November 3, 2025 • 7 mins
The extraordinary Anh Do joins Jonesy & Amanda for a fantastic chat!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
My Heart podcasts here, more gold one on one point
seven podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Playlists and listen live on the free iHeart app and
Amanda jam Nation.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
We've given him some headphones and don't it's like a
rubik q it is.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Look there you go, I'll look it out, you'll work
out you've got.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
How is that act as if nothing's happened, and do.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Your introduction for you know, some people make you feel
good the second they walk in a room, and Ndou
is one of these. A comedian and artist, a writer,
a TV host is privileged to be painted by him.
He's extraordinary in all those categories and one of the
nicest blokes you can meet. He's back on the road
with his live show The Happiest Refugee, which is one
of Australia's most successful books. By the way, he joins
us now Undau.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Hello.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
On the show, guys.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
It is good to see and congratulations. That book is
so enduring. It's been around for ages, but it's all
you're winning award. It's getting awards that much.
Speaker 5 (01:05):
Yeah, A great thing for it is it is and
I'll turn it into a stage show. It's been going
about fifteen years. It's great.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
I don't have to write another show. We keep selling out.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
But Amanda, you were one on my Armsbrush with fame.
Oh my god, the ratings were through the roof. One
of the most popular, most awesome guests we had in
the whole seven series.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
So lovely of you to say. People still talk to
me about that. So I think it must be on
high repeat.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Where's the painting now?
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Well, you know, I had it on my wall for
a long time. It's big and it's like Mussolini. The
eyes followed you around the room, get the kids in check.
But then it became a bit much, so I've got
it in the spare room.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
I tell you.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
Like about ten years ago, I went back to Tafe
to study painting a man and I walk in and
this guy comes up to me and he goes, you
look just like Arndeau and I went, yeah, that's because
I am. And the guy goes, nah, you're not, but geez,
you look like him and walks off.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Well he'd no better than you.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
What of it?
Speaker 3 (02:02):
But that it happens in different ways.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
The other day I was walking along and this mom
comes up to me and she goes, you are one
of my son's favorite people. In the whole world. Can
he have your autograph? So I'm signing this autograph for
this little kid, and the mom looks at me and goes,
you were by far the best wiggle Ah.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
She thinks, I'm Jeff Jeff seventy.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
All you entertainers look to say.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You were going to go say something else, James, I.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Was not going to do that. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Many years ago, when I dabbled in stand up comedy,
you were the main act when I was at the
comedy store.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
So this was two thousand.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
My last gig was really successful, but that was the
night of September eleventh, and then that was it. After that,
I thought we're all going to war. It's the end
of the world as we know it. So that was
the last stand up gig I did. And you've gone
from strength to strength since.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
As you have.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Guys. Yeah, it's really great to be back on the show.
A man.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
My wife's just written a book and she really wants
me to give it to you please. It's about It's
about twin, a twin who's investigating her twin sister's death,
and my wife she has twins in her mum was
in her thirties. She has this operation because you know,
this pain in the abdomen turns out to be a
cyst with a little bit of hair and tooth. And
(03:23):
it was her twin who wasn't formed. And someone was
obsessed with twins. Her brother has twins, and I always
want to be a twin when I was a kid
because I wanted to know what I look like from
the back.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
That's my sort of contribution to that for yourself. Yeah,
but I will give you that bit. I mean, yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Asked you, as you say, you've done this show for
fifteen years, have you seen a shift in how we
feel about refugees? Do people treat you differently to the
way we treat other refugees today?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Look, I don't know, Amanda, you know, I mean, I
don't know how. I'm just I just go about, you know,
being me.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
But I know that, you know, in my childhood, we
had a lot of support, you know, like turn up
some he was some nuns from Saint Vinnie's used to
come and help us out. And so you know, I
love I love those charities and and yeah, I look,
I think a little bit of compassion is good. But yeah,
had had a great childhood with you know, we were poor,
but it doesn't matter. Lock For like, when I turn ate,
(04:22):
I wanted I wanted helium balloons for my party, like
John o haad, you know the ones that float up
to the ceiling. Yeah, And so I said, Mum, how
about those? And Mum says they're expensive, aren't But I'll
see what I can do. So my birthday comes around,
my mum buys normal balloons, blows them up, stick it
tapes them to the ceiling. Jonesy and me and my
mates are doing the high voice thing and we're all
going your voice.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Changing though it's not.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
And then one guy goes, this helium smells like spring rolls, guys,
And I'm there trying to pretend, going.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Yeah, no, it's working for me. You got just aren't
doing it right. And then one other guy goes, oh,
yeah it's working now. So you do your best, you know.
Speaker 5 (05:02):
So so I've got nothing to complain about, Just you
do your best off.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Sold I was in I was like that one of.
Speaker 5 (05:11):
Those kids that couldn't read or write real well because
I'd just come over from Vietnam. But you know, the
teachers help you out and you get better. And now
I've written. I've written a bunch of kids books. Who's
sold ten million around the world. Yes, so I'm just
in the process of turning those books into TV shows
and movies, and once that is achieved, will be eating
(05:34):
steak tonight.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Kids.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Do you go back to Vietnam for holidays? Because everyone
I talked to in my circles, they all, you've got
to go to Vietnam. You will love it there. Yeah,
you go back. Oh, Vietnam is awesome. Vietnam is awesome.
Get a beer for about eighty cents. Yeah, you know
what I mean. And there's a lot of fresh beer.
I don't want it's breakfast time radio.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
But like you just there's like breweries just like a
little like a little you know what I mean, And
you get fresh beer in it's right, you know what
I mean. It's like eighty cents, so maybe a buck eighty?
Speaker 3 (06:04):
You know.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Can you still speak Vietnamese?
Speaker 3 (06:07):
I speak, you know.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
The first time I went back there, I'm walking around
and because I speak the language and I read and write,
I went and I bought a whole bunch of secondhand
clothes from the Vietnamese Saint Vinnie's, you know, sort of
virgin and I walked around like a local and no
one could tell us from overseas, and I really enjoyed that,
(06:29):
you know, so I wasn't a tourist.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
I was just like a normal dude.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Do they pick your Aussie accent though, because you have
a bit of an accent to you?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (06:38):
Yeah, No, I speak Vietnamese in a completely Vietnamese accent,
and just like I'm pretty good, I'm actually pretty good
at at accents, right. Yeah, I won't I won't do
my Indian or anything like that, but yeah, I'm pretty.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Good kids Vietnam.
Speaker 5 (06:55):
You know, No, they don't. They say, yeah, mom is aussy.
She's Anglo Australian. Sometimes she jokes that I'm her male lord,
a husband to that sort of thing, and that my
head got squashed in the letter box. But you know
that's just when she's joking. She's mostly lovely.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Well man, it's always good to talk to you, particular
to see.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
And there's no Hallmark cards for that.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
It's lucky you got that book. Plugging early.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
The Happiest Refugee is live ahead to ando dot com
dot are you thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Great to be back, so good to see you.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Guys, you too want thank you
My Heart podcasts here, more gold one on one point
seven podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Playlists and listen live on the free iHeart app and
Amanda jam Nation.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
We've given him some headphones and don't it's like a
rubik q it is.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Look there you go, I'll look it out, you'll work
out you've got.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
How is that act as if nothing's happened, and do.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Your introduction for you know, some people make you feel
good the second they walk in a room, and Ndou
is one of these. A comedian and artist, a writer,
a TV host is privileged to be painted by him.
He's extraordinary in all those categories and one of the
nicest blokes you can meet. He's back on the road
with his live show The Happiest Refugee, which is one
of Australia's most successful books. By the way, he joins
us now Undau.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Hello.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
On the show, guys.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
It is good to see and congratulations. That book is
so enduring. It's been around for ages, but it's all
you're winning award. It's getting awards that much.
Speaker 5 (01:05):
Yeah, A great thing for it is it is and
I'll turn it into a stage show. It's been going
about fifteen years. It's great.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
I don't have to write another show. We keep selling out.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
But Amanda, you were one on my Armsbrush with fame.
Oh my god, the ratings were through the roof. One
of the most popular, most awesome guests we had in
the whole seven series.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
So lovely of you to say. People still talk to
me about that. So I think it must be on
high repeat.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Where's the painting now?
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Well, you know, I had it on my wall for
a long time. It's big and it's like Mussolini. The
eyes followed you around the room, get the kids in check.
But then it became a bit much, so I've got
it in the spare room.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
I tell you.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
Like about ten years ago, I went back to Tafe
to study painting a man and I walk in and
this guy comes up to me and he goes, you
look just like Arndeau and I went, yeah, that's because
I am. And the guy goes, nah, you're not, but geez,
you look like him and walks off.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Well he'd no better than you.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
What of it?
Speaker 3 (02:02):
But that it happens in different ways.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
The other day I was walking along and this mom
comes up to me and she goes, you are one
of my son's favorite people. In the whole world. Can
he have your autograph? So I'm signing this autograph for
this little kid, and the mom looks at me and goes,
you were by far the best wiggle Ah.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
She thinks, I'm Jeff Jeff seventy.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
All you entertainers look to say.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You were going to go say something else, James, I.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Was not going to do that. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Many years ago, when I dabbled in stand up comedy,
you were the main act when I was at the
comedy store.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
So this was two thousand.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
My last gig was really successful, but that was the
night of September eleventh, and then that was it. After that,
I thought we're all going to war. It's the end
of the world as we know it. So that was
the last stand up gig I did. And you've gone
from strength to strength since.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
As you have.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Guys. Yeah, it's really great to be back on the show.
A man.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
My wife's just written a book and she really wants
me to give it to you please. It's about It's
about twin, a twin who's investigating her twin sister's death,
and my wife she has twins in her mum was
in her thirties. She has this operation because you know,
this pain in the abdomen turns out to be a
cyst with a little bit of hair and tooth. And
(03:23):
it was her twin who wasn't formed. And someone was
obsessed with twins. Her brother has twins, and I always
want to be a twin when I was a kid
because I wanted to know what I look like from
the back.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
That's my sort of contribution to that for yourself. Yeah,
but I will give you that bit. I mean, yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Asked you, as you say, you've done this show for
fifteen years, have you seen a shift in how we
feel about refugees? Do people treat you differently to the
way we treat other refugees today?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Look, I don't know, Amanda, you know, I mean, I
don't know how. I'm just I just go about, you know,
being me.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
But I know that, you know, in my childhood, we
had a lot of support, you know, like turn up
some he was some nuns from Saint Vinnie's used to
come and help us out. And so you know, I
love I love those charities and and yeah, I look,
I think a little bit of compassion is good. But yeah,
had had a great childhood with you know, we were poor,
but it doesn't matter. Lock For like, when I turn ate,
(04:22):
I wanted I wanted helium balloons for my party, like
John o haad, you know the ones that float up
to the ceiling. Yeah, And so I said, Mum, how
about those? And Mum says they're expensive, aren't But I'll
see what I can do. So my birthday comes around,
my mum buys normal balloons, blows them up, stick it
tapes them to the ceiling. Jonesy and me and my
mates are doing the high voice thing and we're all
going your voice.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Changing though it's not.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
And then one guy goes, this helium smells like spring rolls, guys,
And I'm there trying to pretend, going.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Yeah, no, it's working for me. You got just aren't
doing it right. And then one other guy goes, oh,
yeah it's working now. So you do your best, you know.
Speaker 5 (05:02):
So so I've got nothing to complain about, Just you
do your best off.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Sold I was in I was like that one of.
Speaker 5 (05:11):
Those kids that couldn't read or write real well because
I'd just come over from Vietnam. But you know, the
teachers help you out and you get better. And now
I've written. I've written a bunch of kids books. Who's
sold ten million around the world. Yes, so I'm just
in the process of turning those books into TV shows
and movies, and once that is achieved, will be eating
(05:34):
steak tonight.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Kids.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Do you go back to Vietnam for holidays? Because everyone
I talked to in my circles, they all, you've got
to go to Vietnam. You will love it there. Yeah,
you go back. Oh, Vietnam is awesome. Vietnam is awesome.
Get a beer for about eighty cents. Yeah, you know
what I mean. And there's a lot of fresh beer.
I don't want it's breakfast time radio.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
But like you just there's like breweries just like a
little like a little you know what I mean, And
you get fresh beer in it's right, you know what
I mean. It's like eighty cents, so maybe a buck eighty?
Speaker 3 (06:04):
You know.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Can you still speak Vietnamese?
Speaker 3 (06:07):
I speak, you know.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
The first time I went back there, I'm walking around
and because I speak the language and I read and write,
I went and I bought a whole bunch of secondhand
clothes from the Vietnamese Saint Vinnie's, you know, sort of
virgin and I walked around like a local and no
one could tell us from overseas, and I really enjoyed that,
(06:29):
you know, so I wasn't a tourist.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
I was just like a normal dude.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Do they pick your Aussie accent though, because you have
a bit of an accent to you?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (06:38):
Yeah, No, I speak Vietnamese in a completely Vietnamese accent,
and just like I'm pretty good, I'm actually pretty good
at at accents, right. Yeah, I won't I won't do
my Indian or anything like that, but yeah, I'm pretty.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Good kids Vietnam.
Speaker 5 (06:55):
You know, No, they don't. They say, yeah, mom is aussy.
She's Anglo Australian. Sometimes she jokes that I'm her male lord,
a husband to that sort of thing, and that my
head got squashed in the letter box. But you know
that's just when she's joking. She's mostly lovely.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Well man, it's always good to talk to you, particular
to see.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
And there's no Hallmark cards for that.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
It's lucky you got that book. Plugging early.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
The Happiest Refugee is live ahead to ando dot com
dot are you thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Great to be back, so good to see you.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Guys, you too want thank you
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