Richard Marsland

Richard Kemble Marsland (5 September 1976 – 6 December 2008) was an Australian comedy writer, actor, comedian and radio personality. At the time of his death, Marsland co-hosted on Triple M after starting his radio career in Adelaide on the SAFM breakfast show.

Career

Radio Marsland started his radio career in Adelaide on community radio station PBA-FM then commercially on the SAFM breakfast show with Greg Fleet, Marty Sheargold and James Brayshaw. He also co-hosted a live, daily morning program AM Adelaide on Channel 7, Adelaide with the multiple-Logie-Award-winning Anne Wills, and then hosted The Late Date Show nationally with Bessie Bardot on 2Day FM, 92.9 and Fox FM.

Previously, he was on Tough Love, in its first year (2004). He also appeared regularly on Triple M's The Shebang with Marty Sheargold and Fifi Box, where he hosted a quiz segment known as "Dick's Box".

In 2006, he became the panel operator on the Triple M radio program Get This. He later started contributing verbally to on-air segments, and soon was essentially regarded as a third co-host, along with Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee. The last show aired on 23 November 2007.

Marsland also performed on Triple J, posing as Family First member Spencer Penrose on the Restoring the Balance radio show with Tony Moclair.

On 29 January 2008, Marsland became anchor/uncredited co-host of Triple M Melbourne's breakfast show Pete & Myf, and took a similar role as he had on Get This.

Television He contributed to TV shows such as Newstopia with Shaun Micallef, The Glass House and Rove Live, the latter on which he made several appearances in sketches with Ryan Shelton, including a parody of TV show The Rich List, entitled The Bitch List.

In 2007, Marsland also took up a co-host role on C31 Melbourne's The Breakfast Show.

In October 2007, Marsland joined the writing team for Shaun Micallef's news satire program Newstopia, which premiered on SBS on 10 October 2007.

Print He wrote a weekly column for The Sunday Mail in Adelaide.

Film He appeared as a record company executive in the 2006 Australian comedy film BoyTown.

Death Marsland died near Melbourne on 6 December 2008.

On 5 December 2008, Marsland was meant to have dinner with former colleague Tony Martin and friends at a pub, but he never showed. About 8:30 pm he phoned his mother Alisson, intent on finding out the family's plans the following day. She secretly hoped the questions related to his penchant for surprise visits home to Adelaide. Instead, it was a final phone call home hours before Richard drove to Shiprock Falls in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges, where he was found dead in his car by a park ranger around 10:30 am on Saturday. In an interview, Mrs Alisson Marsland and her husband Peter, of Gawler River, South Australia, said their son had suffered depression and attempted suicide about 10 years ago but that few people knew. He recovered after extensive counselling and had been "happy and in control" ever since.

But professional and personal difficulties in 2008, including a relationship break-up, wore down his coping mechanisms. He relapsed and reached his lowest ebb in October 2008, telling his parents he felt "lonely and alone". She said he was concerned about what his future held in 2009 and talked about going on holidays for a while. They flew to his home in Melbourne to support him, but, never wanting to worry his family, Richard gave no indication of just how low he had sunk. "He never would have wanted to hurt anyone," Peter said. "This was not an act of selfishness on his behalf; rather, a loss to his recurring battle with depression. This was a way for Richard to get release from his pain and nothing else."

Tributes Comedian and Get This co-host Tony Martin paid tribute to Richard Marsland by saying "Richard Marsland was the nicest person I knew. Usually the first thing he'd say to you was 'sorry', but there's nobody I can think of who had less to be sorry about." In December 2008, Martin and former co-host Ed Kavalee released a special tribute podcast on Triple M which featured selected clips of Marsland's contributions to Get This. Martin also dedicated his 2009 book A Nest of Occasionals to Marsland.

Radio and TV comedy duo Hamish Blake and Andy Lee described Marsland as a person who "was deeply loved by everyone who had the privilege of being around him." Prior to Marsland's death, Helliar had praised him thus, "he writes these amazing sketches that are cerebral yet accessible. But even after he delivers an absolute zinger, he'll take off his headphones and go, 'was that OK?'"

Adelaide radio host Amanda Blair said, "We all just want to remember him for the great person he was; warm, loving, generous, kind, funny, insightful and sensitive."