Michael Veitch

Michael Veitch is a talented and highly experienced performer, comedian, broadcaster and writer, best known to Australian audiences for his memorable characters on landmark television comedy programs such as The D-Generation, Fast Forward, Full Frontal and the international comedy-drama Shock Jock.

Alongside his comedy career, Michael has established himself as a respected author and historian, publishing eleven books across travel, military history, marine exploration and Australian social history. He is particularly renowned for his work on World War II aviation, including Flak, Fly and his most recent book, Australia’s Secret Army (2022). His deep specialist knowledge is matched by a broad intellectual curiosity encompassing current affairs, politics, history and the arts, with a particular passion for classical music.

From 2006 to 2009, Michael hosted ABC Television’s Sunday Arts, where he interviewed leading artists, composers and cultural figures. He has also worked extensively as a theatre and literary critic for The Age, The Australian, Herald Sun and Australian Book Review. His radio career spans both commercial and ABC stations, including several years broadcasting daily across Tasmania after relocating to Hobart in 2010, where he hosted breakfast, afternoons and evening programs on ABC Radio.

An accomplished stage and screen actor, Michael has appeared with the Melbourne Theatre Company, starred opposite Anthony LaPaglia in David Williamson’s Brilliant Lies, and played a lead role in the Australian production of The Full Monty. His musical comedy It’s A Dad Thing toured nationally, and in 2012 he starred in the award-winning Tasmanian mockumentary short film Best Kept Secret.

Michael is also the author of three acclaimed plays—Flak, Mystery in the Air and Hell Ship—each of which has toured extensively around Australia. His one-man theatrical adaptation Flak – True Stories from the Men Who Flew in World War Two has been particularly celebrated for bringing history vividly to life through performance.

In 2020, Michael Veitch was commissioned into the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve as a Special Reservist Officer, serving as a Community Liaison Officer with the History and Heritage Branch, holding the rank of Squadron Leader.

Combining intelligence, humour, scholarship and performance skill, Michael Veitch is a highly sought-after MC, keynote speaker and corporate entertainer, equally at home delivering insightful history, sharp comedy or compelling storytelling.