TOP NEW TALENT FOR 2018: 10 Questions with Luke Kidgell and Lewis Spears

Staff Writer

Radio Today has named Luke Kidgell and Lewis Spears as Top New Talent to Watch in 2018 and beyond.

Luke and Lewis are two of Australia’s biggest online entertainers and part of the new wave of emerging stand-up comics that blend the power of online content creation with the traditional skill set of live stand-up comedy.

Friends for years, they describe their show as “a mix of banter, challenges, sketches and other intriguing buzzwords”.

But buzz is exactly what they are creating, thanks to the transition from a daily show on Triple M Modern Digital to their new Fox FM Sunday nights show via SCA’s internal talent development unit, Hubble.

Below, Luke and Lewis answer Ten Questions from Radio Today.

  • Who/what inspired you to choose a career in radio?
Whilst doing our weekly shopping we heard the dulcet tones of Coles Radio and said: “Wow, we have to get on this train!” (said in unison)
.Unfortunately, they weren’t hiring so we went to SCA which was a strong second preference.
  • Most memorable on-air moment so far?
Lewis told Luke the only way to prove he doesn’t live in the country is to walk to work.
 So the next day Luke woke up at 5am, walked 30 kilometres in six hours and successfully proved to Lewis that he lived within walking distance, therefore proving he is an inner city boy.

(Just around the corner mate)

  • What was the most awkward moment you had in your early years of radio?
Well, we’ve only been doing radio for about four months so we haven’t hit the “early years” stage yet, could we book in a phone call for 2019 so we can answer this one then?
  • What’s one radio skill that you’ve mastered, and what’s one radio skill that you’re currently working on?
Currently, we have a black belt in making fun of the radio station that employs us but the only thing holding us back at the moment is the fact that Luke only knows how to speak Japanese. 
To get around this, Lewis has to translate everything Luke says in real time live on-air.
  • How do you prepare for your shift on-air?
Generally, we meet three hours before each show and spend two hours and fifty minutes playing Uno and arm wrestling.
After that, we use the remaining ten minutes on Pedestrian TV perusing their insightful and engaging articles so we can relate to better to the youth of today.
  • How does the person you are on air differ from the person you are off air?

Luke is the exact same person on air as he is off-air. In fact, it’s quite frustrating to be around. No matter where we are or what we’re doing, Luke will constantly try to give away tickets to Ed Sheeran and he ends every sentence with “Give us a call on 13 10 60!”Lewis, however, is a completely different person when the mics are off. On-air he is Lewis Spears, the quintessential radio professional. Off-air he is a woman called Margaret Summersby, a 46-year-old housewife from England.
  • What’s the one piece of advice you were given that you can pass along?
“Oi, Black Panther was pretty good, you should see it” – one of Luke’s cousins
Spot on advice, it was pretty good actually.
  • Sum up working in radio in three words.

モダンとデジタル

(Japanese for “modern and digital”)

  • What’s your dream radio job?


A lot of people have their sights set on a national drive show, but right now our show is being beaten in the ratings by a supermarket (Coles Radio) so we’ll take anything really.
  • If you weren’t working in radio, what would you be doing?


Luke would be a very successful inspirational speaker but only in Japan. Margaret Summersby would be celebrating her 20th Anniversary with her husband Jeff on their small hobby farm in Buckinghamshire where they raise a small herd of dairy cows, six chickens and one goat.

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