James Mathison, co-host of Wake Up on Ten, gets up to some serious mischief at around 4 am. The 36-year-old Astro Boy lookalike just got sprung calling into a conservative radio show pretending to be another person.
In other news, 4 am is an actual time when real human beings are awake.
James confessed today that he called up Sydney talkback radio station 2GB in the offensively early hours of Monday morning, posing as ‘Gerrard’. He’d overheard a talkback caller tell 2GB host Brian Wilshire that “refugees are invading Australia”.
Given how inaccurate and repugnant that statement is, James couldn’t resist getting involved. When he was put on air, he faked a very ‘Aussie’ accent and voiced his opinion as ‘Gerrard’:
“I heard you talking about, uh, ‘stop the boats’,” James told Wilshire. “And your previous caller talked about an invasion …”
Almost immediately, James dropped the accent and lapsed into his own voice. “Even in our prisons, for murderers in our prisons, for rapists in our prisons, there is at least a modicum of sense of what type of condition they should be in,” he said.
“We understand they’re human beings. We don’t string them up by their necks. We don’t put them on the rack anymore. Why don’t we have the rack anymore?” he joked.
Two of the only other people stupid brave professionally required to be awake at that time – Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O – recognised his voice and sprung James for prank-calling 2GB.
In an interview with Kyle and Jackie O, James confessed that Gerrard is his “70 year old, redneck” alter ego and trolling the conservative station is his favourite hobby. On Monday morn, he felt so strongly about the inhumane way we treat asylum seekers, that he couldn’t resist chiming in.
“All I could feel was redness rising up my entire body,” he said. “(I thought) if I pretend I’m one of their own, maybe they’ll listen to what I have to say.
“I love trolling talkback radio,” he added. “Normally I can do it without being called on it.
“But someone must have heard that at 4am — on 2GB … Who’s listening to 2GB at that time of the morning!”
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Top Comments
Wow, you bunch of idiots. He wasn't trying to draw attention to himself and his celebrity image, he was trying to voice an opinion about something he felt strongly about. And he didn't draw attention to the fact it was him. That was Kyle and Jackie O who recognised him. He probably does it because he knows that sounding like a red neck racist is the way to get put on air on 2GB.
Have you ever listened to 2GB or are you basing your opinion on the supposed stereotype?
Michael Smith has a show on on Sunday afternoons. He is one your stereotypical racist rednecks who wants the boats stopped. He doesn't like kiddies drowning at sea and he doesn't like able bodied Muslim men pushing in front of orphans and women. He has, however, been tied up in red tape and tears trying to adopt an Ethiopean orphan from a UN refugee camp.
The majority of broadcasters are pro gay marriage and furious about CSG.
If hating incompetent, corrupt and fiscally irresponsible, lying, nepotistic governments makes me a redneck then I'll wear the badge proudly.
If you bothered to listen you'd know that Alan Jones was the one questioning the state Libs like Hartcher over their involvement in 'allegedly' corrupt deals with CSG companies that were signed off by Labor.
Both sides are held accountable, it's simply that UnionGreenLabor are the ones with far more criminals and idiots in their ranks.
Love it! Good one James :-) And I detest the ignorance on talkback radio