Matthew Okine (born 12 April 1985) is a stand-up comedian, author and radio presenter from Brisbane, Australia. He was a co-host on the Triple J breakfast show with Alex Dyson from 2014 to 2016.
Early life
Okine was born to Mack Okine and Roslyn. His father is an immigrant from Ghana. He has an older sister. His parents separated when he was 7. His mother died of breast cancer when he was 12.
Okine attended Ironside State School and Brisbane State High School and played many sports growing up. He was considered a promising Australian rules football prospect, and was invited to take part in the AFL's NAB Rising Stars national development program. He stopped playing football after being advised to do so upon entry into drama school at Queensland University of Technology. He graduated with a bachelor in acting. He supports his hometown Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League.
Career
Okine performed stand-up on Rove, at the Sydney Comedy Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival. He appeared on TV shows This is Littleton, Legally Brown, Would I Lie to You? and Hughesy, We Have a Problem and was a guest contributor on Dirty Laundry Live, Can of Worms and The Agony of Modern Manners. In 2012, he released a DVD titled Being Black n Chicken n Shit. He also appeared as Laurie in H2O: Just Add Water and Aquamarine as an unknown character.
In 2014, Okine replaced Tom Ballard as co-host on the breakfast show on Triple J after Ballard resigned to pursue stand-up comedy. In 2016, Okine and Alex Dyson both left Triple J to pursue other interests.
He co-hosted How Not to Behave, which ran for four months on ABC in 2015.
At the 2015 ARIA Awards, he won Best Comedy Release for Live at the Enmore Theatre.
In 2017, Okine wrote and starred in The Other Guy on Stan. A second season was released in 2019.
In 2019, he published his first novel, Being Black 'N Chicken, & Chips.
In November 2022, it was revealed that Okine would star as Arthur Beare in a 2023 "reimagining" of classic sitcom Mother and Son which originally aired on ABC TV from 1984 to 1994. Okine is also the creator, writer and executive producer of the new series. The concept to adapt the sitcom as a single-camera production from what was originally a multi-camera setup filmed in front of a live studio audience was first proposed by Okine in 2013. Creator of the original series Geoffrey Atherden would collaborate with Okine on the 2023 version. On 15 August 2024, Mother and Son was renewed for a second season. He appeared as Devon in the 2023 TV series The Clearing.
Okine is one half of the children's music duo Diver City, with Kristy Lee Peters.
Personal life
Okine and his partner Belinda Rabe have a daughter.