Our mate Sam Mac is an Aussie radio and TV personality who was nominated for a Gold Logie in June 2019! Since 2016, he's been the Weatherman on Sunrise, best known for his quirky presentations, self depreciating humor and unpredictable stunts!
Sam on Instagram:
@sammacinsta
Sam on Twitter:
@MrSamMac
Verbatim from the transcripts — each quote links to the moment.
How do you build a media career without a traditional path?
Say yes to small opportunities — take the meeting, do the favour interview, host the low-budget show — because even if most of it isn't perfect, it can lead to connections and unexpected opportunities later.
How do you move on from making a mistake during a live broadcast?
Accept that mistakes happen at every level, remember most people haven't seen it (if it happened early), and use a mental reset phrase like 'that's showbiz' so it doesn't affect the rest of the segments; discuss and fix the issue with your team after the show, not in the moment.
How should you approach a high-frequency on-air role (e.g. multiple segments a day)?
Don't try to make every single segment a big moment ('going for goal' every time); choose your moments to really go for it, and let others shine the rest of the time so your standout moments have more impact.
Sam Mac describes filming a Boxing Day cross in Adelaide where he asked a boy named Charlie if he could try his new hoverboard; the moment Sam touched Charlie's back, Charlie lifted a leg, making it look exactly like Sam had shoved him off on live TV.
Sam Mac recalls his first breakfast radio job in Perth where mentor Basil Zempilas noticed an on-air mistake was affecting his mood for the rest of the show and taught him to say 'that's showbiz' and move on.
Sam Mac describes an interview format he devised where Bob Saget had to answer questions both as himself and as his Full House character Danny Tanner, swapping chairs between answers, which led to an ongoing friendship.
Sam Mac describes using frequent flyer points to secretly organise a trip to Ireland for his parents, surprising them with a fake Andre Rieu DVD reveal and later appearing as a hotel concierge in London with his sister posing as a waitress.
Drawn from the episode transcripts.
According to Sam Mac, he asked a boy named Charlie and his dad beforehand if he could have a go on Charlie's new hoverboard at the end of a live TV cross in Adelaide's Rundle Mall. The moment Sam placed his hand on Charlie's back to take over, Charlie lifted one leg (an amateur hoverboard mistake), which made it look exactly like Sam had shoved him off.
From episode 119→Josh was a teenage fan who emailed Sam Mac around 2005–2006 while Sam ran the community TV show 'Sam Mac's Single Bed' in Adelaide and later hosted national radio show Hot 30 Countdown; Josh found and re-sent some of these old emails the morning of the recording.
From episode 119→He credits mentor Basil Zempilas with the phrase 'that's showbiz' — accepting that small errors happen, most of the audience won't have seen them, and dwelling on them risks ruining the rest of the show.
From episode 119→Every episode featuring Sam Mac on The Daily Talk Show.
