Hamish Blake reveals A-lister’s ‘life-changing’ interview answer

The radio and TV star has interviewed the world’s biggest celebrities – but one said something he still thinks about “all the time”.

Hamish Blake has interviewed some of the most famous people in the world – but there was one celebrity conversation he still thinks about “all the time”.

The beloved radio and TV personality appeared on ABC’s new series, The Assembly, which sees high-profile figures appear in front of a classroom of Australian university students, all of whom are autistic and studying journalism – and all of whom are allowed to ask whatever they want.

The result? An extraordinarily honest and wide-ranging conversation.

“You’ve interviewed a lot of people over the years, what answer to a question has most changed your perspective on life?” one of the students, Silas, asked a clearly-impressed Blake.

“Ooooh … really good,” he responded.

“We had Richard Branson on [Hamish and Andy], and one of the guys on our radio show, Jack, he basically said to him, ‘You are a billionaire. Can we just go downstairs to the ATM, can you give me a thousand dollars? It’s nothing to you but it will change my month’.”

Silas’ question impressed Blake. Picture: ABC

The comedian detailed the celebrity interview that always “stuck” with him. Picture: ABC

Blake went on to explain that the British entrepreneur gave a surprising response that has stayed with him ever since.

“He was like, ‘I’ll tell you what – there’s something I’d give you all my money for’, and Jack’s like, ‘really?’ and [Richard] goes, ‘your age’.

“I was like, that’s interesting. Jack was 22, and we were like, ‘What do you mean by that?’ and he said, 'I’d happily be broke and 22 than a billionaire and 68’, or whatever he was at the time.”

The Lego Wars host added that it had “always stuck” with him.

“It’s true. I think that it will be true for all of us. As we get older, you’re like, ‘OK, money’s thing in life, a tool that can certainly take some bad situations and discomfort away, but it’s not happiness’. It’s nowhere near the exhilaration of getting to live, and all the best stuff is free,” he said.

“I think about that all the time … That always stuck with me, that idea that we’ve got something immediately available to us, that in the future we’d give all our material possessions for.”

Sir Richard Branson. Picture: Brendan Beckett

Elsewhere during the interview, Blake burst into laughter as it was pointed out that he often looks “out of place” in his opulent Vaucluse mansion, which was purchased in 2020 for $9 million and extensively renovated.

“I saw a video on TikTok of your Sydney house being shown and everyone in the comments agreed that you look very out of place,” another student, Dale, asked.

“Do you sometimes feel that you look a bit rough in your house?”

“Yes to be honest, yes. That is not the house I grew up in, nor is it very familiar to me compared to any share-houses I lived in previously to getting married,” Blake admitted.

“I’ts a really beautiful home and my wife definitely took the lead … like we renovated it and our friend, Yas, who’s an amazing designer, she did it. Like none of it is me. Sometimes I walk into the kitchen, and it’s like I’m in a fancy hotel.”

A peek inside Blake's luxury home in Sydney. Picture: Instagram/@zotheysay

Blake was also asked about his friendship with longtime comedy partner Andy Lee, and student Anastasia asked him to list his “pros and cons”.
“I haven’t done the list for a while,” the comedian joked.

“The pros are – I was so lucky to meet someone that you kind of have that chemistry with, and I would say like it’s a friend chemistry, but it’s also a performer chemistry … And it’s obviously different to like a romantic chemistry, but it’s unique.

“It’s almost like a dance. You just don’t really have to think about it, you’re just very easy around each other and it’s very fun.”

Blake went on to credit Lee for helping propel their brand into the massive success it’s now become.

“One of the huge things I’m grateful for to Andy is that I think he provided a lot of encouragement and courage to, kind of, go and do things and take risks when we were younger – and I’m really glad we did that.”

Cons? “He’s really finicky about the time.”

The Assembly airs 8.30pm Tuesdays on ABC TV and can be streamed on ABC iview.