Timothy Jonathon Ross (nicknamed Rosso) is an Australian comedian, radio host, writer and television presenter. He began his career performing stand-up comedy with Merrick Watts as part of the duo Merrick and Rosso. He is now better known as the presenter of the ABC shows Streets of Your Town and Designing a Legacy, which reflect his personal enthusiasm for design and architecture.

Tim Ross
Ross in 2011
Born
Timothy Jonathon Ross
Other namesRosso (nickname)
EducationRMIT University
LaTrobe University
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • radio host
  • writer
  • television presenter
Known forMerrick and Rosso comedy duo, architecture and design advocacy

Education

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Ross studied drama and music at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and La Trobe University, also in Melbourne, graduating as a Bachelor of Arts.[1]

Career

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Live performance

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Ross began his career in comedy, and first came together with Merrick Watts when they teamed up for a one off comedy show in 1996.[2] They went on to appear in stand-up together very often, touring Australia and participating in many comedy festivals. They collaborated as authors too, co-authoring Merrick and Rosso, The Book and Merrick and Rosso, The Book Volume 2. As well as performing as a comedian, Ross has fronted the comedy band Black Rose, which opened the Vivofit festival in Melbourne and Sydney in 2009.

Radio

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Ross began his careers with Merrick Watts at Triple J performing a weekly guest spot on the drive-time program on Triple J radio in 1998 as Merrick and Rosso. They became full-time presenters and then in 2001 they moved to newly launched commercial radio station Nova 96.9 for the breakfast radio shift. Co-hosts on the breakfast show included Katrina Blowers, Sami Lukis and Kate Ritchie. Ross left the successful radio program in 2009. At the end of 2011 Ross rejoined breakfast radio, signing for Sydney commercial radio station Mix 106.5 with co-host comedian Claire Hooper.[3]

In December 2012, Mix 106.5 announced that Ross and Hooper would be replaced by a new breakfast show with Sami Lukis and Yumi Stynes in 2013. Tim was appointed drive presenter on the Mix Network with anchor Matt Baseley.

Television

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The first television series hosted by Merrick and Rosso was Planet Merrick and Rosso (later known as Super Planet Merrick and Rosso) on The Comedy Channel. They had a guest role on top rating Australian drama series All Saints in 2003.[4] In 2003 their television show Merrick and Rosso Unplanned debuted on the Nine Network followed by The B Team on Network Ten in 2005. In 2008, they returned to the Comedy Channel with an original format entitled 'The Merrick & Rosso Show'. In 2009, Ross became a guest entertainment reporter for Nine's Today.[5]

In 2010, he hosted Uncharted, an unsigned band competition series on MTV Australia and became the host of television series Australia Versuson the Seven Network. In 2011, Ross joined Weekend Sunrise as a Weekend All Star replacing Paul Murray. He also hosted the third season of No Leave, No Life.

As of 2012, Ross has been a regular contributor to entertainment and lifestyle website Live4.[6]

In 2016, Ross presented Streets of Your Town, a two part television documentary series about Australian modernist architecture, which was the most watched arts program on the ABC that year.

In 2021, Ross presented Designing A Legacy, a one-hour television documentary on the ABC, where Ross met with families whose lives had been shaped by iconic architecture.

 
Tim Ross chats with Sandii Lyons for Designing A Legacy

Architecture and design

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Ross's interest in architecture has led to speaking engagements at The 50s and 60s House Symposium (Museum of Sydney), Home Series talks (Government House), Sydney Design Week, and he is an ambassador for Sydney Open. In 2012 Tim became a member of the Creative Services Advisory Committee for Sydney Living Museums. Ross spoke at the opening of the London Design Museum, gave the Heritage Council Address in 2018 in Melbourne and was a keynote speaker at the Culture of Lates Symposium in London. In December 2018 he launched the "Home: A Suburban Obsession" exhibition at the State Library of Queensland.[7]

He has written on architecture for various publications including Real Living, Habitus, The Saturday Paper, The Smith Journal, Qantas Magazine and The Guardian.

In 2019, Ross was awarded the prestigious National President's Prize[8] from the Australian Institute of Architects for his advocacy work in architecture.

Ross's two part series on Australian architecture, Streets of Your Town premiered on ABC TV in November 2016. Followed by Designing A Legacy in February 2021 on ABC TV.

 
Tim Ross with his best selling book Scorcher

Writing / Publishing

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In 2017, Ross launched his second book, The Rumpus Room,[9] capturing nostalgic short stories about life in Australia's suburbs in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

In collaboration with the National Archives of Australia, Ross created a coffee table book called MOTEL – Images of Australia on Holidays,[10] released in 2019 in conjunction with his live show performed with best friend Kit Warhurst.

Scorcher,[11] a collection of short stories on the Australian summer of the 70s and 80s was released in December 2021 and is now in its second print run.

Personal life

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Ross is married to Michelle Glew-Ross[12] and has two sons, Bugsy and Bobby.[13][14]

Discography

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Studio albums

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Title Details Peak positions
AUS
[15]
Choice Cuts
(as Merrick and Rosso)
  • Release date: November 2000
  • Label: ABC Audio (5298442)
  • Formats: CD
-
From Us to Youse
(as Merrick and Rosso)
  • Release date: November 2002
  • Label: Sony Music (5101842000)
  • Formats: CD
52

Video albums

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Title Details
Live And Totally Wrong
(as Merrick and Rosso)
  • Release date: November 2007
  • Formats: DVD

Singles

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Title Year
"Teenage Mullet Fury"
(As Merrick and Rosso with The Echuca Moama Sound Machine)
1998

Awards and nominations

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ARIA Music Awards

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The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
1999 Teenage Mullet Fury ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release Nominated [16]
2003 From Us to Youse Won
2008 Live and Totally Wrong! Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "From the VC's Desk'". La Trobe University. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  2. ^ "The Official Merrick And Rosso Website". Archived from the original on 11 July 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  3. ^ "Tim 'Rosso' Ross on Mix 106.5 breakfasts, seedy Aussie pubs and comedy band Black Rose". EFTM – Everything for the man. 15 February 2012.
  4. ^ "Merrick and Rosso – Gallery Portrait Alt (288x433) | Merrick and Rosso | The Courier-Mail". Archived from the original on 31 May 2012.
  5. ^ Tim Ross Signs On Just For Today The Daily Telegraph [dead link]
  6. ^ "Tim Ross". Archived from the original on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  7. ^ Cheng, Linda. "Rare photographic collection of Queensland houses goes on exhibition". Architecture Au. Architecture Media. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  8. ^ "2019 National Prizes: National President's Prize". ArchitectureAU. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  9. ^ "The Rumpus Room and other stories from the suburbs-". Modernister Books. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Motel – Images of Australia on Holidays". Modernister Books. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Scorcher". Modernister Books. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  12. ^ "Launch of Celebrity couple Tim Ross and his wife Michelle Glew-Ross bar Park St Social Club – Photos | The Manly Daily". Archived from the original on 26 April 2009.
  13. ^ Rosso welcomes Bugsy on Twitter, Herald Sun, 7 June 2011.
  14. ^ Tim Ross Celebrates Arrival Of Second Child On Australia Day The Daily Telegraph [dead link]
  15. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 185.
  16. ^ "ARIA Awards Best Comedy Release". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 17 April 2022.
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Media offices
Preceded by No Leave, No Life host
season 3
Succeeded by
program finished