Podcast | Ed Kavalee on Have You Been Paying Attention?, Cup Fever! and the biggest year of his career – For more than a decade, Ed Kavalee has become one of the most versatile figures in Australian entertainment.
Whether he’s delivering perfectly timed one-liners on Have You Been Paying Attention?, entertaining breakfast radio listeners, producing television behind the scenes or writing children’s books with his family, Kavalee has built a career that refuses to be defined by a single role.
In an industry that increasingly rewards specialisation, Kavalee has built a career doing exactly the opposite.
On the latest episode of the TV Central One-on-One Podcast, Aaron Ryan catches up with the comedian, writer, producer and television personality to discuss the projects keeping him busier than ever.
With Have You Been Paying Attention? continuing to dominate Monday nights, Cup Fever! launching throughout the FIFA World Cup and Cop This arriving later this year, there has arguably never been a busier time to sit down with one of Australia’s most recognisable entertainers.
From comedy and football to TV Burp and ambitious new projects, it’s a conversation that reveals the many sides of one of Australia’s busiest entertainers.
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Among the topics discussed is the enduring success of Have You Been Paying Attention?, the Working Dog-produced comedy quiz show that has become one of Australia’s most enduring television success stories.
Now more than a decade into its run, the series continues to attract strong audiences each Monday night, proving that clever writing, quick wit and genuine chemistry can still outperform much larger entertainment formats.
During the conversation, Ed reflects on the show’s remarkable longevity, the preparation that goes into each episode and whether finding the funniest answer is sometimes harder than finding the correct one.
The podcast also turns its attention to Cup Fever!, SBS’s nightly FIFA World Cup companion vodcast.
Premiering throughout the FIFA World Cup, the comedy-first vodcast reunites Ed with fellow football enthusiast Santo Cilauro for a nightly look at the tournament’s biggest stories, unforgettable moments and unexpected heroes.
Produced by Working Dog Productions and filmed before a live audience, Cup Fever! promises a fresh take on sports coverage — one designed as much for casual viewers as lifelong football devotees.
And if that wasn’t enough, Ed is also preparing to unveil one of his most personal projects yet.
Later this year, viewers will see the premiere of Cop This, a feature-length comedy that Ed created, wrote, produced, co-directed and stars in.
Set inside a suburban police station facing replacement by an AI-powered terminal on Grand Final Day, the telemovie follows two officers tasked with babysitting a drug dealer during the station’s final hours. Featuring more than 40 comedians and performers, Cop This is shaping up to be one of the year’s most anticipated Australian comedy events.
Away from television, Ed’s career has spanned radio, live performance, acting and publishing.
He’s been a familiar voice on Australian breakfast radio for more than two decades and has held prominent roles across a variety of successful programs. His ability to move seamlessly between television, radio, live performance and writing has helped cement his reputation as one of Australia’s most adaptable entertainers.
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Alongside his professional achievements, he has also ventured into children’s publishing, co-authoring Daddy’s Embarrassing Exploding Farty Shorts and Mummy’s Farty Mother’s Day Mystery with his son Arnold, while previously collaborating with wife Tiffiny Hall on A First Time for Everything.
Together, Ed and Tiffiny are proud parents to Arnold and Vada.
Throughout the podcast, Aaron and Ed discuss balancing an increasingly diverse career, the creative satisfaction that comes from working both in front of and behind the camera, and what excites him most about the next chapter of his professional journey.
It’s a conversation filled with humour, honesty and insight from one of Australia’s most recognisable entertainers. Whether you know Ed from Have You Been Paying Attention?, his radio work or his growing list of projects behind the camera, it’s a fascinating insight into one of Australia’s busiest creative talents.
What’s in this episode?
• The secret behind the enduring success of Have You Been Paying Attention?
• What really goes into appearing on HYBPA each week.
• Why finding the funniest answer can be harder than finding the right one.
• Why Cup Fever! isn’t just for football fanatics.
• Producing a nightly World Cup vodcast with Santo Cilauro.
• What Ed learned from writing, producing and starring in Cop This.
• Co-authoring children’s books with his son Arnold.
• Whether he actually can do everything
• What excites Ed most about the next 12 months.
Follow Ed Kavalee
Ed Kavalee on Instagram HERE
Special thanks
Thanks to Rachel Martin at Paramount for organising this podcast.
TV Central gratefully acknowledges the support of publicity teams, networks and talent representatives who help make these conversations possible.
About Have You Been Paying Attention?
For more than a decade, Monday nights in Australia have become synonymous with one very important question: Have You Been Paying Attention?
Now firmly established as one of Australia’s most successful local entertainment formats, the Working Dog-produced series continues to prove that sharp writing, quick thinking and great chemistry can still cut through in an increasingly crowded television landscape.
Ed Kavalee and Sam Pang have become synonymous with the program, appearing as permanent panellists throughout much of its remarkable run.
Have You Been Paying Attention? airs Monday nights on 10.
TV Central 10 content HERE
Link to 10 HERE
About Cup Fever!
The FIFA World Cup always delivers unforgettable moments — dramatic goals, heartbreaking exits and heroes nobody saw coming.
With Cup Fever!, SBS and Working Dog Productions are offering viewers a chance to relive it all through a distinctly Australian lens.
Hosted by football tragics Santo Cilauro and Ed Kavalee, the comedy-first companion series unpacks the day’s biggest stories with humour, insight and a few laughs along the way.
Whether you’re a diehard football supporter or someone who only tunes in every four years, Cup Fever! aims to ensure everyone feels part of the world’s biggest sporting event.
The series streams nightly on SBS On Demand and the SBS Sport YouTube channel, with encore screenings on SBS VICELAND.
SBS link HERE
About Cop This
If Ed Kavalee wasn’t already busy enough, he’s also preparing to launch one of his most ambitious projects to date.
Created, written, produced and co-directed by Kavalee, Cop This follows two suburban police officers on Grand Final Day as their station prepares to be replaced by an AI-powered terminal.
Featuring more than 40 comedians and performers, the telemovie promises plenty of laughs while showcasing another side of Ed’s creative talents behind the camera.
For audiences who know Ed primarily as a quick-witted panellist, Cop This also serves as a reminder of the breadth of his creative ambitions.
It may also be the project that reminds audiences just how much Ed Kavalee contributes to Australian entertainment, both in front of and behind the camera.
Cop This premieres later this year on 10 before streaming on Paramount+.
Paramount+ link HERE
Watch: Ed Kavalee’s funniest Have You Been Paying Attention? moments on YouTube
Watch: Ed Kavalee discusses family, parenting and children’s books
