. ▁He ▁hosted ▁Good ▁News ▁Week ▁until ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁and ▁has ▁since ▁purs ued ▁his ▁painting ▁career , ▁and ▁given ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁concert s ▁featuring ▁self - p enn ed ▁songs ▁of ▁a ▁more ▁serious ▁nature . ▁ ▁Mc D erm ott ▁is ▁a ▁published ▁author , ▁having ▁released ▁several ▁books ▁both ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁the ▁Doug ▁Anthony ▁All ▁Stars ▁and ▁individually . ▁He ▁has ▁written ▁as ▁a ▁column ist ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁Australian ▁newsp apers ▁and ▁a ▁selection ▁of ▁his ▁columns ▁have ▁been ▁compiled ▁into ▁a ▁book , ▁The ▁For getting ▁of ▁Wis dom . ▁He ▁has ▁also ▁written ▁and ▁illustrated ▁two ▁story books , ▁both ▁of ▁which ▁have ▁been ▁adapted ▁into ▁short ▁films ▁with ▁Mc D erm ott ▁script ing , ▁direct ing , ▁performing ▁and ▁painting ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁anim ations . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁Mc D erm ott ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Ad ela ide , ▁South ▁Australia , ▁a ▁frat ernal ▁tw in ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁six ▁children ▁in ▁a ▁Catholic ▁family . ▁His ▁father , ▁John , ▁was ▁a ▁senior ▁public ▁servant ▁and ▁his ▁mother , ▁Betty , ▁a ▁home ▁manager . ▁The ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁Can ber ra ▁when ▁Mc D erm ott ▁was ▁three . ▁He ▁attended ▁Mar ist ▁College ▁Can ber ra , ▁where ▁he ▁describes ▁himself ▁as ▁having ▁been ▁pain fully ▁sh y ▁and ▁a ▁" bit ▁of ▁a ▁lon er "; ▁Dick son ▁College ; ▁and ▁the ▁Can ber ra ▁School ▁of ▁Art ▁at ▁the ▁Australian ▁National