Dave Hughes grew up in Warrnambool as a very shy and serious kid, and had quit drinking completely at the age of 21.

Moving to Perth to pursue comedy, Dave bombed only a few gigs before finding his comedic voice and moving back to Melbourne to find bigger audiences.

In 1998, Dave had his first break on main-stream television, appearing on Hey Hey It’s Saturday (in addition to his brief appearance on Neighbours that same year), and in 1999, Dave was invited to participate in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

From here, Dave has been relentless in his work ethic, appearing on a plethora of television shows including Rove Live, Thank God You’re Here, Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation, Before The Game, The Masked Signer Australia, and many, many more.

During Dave’s time as a co-host on The Project, he was one of the only people in Australia to be granted interview time with the Dalai Lama, where he asked the international dignitary to bless the Carlton Football Club.

Dave has also had a celebrated career in radio, hosting national drive shows, nearly continuously, from 2001-2024.