Hughesy prepares to eat bull’s testicles, bungee jump, learn to cook rice and be a reality TV star as he switches off his radio career

“As a vegan it is going to be tricky eating bull’s testicles,” says Dave Hughes of his shock reality TV move as he switches off his lucrative, decades-long FM radio career.

Comedy superstar Dave Hughes has signed up for Channel 10’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here. Picture: Supplied

Comedy superstar Dave Hughes is happy to put his radio days behind him and instead eat bull’s testicles, bungee jump and learn to cook rice.

For the first time in years ‘Hughesy’ is without an FM radio hosting gig, following the axing of his Sydney 2DayFM breakfast show in mid last year, and is open to new experiences including signing on for Channel 10’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here.

“I am very happy not to be on commercial radio this year,” he said.

“To be honest, I am sick to death of the songs. I don’t want to hear the same seven songs every morning for the rest of my life.

“It is something I have done for a long time and it has been lucrative for decades … I have made wise investments.

“I am absolutely happy to have a break for a long time. I have had the same experience every year for 20 years and why? There is no need now. I should do what I want to do and that is partly why I am going into the jungle, for the fun of it and for something different.

“I love stand-up comedy more than anything and that will fill most of my time (in 2025) which is good.”

For the first time in years ‘Hughesy’ is without an FM radio hosting gig, following the axing of his breakfast show. Picture: Channel 10.

Hughesy’s 2DayFM breakfast show with Erin Molan and Ed Kavalee launched in 2020 and was surprisingly axed last August.

Based in Melbourne, Hughesy said he found himself torn between two cities as co-host of the show.

“I enjoyed the people I worked with, no doubt, and we had a lot of fun,” he said.

“Initially the intention was to move to Sydney, but it just did not happen. Firstly there was Covid and my family was settled in Melbourne, my wife enjoyed her job and my kids were enjoying their school, so after a while we realised I was not going to move.

“I was travelling up there every week, I definitely spent a lot of time in Sydney, but I was torn between two cities. I was basically pretending to live in Sydney for three and a half years and it was exhausting and I could not really express myself how I wanted to.

“It was a massive compromise and it was no one’s fault. I agreed to it, but when we did not move it was an issue, there is no doubt.

“Even though I did enjoy it and enjoyed working with everyone there, I am very happy now I do not have to do that.”

One thing he is happy doing is I’m A Celebrity, although as a vegan who is not an outdoors type he admits he is stepping far outside his comfort zone on the show.

“I have always thought it (IAC) looks like fun and, even though I don’t like camping, I like people and I like talking to people, so I am actually really looking forward to having conversations with people I don’t know and having in depth conversations that can last for days,” he said.

Hughesy’s 2DayFM breakfast show with Erin Molan and Ed Kavalee launched in 2020 and was surprisingly axed last August. Picture: Supplied

“As a vegan it is going to be tricky eating bull’s testicles,” he said alluding to the show’s disgusting and stomach turning eating challenges.

“I am not a militant vegan, I am a vegan for my health and I think everything in moderation, so I guess one bull’s testicle per 30 years should be okay.

“Not having coffee is going to be tough, the reason I get up in the morning is for coffee and that won’t be there, so that is going to be tricky.

“I have heard you can smuggle stuff into the camp, so maybe I will get some rubber gloves and shove some sachets of Nescafe up my arse.”

Hughesy said he would not be taking the jungle challenge on if it wasn’t for the support of Holly.

“My wife is an angel for letting me do it,” he said.

“I am very, very lucky that she is okay for me to take off for up to a month to live my silly dreams.”

Hughesy said he had learnt one key survival tip from interviewing previous I’m A Celebrity contestants over the years.

“Learn how to boil rice, if you f*** the rice up no one eats, so I have to work out how to boil rice,” he said.

I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! premieres Sunday, January 19 at 7pm on 10 and 10 Play.