David Smiedt: Joke Machine, MC Pro, Sydney’s Sharpest

David Smiedt has been making Sydney laugh for many years, and he came a long way to do it — literally. Born in South Africa and now a fixture on the local circuit, he first took the mic at The Local in St Kilda in 2006 and never really stopped. Stand-up, MC work, corporate entertainment, magazine writing — David does all of it, and does it well. He's hosted glittering events at the Marble Bar in the Hilton, performed at the Comedy Store Sydney, and somehow also found time to be GQ's grooming editor. Worth noting: he remains the only journalist in Australian publishing history to appear in concurrent issues of both Ralph and Your Garden. Make of that what you will.

The résumé is, frankly, a lot. Adam Hills once called David "a living breathing joke machine", and the evidence is hard to argue with. He's opened for Joan Rivers at the Enmore Theatre, shared bills with Mark Watson and Martin Short, and played stages from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to the Comic Strip in New York City. In 2017, a cancer diagnosis became the unlikely origin story for "Finding Chemo" — a sell-out touring show that turned a brutal experience into something an audience could laugh through together. That same instinct led him to establish the first bedside comedy club for cancer patients at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse hospital. Along the way, he's written seven humorous books, including "Boom Boom: 100 Years of Australian Comedy", and contributes regularly to more than 30 magazines including Elle, Vogue, and Women's Health.

David is exactly the kind of host who makes a room feel alive — experienced, quick, and genuinely fun to watch work a crowd. Equally at home in front of a camera as a mic, he's a regular face on The Today Show, Sunrise, and Mornings with Kerri-Ann. Find out more at davidsmiedt.com.au.

Social media & links

Website: davidsmiedt.com.au