Meet the television, radio and sporting stars who moonlight as Uber drivers
YOU never know who you’ll see behind the wheel of an Uber. Meet the TV, radio and sporting stars who moonlight as drivers for the ride sharing giant.
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DRIVING an Uber is the part time job of choice for students, budding musicians and artists.
But wannabe celebs are not the only creative type you’ll find behind the wheel; the ride sharing company has a string of famous faces on its books.
From ex-rugby league stars to rock ’n’ roll royalty and prime time television personalities, these are the Australians you never thought you’d see driving an Uber.
JOHN BLACKMAN
He’s the broadcasting veteran whose voice has shaped a nation, from four decades spent on Hey Hey It’s Saturday — playing characters including Dickie Knee — to a long career in radio.
But Blackman, whose most recent on-air gig came to an end in May, has been spotted driving an Uber around Melbourne.
The hard working broadcaster, 69, has reportedly embraced the ride sharing giant to keep himself busy in between corporate speaking engagements.
Customers picked up by Blackman in his Holden Stateman described him as “a top bloke” and “an extremely funny guy” on Reddit.
Along with his time on Hey Hey, Blackman has appeared on a long list of television shows including Blankety Blanks, The Paul Hogan Show, Prisoner and Family Feud.
“I grew up in the UK so I had no idea who he was,” one customer wrote.
“We chatted about his youth working in the docks, his trouble finding events work recently and his work on radio.
“I really didn’t figure anything until he mentioned he worked for Magic and I had to check who he was. Definitely deserved the five stars. Was a good driver.”
Blackman was unceremoniously dumped from his breakfast announcer spot on Magic 1278 in Melbourne and Magic 882 in Brisbane by Macquarie Media Ltd in May, despite having boosted the show’s ratings.
IAN ROBERTS
Ex-rugby league player Ian Roberts is a jack of all trades.
The former South Sydney Rabbitohs prop has forged a modelling and acting career, appearing in Australian film Little Fish with Cate Blanchett, as well as television shows Underbelly and Sea Patrol.
After slogging it out in Hollywood for five years, Roberts — who was the world’s first high-profile rugby league player to come out as gay — is branching out into politics, taking on Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s team as a Labor-endorsed candidate in the City of Sydney council elections.
Every thespian knows creative work doesn’t always pay the bills and Roberts has taken plenty of ordinary jobs along the way, working as a sparky, an airport baggage handler and, yes, an Uber driver.
And he’s not the only former Rabbitohs player spotted behind the wheel; Phil Blake, who made him name as a halfback in the 1980s and 1990s, has been driving under the name Philip Kenneth to supplement his coaching work, Triple M reports.
CLARE VERRALL
You wouldn’t think Married At First Sight star Clare Verrall would be easy to miss, but the outspoken blonde has been flying under the radar.
Since her ill-fated match with Jono on the reality show, Verrall has spoken of her dislike of paparazzi and desire for a return to anonymity.
But when she’s behind the wheel of her Uber, she is rarely recognised.
“I’ve had one or two people make the connection, but usually they are just surprised to see a female driver,” Verrall told news.com.au. “It is really dark in there.”
A wrist injury has put Verrall, whose runs a recruitment firm by day, out of Uber action for the time being, but she plans to return once she has recuperated.
“I do it on the side to raise money for animal rescue; on a Friday or Saturday night, if I’m having a quiet one I’ll drive around make some cash to donate,” she said.
NATHAN BRENNER
Forget the Spotify playlist. When rock ’n’ roll veteran Nathan Brenner is driving, you sit back and allow yourself to be taken on a musical journey.
The former manager of 1970s and 1980s rock bands Men at Work and Split Enz now works in creative rights management, but he likes the contact with the public that driving Uber affords him.
Naturally, he’s partial to picking up musical types, including visiting international performers like AC/DC’s Angus Young.
But his most memorable ride, Brenner said, was a French backpacker who had a nasty gash on her leg, but couldn’t get a taxi as she lived just 400m away from the nearest hospital.
“To be able to help people like that gives me a great deal of satisfaction,” he told news.com.au.
Brenner’s Chrysler is “a roomy, comfortable ride” with two iPods stuffed with enough tunes to last 38 days straight, the first hint to the younger rider of his past life at the cutting edge of Australia’s music scene.
And while you may catch the familiar refrain of the hit song Down Under, Brenner’s vast music collection spans the decades and genres.
“It can be anything from Chopin to Frank Ocean,” he said. “It depends what rotates, it’s always surprising ... I tend on weekend nights to take a little bit more energy in it and Sunday, a little bit more laid back — your deeper jazz, funk stuff.”
Brenner has been with Uber since its inception and has served as a spokesman for drivers during a long and heated battle with the taxi industry in Victoria, where a bill to legalise ride sharing is currently before Parliament.
He successfully appealed a $900 fine for operating a taxi without a license in Melbourne’s County Court.
SAM MAC
Call it a stunt if you will, but Sunrise weather man Sam Mac went above and beyond when he signed up as an Uber driver earlier this year.
Besides the standard mints and water, he offered his first ride a selection of marshmallows and chewing gum and “a fancy little container” to pop the chewed-up gum in.
Before hitting play on his tune of choice — Coolio’s 1995 hit Gangsta’s Paradise — he presented passenger Louise with a list of his “Uber rules”: “Karaoke is compulsory, cash tips welcome, no nasty jibes just good vibes, pick the front seat and you get a treat, cash tips are welcome.”
SEXY GALEXY
It was the driver name that gave this pioneer drag king away when she picked up this reporter in Melbourne.
In a rush to get to the airport, the salacious moniker was initially mistaken for a custom license plate.
But Ms Galexy, aka Lexi Leigh, was quick to explain: “I changed my name by deed poll in the 1990s”.
Back then, as a pioneer of Sydney’s drag king scene, Sexy Galexy was the headline act at nightclubs and cabaret events across the city.
In between driving for Uber and running a wellness business, Sexy Galexy’s colourful act is still going strong, with recent appearances at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Perth Fringe.
You just never know who you’ll meet when you catch an Uber.
Originally published as Meet the television, radio and sporting stars who moonlight as Uber drivers
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