Adam Spencer

Adam Barrington Spencer (born 29 January 1969[citation needed]) is an Australian comedian, media personality and former radio presenter.

He is a supporter of the Australian rules football team, the Sydney Swans, and was declared their number one ticket holder for the 2016 season.

[4] Spencer attended Boronia Park Public School,[9] where his favourite teacher, Ms Russell, encouraged his love of mathematics when he was in second grade, in 1976.

[18][19] He graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Science with first class honours in pure mathematics in 1991, residing at St Paul's College during his time there.

[31] Spencer was spotted by radio station Triple J's senior broadcaster, Helen Razer, at the 1996 Raw Comedy Finals, when he provided a live impromptu weather segment involving mathematical equations.

[52] In 2002, Anderson and Spencer created a fictional metal band, Salmon Hater, with a single 6.66 - One Hundredth of the Number of the Beast.

"[66] Spencer was interviewed about issues affecting teens, for George Negus' New Dimensions' special screenings during Youth Week in 2003.

[111] While hosting the Motorola Dance Music Awards in November, Spencer chastised Australian Idol judge Ian "Dicko" Dickson about his choice of outfit: "If you're gonna wear that shirt in public, then you'll have to lose some weight.

Spencer was interviewed about how to have a safe and happy sex life, for Julie McCrossin's book, Love, Lust and Latex[160] (2000).

[18] He met his now ex-wife Melanie Mossman at a pub trivia night, telling her an answer in the quiz ("The actor is George Clooney and the film is Solaris.").

[4] On the final day of his breakfast show in November 2004,[169] he announced that his partner Melanie Mossman was pregnant and that the next year he would be leaving his media career to become a full-time dad.

He married Mel on 28 January 2006[170][171] in the Great Hall at Sydney University,[172] where guests were asked to donate to charities in lieu of gifts.

[176] In 2014, thieves broke into Spencer's family home in Newtown, taking valuables including a laptop containing photos of his daughter.

In March 2001, he led the cyclist portion of Oxfam Community Aid Abroad's Walk Against Want Victoria Park Fundraiser.

[186] He had made similar cycle lane commentary in April 2003 for an article about what he would institute if he were City of Sydney's Lord Mayor.

[189][19][190] Spencer took part in a celebrity game of football in June 2003,[191][192] May 2004,[193] and May 2005,[194] to fundraise for the Malcolm Sargent Cancer Fund for Children (now Redkite).

[204] In November 2000, an article in the satirical Chaser newspaper alleged that Spencer refused to play a song by Little Johnny (pseudonym of Pauline Pantsdown), because of his "conservative leanings".

[205] In 2014, Spencer spoke out against the government's proposed funding cuts to the ABC, and accused politicians of hiding loathing for the broadcaster behind arguments around inefficiencies.

[206] In 2015, he was one of 61 prominent Australians who signed an open letter urging the Prime Minister to call a moratorium on new coal mines as part of a global climate change agreement.

[208] He is the national Patron for Dry July,[209] having supported the cause ever since it began, prompted by a phone call to his breakfast radio show in 2007.

[215] In June 1999, he supported senator Natasha Stott Despoja's stand against the GST package, providing a poem to be read out at a function at Adelaide's Stag Hotel.

The request was a success, and the team were able to attend the 35th Chess Olympiad in Bled, Slovenia, with financial help from condom maker Ansell.

In 2004, Spencer was on the judging panel for the Out of Sight - Tactile Art exhibition, run by Object Gallery and the Royal Blind Society.

[222] The 2004 campaign aimed to attract young people from rural and regional centres to enrol in pharmacy university courses.

[237][238] Spencer was one of the celebrities credited with promoting the #SPCsunday hashtag on Twitter in 2014, which helped to increase exposure for struggling food processor SPC Ardmona.

[246] In 2010 Spencer donated $10,000 worth of books through the Dymocks Literacy Foundation to encourage children from non-English speaking backgrounds to learn to read and write in English.

[259] In 2002, photographer Lisa Giles included Spencer in a collection of 50 portraits in the exhibition Schools of Thought, focused on people associated with the University of Sydney.

[260][261] In the same year, artist Nafisa Naomi painted a portrait of Spencer,[262] which featured in the exhibition A Lingering Doubt at the ArtHouse Hotel.

[263] In 2005, National Library of Australia staff member Greg Power photographed Spencer at the fundraising Wave Aid: the tsunami relief concert.

[264] In 2010, artist Melissa Beowulf entered her portrait of Spencer in the Portia Geach Memorial Award, which reached the finals.

Adam Spencer, speaking at the Australian Skeptics National Convention 2017. Presentation title: The Number Games.