frontal Various characters TV sketch show, 26 episodes (also writer)
2006 Not Going Out Ruth TV series, 1 episode
2012–17 House Husbands Gemma Crabb TV series, 58 episodes
2020 The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee Carol Knight Feature film
2022 DC League of Super-Pets Keith Animated film (Australian release)

As herself

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Year Show Role Notes
1999–2002 Beauty and the Beast Panellist TV talk show
2003 QI Guest TV series, 1 episode
2006–07 Spicks and Specks Guest TV series, 2 episodes
2007 Rove Live Guest TV talk show, 1 episode
2007 Thank God You're Here Guest TV sketch show, 1 episode
2008 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Performer TV special
2008 It Takes Two Contestant TV series, 11 episodes
2008–12 Good News Week Panellist TV series, 14 episodes
2010 The Bonnie Hunt Show Guest TV series
2010 Just For Laughs Performer TV special
2010 Sleuth 101 Guest TV series, 1 episode
2011 The Celebrity Apprentice Australia Contestant - Winner TV series, 8 episodes
2013 Australia's Got Talent Host TV series
2015–present I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Co-host TV series Alongside Chris Brown (2015–2023) and Robert Irwin (2024)
2016, 2018 Have You Been Paying Attention? Guest quizmaster TV series, 2 episodes
2018 Hughesy, We Have a Problem Guest 1 episode
2018 Blind Date Host TV series
2019 Chris & Julia's Sunday Night Takeaway Co-host TV series
2020 The Masked Singer Australia Contestant TV series, Season 2
2023 Taskmaster Australia Contestant TV series, Season 1
2023 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia Narrator TV series

References

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  1. ^ "Comic Morris is Australia's top diva". Chortle. 22 April 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
  2. ^ Morris, Julia (August 2006). "Julia Morris Blog". JuliaMorris.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 December 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
  3. ^ "Julia Morris reveals unexpected perk of getting divorced". News.com.au. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  4. ^ Gadd, Michael (2 August 2007). "It's time for the anti Straya Nidol". NEWS.com.au. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
  5. ^ a b Staff writer (17 June 2008). "Julia Morris is a funny lady". Sunshine Coast Daily Online. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
  6. ^ a b "Julia Morris". Onya Soapbox. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
  7. ^ John, Katelyn (22 April 2008). "Julia Morris wins It Takes Two". The Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 28 April 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
  8. ^ Staff writer (23 April 2008). "Comedian Julia Morris has laughed her way through to win It Takes Two!". Who Magazine. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
  9. ^ Byrnes, Holly (14 April 2013). "Julia Morris to host channel 9's Australia's Got Talent". Herald-Sun. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  10. ^ "2022 Gold Logie nominee: Julia Morris | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. 18 June 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Logies 2023: Julia Morris And Osher Günsberg Nominated For Gold". 10 play. 18 June 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  12. ^ Fowler, Isabella (1 September 2020). "LIVE: Masked Singer 2020: Kitten unmasked as Julia Morris". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  13. ^ Whitehead, Mat (1 September 2020). "All The Clues From Episode 8 Of The Masked Singer 2020". 10 Play. Network Ten. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  14. ^ Cain, Sian (1 February 2023). "Taskmaster comes to Australia: 'I am better than Greg Davies – make that the headline!'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  15. ^ Kelly, Vivienne (16 January 2023). "Australian Version of 'Taskmaster' to Premiere on 10 in February". Variety Australia. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  16. ^ Rugendyke, Louise (24 January 2023). "'They torture you': The TV show putting Aussie comedians through the wringer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  17. ^ McManus, Bridget (5 July 2023). "'Dogfather' thought he'd seen it all. Then he came here". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  18. ^ "We Have A Date For Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia". 10 play. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
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