RIP Jono Coleman – you bloody crazy legend

TV Producer Rob McKnight pays tribute to his work colleague and friend

How do you even begin to sum up the man who packed more into one lifetime than most of us could ever imagine?

I can’t.

All I can do is say goodbye to someone I considered a good friend.

Jono died yesterday, aged 65, following a four-year battle with prostate cancer.

I am devastated by the news.

It’s hard for us to understand here in Australia, but Jono was one of the biggest entertainers in the UK. His death will make front page news there and be included in news bulletins. He was one of the biggest breakfast radio hosts and very famous.

But this was before the internet and in Australia we didn’t really get to appreciate the level of fame he achieved over the pond.

*Hear Jono talk about his amazing career in the McKnight Tonight podcast in the players below

I first met Jono back in 1988 when he was hosting Saturday Morning Live on Channel 7. As a teenager, I would go to the Sydney studios in the suburb of Epping almost weekly to sit in the studio audience. He was the same man off camera as he was on – bright, bubbly and full of personality.

Many years later I employed Jono to work on Studio 10 and he would dine out on the fact that I used to come and watch his show back in the day and now I was his boss.

It was this kind of humour that bonded us.

We worked together for around five years and during that time we laughed a lot, we cried together when he was first diagnosed with prostate cancer and along the way we also had our fair share of arguments! It was a true friendship.

When Jono was first diagnosed he really wanted to keep the news out of the public eye. He was determined to beat the disease and wanted his story to be one of triumph, not sadness.

He had that moment when it looked like he was beating the cancer, but as we now know it wasn’t a long-term win.

During his chemotherapy Jono wanted to keep working. There’s nothing he loved more than being on air and interacting with the studio audience and hosts. During those sessions he would even wear an ice cap on his head to stop his hair falling out. It was painful but he was determined to go on.

But those are the sad times and Jono was all about the laughs.

Before you go on, take a look at this classic clip featuring the man himself – because, and trust me on this, you will laugh yourself silly.

I think presenters Sarah Harris , Jessica Rowe, Joe Hildebrand, Ita Buttrose and Denise Drysdale all agree this is the funniest thing we ever put to air when we all worked together on Studio 10.

Containing the enthusiasm Jono had was a job in itself. His text messages would come through thick and fast in their own unique style. Anyone who knows Jono knows what I mean about his writing style in messages.

As you can see from this screenshot on the left, he would always end up throwing full stops in the middle of sentences.

But despite his unique texting and emailing style, he loved sharing news about his kids.

In this message, he was telling me about Oscar’s new job. He was very proud of his kids and would always tell me about their latest adventures.

The thing I loved most about Jono was his ability to make fun of himself and nothing was off limits.

I can;t tell you how many times that bloke would end up naked on Studio 10. In fact one day we started the show off with Jono running around the studio completely naked (except for a well-placed logo) but then had to turn serious due to the death of Nelson Mandela.

It was that kind of show!

When big celebrities from the UK would come into the show they would make a beeline for Jono. They knew him and respected him. He led a life the rest of us could only dream of.

But one person who was always by his side was his wife Margot. She did the deals, she set him on the right path and she loved him beyond imagination.

Their relationship was something to behold. I don’t know how Jono would have coped in this world without the support of Margot. She was a strength he needed on his side and I always admired her belief in him.

There are many stories to be told about Jono and no doubt a lot of people would have shared those stories at his funeral – which would have been the celebrity event of the year (and he would have loved that).

Unfortunately the Sydney lockdown will stop that from happening, but I hope a celebration can be held in his honour at a later date.

He deserves the biggest party possible with as many people there to say a proper goodbye.

Jono, I love you and this world will never be the same without you in it.

xo