Dave Hughes

David William Hughes (born 26 November 1970) is an Australian stand-up comedian, television and radio presenter. He is known for his larrikin personality, drawling Australian accent and deadpan comedic delivery. He has previously been co-host of Hughesy & Kate on Nova 100, the KIIS Network and the Hit Network, Hughesy, Ed & Erin with Ed Kavalee and Erin Molan on 2Day FM, and a panellist on The Masked Singer Australia on Network 10.

Born in Warrnambool, Hughes was dux of Christian Brothers' College, Warrnambool, graduating in 1988, and briefly studied information technology at Swinburne University and accounting at Deakin University before dropping out to pursue comedy. After leaving university it was seven years before he found work as a stand-up comedian, during which he worked at an abattoir, as a bricklayer's labourer and as a shop assistant. His first comedy gig came at age 22 while living in Perth, and after three attempts over six months he gained confidence and went on to become a headline act and a regular performer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Hughes had his first mainstream television break with stand-up on Hey Hey It's Saturday, and co-hosted the ABC comedy talk show The Glass House with Wil Anderson and Corinne Grant until it was axed in 2006. For ten years (2003-2013) he co-hosted the AFL-themed Network Ten show Before The Game, and from July 2009 he co-hosted The 7PM Project, later The Project, before resigning from his full-time position in December 2013 to return to stand-up. He hosted Australia's Got Talent in 2016, returned to Network Ten in 2018 to host Hughesy, We Have a Problem, and from 2019 to 2023 was a panellist on The Masked Singer Australia.