In November 2020, Southern Cross Austereo announced Dave Hughes, Ed Kavalee, and Erin Molan would be 2DayFM’s new breakfast team, with Hughes and Kavalee moving over from the station’s national drive show.
Mediaweek spoke with Ed Kavalee about the new breakfast crew, his opinions on game shows, his film work, and Have You Been Paying Attention?
After previously manning the Sydney breakfast slot for 2DayFM before joining Hughes on drive, Kavalee said that it feels like he never left.
“On the first day when my security pass worked, I thought… this was good.”
Kavalee said that it was Hughes who brought up the idea of moving to the breakfast slot in Sydney.
“Hughesy suggested he was interested in doing this and we both thought about Erin, she was someone I always liked and now we are happy campers.”
Going from drive to morning
After moving back to Sydney, Kavalee believes that he is uniquely positioned because he has worked the breakfast slot for 2Day FM before.
“You have to be slightly sick to go to breakfast radio, but it’s that old thing where you go where the ball is. Breakfast is the most alive show, and Dave and I don’t drink, we are pretty vice-less characters and we thought it’s a challenge, but we like it.”
Adding Erin Molan to Hughesy and Ed
Kavalee said that he has known Molan’s work for a long time and believes the team has struck gold with her.
“Last time I was doing this job, Erin was someone that I wanted to have as a part of this show. She was just too locked up with 2GB and Nine, you weren’t even allowed to say her name. This time around we were talking to Gemma Fordham and she suggested Erin. Dave and I literally both jumped up and said yep.”
With Kavalee and Hughes both working for Network 10, he admits that they have been trying to get Molan to jump over from Nine but said that the biggest threat might have been Seven.
“When Sam Amrytage stepped down as host of Sunrise, I said that’s disappointing for you because we have you locked up.”
Ed Kavalee game show host?
Kavalee is a lifelong game show fan and admits that he is working on something at the moment with a TV network (but won’t say what).
“I am a game show freak, my dream in life is to come up with a game show format. I am one of the only losers in the world who has gone back and watched the original pilot from the American Price is Right at the American Television Museum.
“The key to the Price is Right is that the winning has to start at the beginning with the ‘come on down’! That is the first win and you have got to get it right.”
Thoughts on Larry Edmur and The Chase Australia
By coincidence, while talking to Kavalee, Larry Edmur walked past on his way to dinner which prompted the radio star to comment on whether Seven made the right call on tapping Edmur for the role of hosting The Chase Australia.
“Larry will be sick at hosting The Chase. I was doing a short film when I was at Sydney Uni and Larry was the acting coach, he denies it, but he told me once the key to acting is all in your smile and I said ‘you would say that’.”
Thoughts on Andy Lee and The Cube Australia
Kavalee said that he watches the British version of The Cube and loves it, and thinks 10 also nailed it’s decision when choosing a host in Andy Lee.
“Andy is a key get for the show because he is personable and funny, but he also loves little challenges. You hang out with Andy and before you know it you are involved in some ridiculous game where you are betting on if someone will trip over the plastic things at concerts that they put up so people don’t fall, so he is the exact right man for the job.”
Future film projects?
When asked about future projects (besides game shows) that Kavalee wants to work on, he said that he wants to make another film.
“I did the dumbest thing that you could do in the world, I made a self-funded telemovie 10 years ago that we sold to Channel 10.
“And from that process, I got an idea for a small film, an ensemble comedy that I am threatening to make.”
Ed Kavalee’s 2021 film Scumbus
Kavalee said that he has one distinct accomplishment as a filmmaker.
“I am the only person in the world to ever cast Dave Hughes in anything, I have made two self-funded films stupidly, and he was in both of them.
“Dave Hughes auditioned for two films, Cracker Jack and The Nugget. Both times the character was written for and named after him. Both times, he auditioned and lost the role. He is a terrible actor.”
HYBPA’s Ed Kavalee Tom Gleisner and Sam Pang
Have You Been Paying Attention during Covid 19?
Have You Been Paying Attention? hasn’t returned yet in 2021 but Kavalee said that production last year during Covid was an interesting experience.
“We started on Zoom and then we went to silos at Channel 10. Sam Pang somehow scored the new studio, I was in a cupboard and Tom Gleisner was in the coffin that he sleeps in.
“As I was saying all last year we have wanted to the show remotely for years because we can’t stand each other so this was just an excuse.”
Kavalee said that one thing didn’t change which he described as a Sam Pang classic.
“A guest quiz master will come on and Sam will go ‘they were nice, they will go all right’ and we all go ‘that was Conrad Sewell he has had a fair few hits and he is on your radio station every day!’”