The Cheap Seats

This article is about the Australian TV series. For other uses, see Cheap Seats (disambiguation).

The Cheap Seats is an Australian comedy panel television show on Network 10, which premiered on 20 July 2021.^[1] The Cheap Seats features selected clips of the previous week's news and television shows accompanied with humorous commentary delivered by the hosts.^[2][3][4] The show returned for a second season on 26 April 2022,^[5][6] and a third season on 9 May 2023.^[7][8][9] Season 4 premiered on 30 April 2024.^[10] On 16 September 2024, the show announced on Instagram its return for season 5, premiering in 2025.^[11]

The Cheap Seats
Genre	Comedy
Presented by	Melanie Bracewell Tim McDonald
Starring	Mel Tracina Titus O'Reilly
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	91
Production
Executive producers	Santo Cilauro Tom Gleisner Michael Hirsh Rob Sitch
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	40 minutes
Production company	Working Dog Productions
Original release
Network	Network 10
Release	20 July 2021 (2021-07-20) – present
Related
Have You Been Paying Attention?

Hosts

The Cheap Seats is hosted by Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald.^[2][3] Segments are co-hosted by presenters including Mel Tracina on entertainment and Titus O'Reily on sport, however since May 2023, O'Reily has taken an extended break from the show for an undisclosed period of time.^[12][13]

Recurring segments

• Entertainment: Mel Tracina talks about events which occurred in entertainment during the week.
• Sport: Rotating guests, formerly including correspondent Titus O'Reily, talk about events that occurred in sport during the week.
• Across the Ditch: Unusual news from New Zealand.
• Archipelago of Love Islands: Mel Tracina shares the funniest moments from international versions of Love Island.
• What's on What's on in the Warehouse: The hosts comment on out of context clips from the show What's on in the Warehouse, created by Australian pharmacy chain Chemist Warehouse to promote its products.
• Pacific Update Update: The hosts comment on clips from the TVNZ news show, Pacific Update.
• Crop This!: Unusual tidbits from the world of gardening, usually featuring reports by Seven News reporter, Penny McKinlay.
• Mel's markets: Funny news relating to the financial market.
• Pencil it in: The hosts highlight strange and unusual events taking place across Australia
• Crime Time: Lighthearted and funny clips of minor crimes across Australia.
• House of Bracewellness: The hosts comment on clips from the Seven Network morning lifestyle show, House of Wellness.
• Reporter of the Week: Introduced in 2023, Mel and Tim recognise a reporter who has been funny, surprising, or overly dedicated in the past week.
• Regional Roundup: The hosts highlight unusual news and events that are taking place in regional towns around Australia.

Episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally released
			First released	Last released
1	19		20 July 2021 (2021-07-20)	23 November 2021 (2021-11-23)
2	30		26 April 2022 (2022-04-26)	15 November 2022 (2022-11-15)
3	30		9 May 2023 (2023-05-09)	28 November 2023 (2023-11-28)
4	30		30 April 2024 (2024-04-30)	19 November 2024 (2024-11-19)

Season 1 (2021)

No. overall	No. in season	Guest(s)	Original release date	AUS. viewers (thousands)
1	1	None	20 July 2021 (2021-07-20)	460[14]
2	2	Angella Dravid	27 July 2021 (2021-07-27)	286[15]
3	3	Josh Earl & Ruby Tui	3 August 2021 (2021-08-03)	255[16]
4	4	Harry Garside	10 August 2021 (2021-08-10)	313[17]
5	5	Rachel Fairburn & Kez McGee	17 August 2021 (2021-08-17)	325[18]
6	6	Urzila Carlson	24 August 2021 (2021-08-24)	321[19]
7	7	Dilruk Jayasinha	31 August 2021 (2021-08-31)	348[20]
8	8	Marie Chandler & Lloyd Langford	7 September 2021 (2021-09-07)	305[21]
9	9	Osher Günsberg	14 September 2021 (2021-09-14)	324[22]
10	10	Chas Licciardello	21 September 2021 (2021-09-21)	358[23]
11	11	Dave Hughes	28 September 2021 (2021-09-28)	326[24]
12	12	Lana Murphy & Tony Martin	5 October 2021 (2021-10-05)	370[25]
13	13	Nina Oyama & Nath Valvo	12 October 2021 (2021-10-12)	330[26]
14	14	Chloë McCardel & Nate Byrne	19 October 2021 (2021-10-19)	368[27]
15	15	Archie Thompson	26 October 2021 (2021-10-26)	358[28]
16	16	Naomi Higgins	2 November 2021 (2021-11-02)	402[29]
17	17	Laura McGoldrick	9 November 2021 (2021-11-09)	391[30]
18	18	Myf Warhurst	16 November 2021 (2021-11-16)	358[31]
19	19	Natasha Exelby	23 November 2021 (2021-11-23)	361[32]

Season 2 (2022)

No. overall	No. in season	Guest(s)	Original release date	AUS. viewers (thousands)
20	1	Nath Valvo	26 April 2022 (2022-04-26)	342[33]
21	2	Denise Scott & Jarrod James Bingham	3 May 2022 (2022-05-03)	340[34]
22	3	Dilruk Jayasinha	10 May 2022 (2022-05-10)	360[35]
23	4	Ash London	17 May 2022 (2022-05-17)	378[36]
24	5	Alex Dyson	24 May 2022 (2022-05-24)	325[37]
25	6	Archie Thompson	31 May 2022 (2022-05-31)	360[38]
26	7	Adam Bandt	7 June 2022 (2022-06-07)	394[39]
27	8	Ryan Moloney	14 June 2022 (2022-06-14)	383[40]
28	9	Tony Martin	21 June 2022 (2022-06-21)	429[41]
29	10	Gen Fricker	28 June 2022 (2022-06-28)	414[42]
30	11	Costa Georgiadis	5 July 2022 (2022-07-05)	387[43]
Note: Emma Holland replaced Tim McDonald as host.
31	12	Felicity Ward	12 July 2022 (2022-07-12)	396[44]
32	13	Matt Agnew	19 July 2022 (2022-07-19)	396[45]
33	14	Karla Lopez	26 July 2022 (2022-07-26)	395[46]
34	15	Nicole Livingstone	2 August 2022 (2022-08-02)	357[47]
35	16	Maeve Plouffe & Sam Garlepp	9 August 2022 (2022-08-09)	387[48]
36	17	Abbie Chatfield & Sam Garlepp	16 August 2022 (2022-08-16)	386[49]
37	18	Ray O'Leary & Shane "Stone Cold" Van Styn	23 August 2022 (2022-08-23)	357[50]
38	19	Osher Günsberg	30 August 2022 (2022-08-30)	268[51]
39	20	Myf Warhurst & Beth Lee-Crowther	6 September 2022 (2022-09-06)	290[52]
40	21	Nazeem Hussain	13 September 2022 (2022-09-13)	332[53]
41	22	–	20 September 2022 (2022-09-20)	291[54]
42	23	Jonathan Van Ness	27 September 2022 (2022-09-27)	301[55]
43	24	Concetta Caristo & Adam Rozenbachs	4 October 2022 (2022-10-04)	330[56]
44	25	Adam Rozenbachs & Daniel Doody	11 October 2022 (2022-10-11)	332[57]
45	26	Bill Bailey & Jo Weston	18 October 2022 (2022-10-18)	319[58]
46	27	Rob Mills	25 October 2022 (2022-10-25)	318[59]
47	28	Michael Hing	1 November 2022 (2022-11-01)	338[60]
48	29	Dane Simpson	8 November 2022 (2022-11-08)	324[61]
49	30	Sam Pang	15 November 2022 (2022-11-15)	343[62]

Season 3 (2023)

No. overall	No. in season	Guest(s)	Original release date	AUS. viewers (thousands)
50	1	Sheldon Riley	9 May 2023 (2023-05-09)	365[63]
51	2	Mel Buttle	16 May 2023 (2023-05-16)	399[64]
52	3	Miguel Maestre	23 May 2023 (2023-05-23)	384[65]
53	4	Gina Chick	30 May 2023 (2023-05-30)	388[66]
Note: Archie Thompson replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
54	5	Susie Youssef	6 June 2023 (2023-06-06)	379[67]
Note: James Colley replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
55	6	Celia Pacquola	13 June 2023 (2023-06-13)	395[68]
Note: Ed Kavalee replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
56	7	Santo Cilauro & Natalie Tran	20 June 2023 (2023-06-20)	351[69]
Note: Georgie Tunny replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
57	8	Bridget Hustwaite	27 June 2023 (2023-06-27)	357[70]
Note: Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
58	9	Tom Cashman	4 July 2023 (2023-07-04)	375[71]
Note: Anthony "Lehmo" Lehmann replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
59	10	Robert Irwin & Zachary Ruane	11 July 2023 (2023-07-11)	340[72]
60	11	David Craig & Barbie cast (Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig, Issa Rae & America Ferrera)	18 July 2023 (2023-07-18)	352[73]
Note: Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
61	12	Aesha Scott	25 July 2023 (2023-07-25)	328[74]
Note: Ben Lomas replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
62	13	Matt Agnew	1 August 2023 (2023-08-01)	386[75]
Note: Damien Fleming replaced Titus O’Reilly as sports correspondent. Emma Holland replaced Melanie Bracewell as host of episodes 12 and 13 due to the latter performing at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, however Bracewell made a cameo appearance in episode 13 via satellite.
63	14	Tara Rushton & Jo Weston	8 August 2023 (2023-08-08)	265[76]
Note: Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
64	15	Annie Louie	15 August 2023 (2023-08-15)	317[77]
Note: Amy Chapman replaced Titus O’Reilly as sports correspondent.
65	16	Adam Liaw & Miguel Maestre	22 August 2023 (2023-08-22)	282[78]
Note: Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
66	17	Chas Licciardello	29 August 2023 (2023-08-29)	293[79]
Note: Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
67	18	Leigh Sales	5 September 2023 (2023-09-05)	340[80]
Note: Anthony "Lehmo" Lehmann replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
68	19	Ray O'Leary	12 September 2023 (2023-09-12)	330[81]
Note: Georgie Tunny replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
69	20	Anthony Albanese & Concetta Caristo	19 September 2023 (2023-09-19)	306[82]
70	21	Nath Valvo	26 September 2023 (2023-09-26)	325[83]
Note: Emma Holland replaced Tim McDonald as host; Ed Kavalee replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
71	22	Dylan Alcott	3 October 2023 (2023-10-03)	310[84]
Note: Emma Holland replaced Tim McDonald as host; Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
72	23	Costa Georgiadis	10 October 2023 (2023-10-10)	291[85]
Note: Lizzy Hoo replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
73	24	Rhys Nicholson	17 October 2023 (2023-10-17)	335[86]
Note: Max Rushden replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
74	25	Murray Cook	24 October 2023 (2023-10-24)	371[87]
Note: Lydia Lassila replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
75	26	Cameron James	31 October 2023 (2023-10-31)	350[88]
Note: Merrick Watts replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
76	27	Phil Wang & Catherine Cohen	7 November 2023 (2023-11-07)	368[89]
77	28	Richard Osman	14 November 2023 (2023-11-14)	348[90]
78	29	Anna Polyviou	21 November 2023 (2023-11-21)	339[91]
Note: Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
79	30	Andy Lee	28 November 2023 (2023-11-28)	350[92]

Season 4 (2024)

No. overall	No. in season	Guest(s)	Original release date	Australia viewers (thousands)
80	1	Joel Creasey	30 April 2024 (2024-04-30)	450[93]
Note: Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O’Reilly as sports correspondent.
81	2	Bron Lewis	7 May 2024 (2024-05-07)	465[94]
Note: Bianca Chatfield replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
82	3	Poh Ling Yeow	14 May 2024 (2024-05-14)	508[95]
Note: Anthony "Lehmo" Lehmann replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
83	4	Andrea Crothers	21 May 2024 (2024-05-21)	492[96]
Note: Merrick Watts replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
84	5	Myf Warhurst	28 May 2024 (2024-05-28)	532[97]
Note: Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
85	6	Jimmy Barnes	4 June 2024 (2024-06-04)	540[98]
Note: Tara Rushton replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
86	7	Jenny Tian	11 June 2024 (2024-06-11)	489[99]
Note: Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
87	8	Alexa Leary	18 June 2024 (2024-06-18)	534[100]
Note: Damien Fleming replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
88	9	Luke McGregor	25 June 2024 (2024-06-25)	531[101]
Note: Georgie Tunny replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
89	10	Tony Armstrong	2 July 2024 (2024-07-02)	499[102]
Note: Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
90	11	Anna Meares & Lana Walters	9 July 2024 (2024-07-09)	448[103]
91	12	Miguel Maestre	16 July 2024 (2024-07-16)	461[104]
Note: Ben Lomas replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
92	13	Urvi Majumdar	23 July 2024 (2024-07-23)	448[105]
Note: Broden Kelly replaced Titus O’Reilly as sports correspondent.
93	14	Angela Bishop & Emily Seebohm	30 July 2024 (2024-07-30)	303[106]
Note: Mel Tracina replaced Melanie Bracewell as co-host; Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
94	15	Steven Quartermain & Nicolette Minister	6 August 2024 (2024-08-06)	293[107]
Note: Mel Tracina replaced Melanie Bracewell as co-host; Anthony "Lehmo" Lehmann replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
95	16	Ray Martin & Andrea Crothers	13 August 2024 (2024-08-13)	466[108]
Note: Georgie Tunny replaced Melanie Bracewell as co-host.
96	17	Hamish Blake, Nina Kennedy & Matthew Denny	20 August 2024 (2024-08-20)	442[109]
Note: Julia Zemiro replaced Melanie Bracewell as co-host.
97	18	Larry Emdur & Bron Lewis	27 August 2024 (2024-08-27)	462[110]
Note: Celia Pacquola replaced Melanie Bracewell as co-host; Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
98	19	Ray O'Leary & Sharyn Ghidella	3 September 2024 (2024-09-03)	399[111]
99	20	Daria Saville	10 September 2024 (2024-09-10)	462[112]
Note: Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
100	21	Allan Raskall	17 September 2024 (2024-09-17)	416[113]
101	22	Tim Minchin	24 September 2024 (2024-09-24)	422[114]
Note: Broden Kelly replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
102	23	Romesh Ranganathan	1 October 2024 (2024-10-01)	431[115]
Note: Lavender Baj replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
103	24	David M. Green	8 October 2024 (2024-10-08)	420[116]
Note: Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
104	25	Andrea Crothers	15 October 2024 (2024-10-15)	429[117]
Note: Bobby Macumber replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
105	26	Bill Bailey	22 October 2024 (2024-10-22)	393[118]
106	27	Stephen Fry & Saya Sakakibara	29 October 2024 (2024-10-29)	472[119]
107	28	Eric Idle	5 November 2024 (2024-11-05)	403[120]
Note: Adam Rozenbachs replaced Titus O'Reilly as sports correspondent.
108	29	Merrick Watts	12 November 2024 (2024-11-12)	397[121]
109	30	Tom Gleisner & Dr. Louise Mahler	19 November 2024 (2024-11-19)	436[122]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2022	Logie Awards of 2022	Most Popular New Talent	Melanie Bracewell	Nominated	[123]
		Most Popular Comedy Program	The Cheap Seats	Nominated
2023	Logie Awards of 2023	Most Outstanding Entertainment Program	The Cheap Seats	Won	[124]