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Vale: Doug Mulray

Veteran Radio and TV host 'Uncle Doug' Mulray, has died, aged 71.

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Veteran Radio and TV host ‘Uncle Doug’ Mulray, has died, aged 71.

He passed away in a Sydney hospital on Thursday.

Mulray had been unwell for some time, last reported as being hospitalised with a chronic illness in December.

Known for his outrageous humour, Mulray’s glory days in radio were on Sydney radio in the 80s and 90s. Amongst his radio gigs were 2AD, 2GO, 3AW, 2JJ, 2SM, 2WS and most notably at TripleM,

There were also dalliances in television hosting Mulray, which ran briefly in the early 1990s, hosting Beauty and the Beast, judging Starstruck, plus motorsports commentary.

But it was his infamous Australia’s Naughtiest Home Videos for which his TV appearances is unforgettable. With clips of fornicating animals, after just 34 minutes, Nine magnate Kerry Packer rang the station to order “Get that shit off the air!”

After a long commercial break and series of promos, it was replaced by an episode of Cheers.

Veteran Nine staffer Richard Lyle once told TV Tonight about the red hotline phone that kept staff on alert.

“The first thing you were told, ‘If that phone rings, somebody has to answer it within three rings!’” he said.

“If he had the slightest complaint, it was escalated if the phone hadn’t been picked up within the first three rings.”

Lyle credited the calmness of Nine’s Helen Cashman who took the call.

“To her credit, she always said he was perfectly polite on the phone. He just wanted it gone. She said ‘The next day I got the most enormous bouquet of flowers I’ve ever seen in my life!’

“I am the first man in Australian history to be pulled off by Kerry Packer,” Mulray later declared.

The episode would eventually run in 2008 as a special when it was found in the Nine archives, with an introduction by Bert Newton.

15 Responses

  1. I grew through high school with Uncle Doug. He and Clive Robertson (on ABC) were genuinely funny and rare – some notables made their break through starts on his show. Nothing today really compares. Some favorites: ‘how are you…I’m fine…and you….remarkably well for a man of my personal habits.” Copulater Uncle Doug.

  3. Bring back Beauty and the Beast! Kyle Sandilands, Mike Carlton, an ex-Liberal politician…so many men and many more beauties who would make for fiery debate and discussion.

    1. Wow. That’s the funniest comment I’ve read in ages. Uncle Doug would also chuckle at that one I spose.
      Sadly I think Kerry would hardly be able to speak on account of him being in total shock as to what his network is broadcasting today.
      But if he could speak, that red phone would be ringing off the hook!!!

  9. Very sad to hear of the death of Doug Mulray. I remember him hosting Beauty and the Beast. And I remember that special Australia’s Naughtiest Home Videos episode Bert Newton hosted because I’ve heard the story about Kerry Packer pulling the episode. RIP Doug.

  10. Sad news.
    Uncle Doug was an Incredibly bright and very funny man.
    Razor sharp wit as well – always pushing the boundaries that little bit extra but so clever he managed to get away with it.
    I remember listening to his immensely popular Triple M radio show in the mid 80s – he really was King of the airwaves back then.
    A great tribute to Doug by Andrew Denton on the Nine News website.

  11. A legend sadly lost

    People may not know that he was a pioneer with the early days on internet here in Australia doing broadcasts via the internet also

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