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Jim Jefferies: Everything you need to know about The 1% Club host

The stand-up star is one of Australia's biggest comedy exports.

As the host of Channel Seven's The 1% Club, Aussie comedian Jim Jefferies is bringing his lightning-quick banter to the world of game shows. Get to know the man behind those mind-bending questions.

The 1% Club host Jim Jefferies
The 1% Club host Jim Jefferies is one of Australia's most successful comedians. Photo: Seven

Who is Jim Jefferies?

Let's start with the basics: Jim Jefferies isn't really named Jim Jefferies at all. Born Geoff James Nugent, he initially opted for the alias "Jim Jeffries", which he later tweaked to "Jefferies" to avoid any confusion with a similarly named American performer.

Back in 2007, Jim catapulted into the international spotlight in a rather unexpected way. While performing stand-up at the Manchester Comedy Festival, he found himself on the receiving end of an on-stage attack. Footage of this outrageous incident ended up being incorporated into his act, and you can catch a glimpse of it in his debut stand-up special, Contraband.

After this, Jim's star continued to rise and in 2009 he broke through in the United States following the release of his first HBO special, I Swear to God.

 Brad Pitt and Jim Jefferies on The Jim Jefferies Show
Jim enlisted the services of Hollywood A-lister Brad Pitt to be the weatherman on The Jim Jefferies Show. Photo: Comedy Central

Stand-up superstar

Jim has graced stages at renowned events such as the Edinburgh Fringe, Just for Laughs, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Reading and Leeds Festivals, and even Glastonbury.

He's a regular face on TV too, with his hilarious routines featured on US shows including The World Stands Up, Comedy Blue, and Edinburgh and Beyond, all on Comedy Central.

Jim also had his own comedy series called Legit, which debuted in 2013, after which he ventured into hosting The Jim Jefferies Show, a weekly late-night talk and news satire program on Comedy Central.

Notably, Jim caught the attention of none other than Brad Pitt, who became a fan after watching clips of his stand-up performances. Brad personally reached out to Jim, expressing his desire to be a part of The Jim Jefferies Show and ended up starring in regular skits as the program's weatherman.

Movie debut

Back in 2015, Jim joined forces with fellow comedians Greg Fleet and Alex Williamson to star in the low-budget Australian film Me and My Mates vs the Zombie Apocalypse. The comedy/horror flick hit DVD and Vimeo platforms in Australia and New Zealand later that year, before making its way to audiences in the UK, Ireland and the US in 2016. Despite the movie being panned by critics, Jim went on to star in three more films between 2016 and 2021.

Jim Jefferies, Alex Williamson and Greg Fleet in the poster for Me, My Mates and the Zombie Apocalypse
Jim and his mates take on the undead in the comedy Me, My Mates and the Zombie Apocalypse. Photo: Lightyear Entertainment

Netflix regular

Most recently, Jim appeared in Netflix stand-up special, High N' Dry, which premiered in February of this year. This marked his fifth collaboration with the streaming giant, following the success of previous specials Jim Jefferies: Bare (2014), Jim Jefferies: Freedumb (2016), Jim Jefferies: This Is Me Now (2018), and Jim Jefferies: Intolerant (2020).

Remarkably, High N' Dry also holds the distinction of being Jim's 10th TV stand-up special overall, the first of which was Contraband back in 2008.

Dad of two

Jim married English actress Tasie Lawrence in September 2020 and their son Charlie was born in 2021. He also has an 11-year-old son named Hank from his previous relationship with American actress Kate Luyben.

The 1% Club

Jim has garnered a worldwide following for his ability to tackle controversial topics with razor-sharp wit, which he now brings to The 1% Club. Watch for yourself at 7:30pm Wednesdays on Channel 7 and 7plus.

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