Best Food Forward

The Early Years in the Australian Comedy Scene

One of Australia's biggest comic personalities, much-loved host of Spicks and Specks and the hit UK TV show The Last Leg, Adam Hills' charming and witty memoir is a lesson in following your heart, being positive and discovering that what makes you different also makes you unique.

Adam Hills was a quiet primary school kid with a prosthetic foot who did all his homework and only spoke when spoken to. His dad sparked in him a love of comedy, and together they'd spend hours watching and listening to the likes of Peter Sellers and Mel Brooks. So when it was Adam's turn to speak, he made sure he was funny.

Once he hit high school, comedy was Adam's obsession (along with a deep love for the South Sydney Rabbitohs). While his mates were listening to Iron Maiden and AC/DC, he was listening to Kenny Everett and Billy Connolly. And when a report card came home with a comment praising his sense of humour, he was far prouder of that than his grades (his mum not so much).

Adam's shyness and his missing foot never held him back, though wearing thongs was tricky. While other teens snuck off to meet girls and drink cheap booze, Adam snuck off to see a young Jim Carrey perform. After that, a steady diet of Rodney Rude, Vince Sorrenti and Robin Williams led this sheltered, virginal university student from The Shire to his first stand-up open mic night on his 19th birthday.

In Best Foot Forward, Adam describes his early years on the Australian comedy scene sharing gigs with Steady Eddy and Jimeoin, how he coped the first time he died on stage, his early-morning apprenticeship in radio, touring the world's comedy festivals, the magic of Spicks and Specks and his hosting gig for the 2008 Paralympics that led to his hit UK TV show The Last Leg. Kermit the Frog, Whoopi Goldberg, Barry Humphries, Billy Connolly - Adam's learned from the best. In this charming and witty memoir Adam Hills shows how hard work, talent and being proudly different can see you find your feet.

Adam Hills is best known to most Australians as the five-time Gold Logie-nominated host of ABC TV's top-rating music quiz show Spicks and Specks, and hit chat show Adam Hills Tonight. He has since taken the UK by storm with his own talk show, The Last Leg, which screens in Australia on the ABC. Originally a one-off series for the 2012 London Paralympics, the Poms loved him so much it has been on air ever since.

Dubbed the nicest guy in comedy, when he is not conquering the small screen he is treading the boards as one of the finest stand-up comedians, selling out rooms around the country and around the world.

In amongst this he's won a Helpmann Award, released bestselling stand-up DVDs, performed for the Queen alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Lady Gaga and Bette Midler, and hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Paralympics for ABC TV.

Best Food Forward
Hachette Australia
Author: Adam Hills
ISBN: 9780733640575
RRP: $32.99