Fat Pizza, stand-up comedian Anthony Salame moves to radio

Anthony Salame, who found fame in Australia with SBS hit Fat Pizza and his stand-up shows, has moved overseas to a country he has deemed as a “danger zone” to take up a sought after gig.

If you’ve been wondering where Anthony Salame disappeared to, he’s been in Beirut, Lebanon hosting a radio show for the past six years — of course.

The comedian found fame in Australia with crass SBS show Fat Pizza and his stand-up, which made him an ideal candidate to host Lebanon’s first Virgin Radio station, which was the highest rating in the country for the whole six years.

And while few Australian radio contracts would involve danger zones and car bombings, Salame took it in his stead.

Comedian Anthony Salame disappeared from Australia six years ago to host the highest rating radio show in Lebanon. Picture: Tim Hunter

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“You are so close to a danger zone, as they call it, but you don’t always feel it,” he told Confidential.

“In 2013 within the first year there was a car bomb that happened about 45 minutes from where I live.

“When people heard that they’d say ‘Oh my God, why did you stay there?’ but I’m like if you lived in the city and a car exploded in Mount Druitt you wouldn’t pack your bags and leave the country. “I didn’t feel unsafe there.”

He rose to fame working on Fat Pizza alongside Rob Shehadie and Tahar Bilgic.

Salame is hoping to find another radio opportunity but in Australia.

And why would he? He was living in a resort on the Mediterranean coastline during his stint, a stark contrast to his current living conditions … his parent’s house.

That’s OK with him, since he returned to Australia because he missed his family.

But that won’t mean he won’t miss his gig overseas and his loyal audience.

“Over there it’s not like here where every radio show has a stand-up comic, it had never been done before,” he said.

“When I went over it was a really big deal for them, they were like ‘Oh my God, someone to make us laugh every morning’. It was totally new for them and that’s why they embraced me.”

Salame is now looking for new radio opportunities, this time in Oz.

Originally published as Fat Pizza, stand-up comedian Anthony Salame moves to radio