Rhys Nicholson
"Comedy fame is perfect because there's no paparazzi involved. Our job as comedians is to talk about ourselves, there's no-one trying to needle into your life.."
Rhys Nicholson is a much-loved comedian, television personality and gay, non-binary icon who has spent years performing and building a following. They have been doing live solo shows as a comedian for over a decade, and is famous for marrying lesbian and fellow comedian Zoe Coombs Marr at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2016 to put a spotlight on marriage equality in Australia.
In 2023, Nicholson took their knack for story-telling and hilarity and poured it into a memoir. Titled Dish, this debut release is a heady mix of personal stories, recipes, gossip, overthinking, and randomness.
Meet Rhys Nicholson
Rhys Nicholson was born in Newcastle, New South Wales in 1990 to artist parents. Their quick wit and self-deprecating humour helped them discover a love for comedy and live entertainment, which started a career in the public eye.
Nicholson’s early days in the business began with a live solo show, Social Liability, and a documentary on ABC titled GayCrashers. From there, every new year meant a new show for Rhys.
In 2019, they were chosen to open for Conan O’Brien in his Australian comedy tour, after which Rhys was invited to be a stand up guest on Conan. Later that year, they recorded a solo stand up special for Netflix, becoming just the third Australian to do so (and earning a nomination for Best Stand Up Comedy Special at the AACTA Awards).
They more recently graced our screens as a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, and as a contestant on the second series of Taskmaster Australia.
In their personal life, Rhys has been married to Kyran Wheatley – a former Triple J radio presenter – since late 2023.