Rhys Nicholson (born 22 April 1990) is an Australian comedian and actor known for being a judge on Drag Race Down Under from 2021 onwards.
| Rhys Nicholson | |
|---|---|
 Nicholson in 2019 | |
| Born | 22 April 1990 Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia |
| Medium | Stand-up comedy, theatre, television, film |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Spouse | Kyran Wheatley |
| Website | www |
Career
In 2011, Nicholson featured in the ABC documentary GayCrashers, alongside Joel Creasey, in which the duo travel to the small town of Colac and perform a stand-up show. Creasey had been the subject of a homophobic attack on an earlier visit to the town.[1]
Rhys Nicholson stars on the show The Weekly with Charlie Pickering.
In 2016, to highlight the importance of marriage equality in Australia, Nicholson publicly married lesbian and fellow comedian Zoe Coombs Marr at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. That year Nicholson and Coombs Marr were also both nominated for the Barry Award for Best Show, which Coombs Marr won.[2]
In 2021, Nicholson served as a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, alongside RuPaul and Michelle Visage.[3] The same year they appeared on the panel show Patriot Brains. In 2022, they played Doctor Sarkov in Netflix's Science-Fiction series The Imperfects.[4]
In August 2024, Nicholson will be a contestant on the Third series of Taskmaster Australia.[5]
Live solo shows[6]
- Social Liability (2011)
- Almost a Person (2012)
- Dawn of a New Error (2013)
- Eurgh (2014)
- Forward (2015)
- Bona Fide (2016)
- I'm Fine (2017)
- Seminal (2018)
- Nice People, Nice Things, Nice Situations (2019)
- Live at The Athenaeum (2020)
- Rhys, Rhys, Rhys (2020, 2021, 2022)
Personal life
Nicholson grew up in Newcastle to parents who were both artists.[7] They are the nibling of a member of Machine Gun Fellatio.[8]
Nicholson is gay[9] and non-binary.[10][11] They have also spoken openly about their struggle with bulimia.[12]
In September 2023, Nicholson married their partner, former Triple J radio presenter Kyran Wheatley, with whom they had established Comedy Republic, a comedy venue in Melbourne.[13][14]
Awards and nominations
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Rhys Nicholson Live at The Eternity Playhouse | Best Comedy Release | Nominated | [15] |
