Jonathan Coleman (presenter)
An Australian broadcasting dynamo whose infectious energy and quick wit defined radio and TV for decades.
1956–2021 (age 65)·Australian broadcaster·Birthday: February 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jonathan Coleman’s voice was the sound of Australian mornings for a generation. Bursting onto the scene with the groundbreaking radio duo ‘Jono and Dano’ alongside Ian Rogerson, he brought a new, anarchic energy to the airwaves, mixing prank calls, sharp banter, and celebrity interviews. This radio chemistry effortlessly transitioned to television, where Coleman became a fixture on music shows, breakfast programs, and as a host of iconic events like the ARIA Awards. His style was never that of a distant presenter; he was the enthusiastic friend in your living room, capable of interviewing a rock star and a politician with the same genuine, slightly mischievous curiosity. Coleman’s career spanned the UK as well, but it was in Australia that his particular blend of charm and chaos felt most like home.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jonathan was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jonathan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Jonathan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2021Died at 65
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
Key Achievements
- Pioneered a new style of drive-time radio with the hugely influential 'Jono and Dano' show on 2Day FM.
- Hosted the popular music television program 'Saturday Morning Live' and the breakfast TV show 'The Big Breakfast' in Australia.
- Served as a longtime host and presenter for the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards ceremonies.
- Co-hosted the national UK television show 'The Word' in the 1990s, gaining international recognition.
Did You Know?
He was a champion schoolboy swimmer and once held a junior backstroke record in New South Wales.
Coleman voiced the character of Noddy in the Australian version of the children's TV series 'Make Way for Noddy'.
He and his radio partner Ian 'Dano' Rogerson were known for their elaborate on-air pranks, including fake interviews with world leaders.
He authored a children's book series called 'The Slobberers'.
“I've always thought that radio is the theatre of the mind. Television is just a piece of furniture.”
