When Jermaine D’Vauz was asked to step up and host a regular spot on NOVA he went all in, pitching the idea for a throwback show that celebrated the music of the 90s and 2000s.
The result is is his weekly journey on The Jermaine Plane and now the popular show has moved over to the station’s FM broadcast and gone national in all five major Australian cities.
Jermaine caught up with OUTinPerth to chat about his journey into the world of radio and how his love of music has always been at the centre of adventures.
OUTinPerth readers first got to know Jermaine and his brother Jesse back in 2011 when as teenagers they caught the attention of Lady Gaga.
The Perth raised twins posted a video of them performing the choreography from Gaga’s recently released video for the song Judas, and when the Mother Monster reshared their clip they were suddenly on a global stage.
Soon the dup were performing at The Court Hotel, and not long after they appeared on the cover of OUTinPerth magazine, photographed by Angelo DiBenedetto. Over the next few years Jesse and Jermaine were regular fixtures on the magazine’s pages.
They also were features in the iconic 2012 Pride issue cover which recreated Leonardo DaVinci’s The Last Supper painting, with local club identities serving as the disciples, and drag star Anna Mation as Jesus.
“I feel like a lot so much has happened since then. I was a very different person. I was a very naive person back then, but it was a fun time.” Jermaine said reflecting on his time as a club kid.
While dancing and music have always been a big part of both Jermaine and his brother’s Jesse’s lives growing up he always had a desire to get into the world of radio.
“It actually started when I was twelve years old. My first radio gig was at Groove 101.7FM.” Jermaine shared. The youth focused community radio station ran from 2003 until 2008 and Jermaine got his first taste of producing.
His interest in radio piqued again when he found himself in the studios talking to the NOVA Breakfast team of Nathan, Nat and Shaun talking about how Lady Gaga had reshared their dance video.
“I really liked that environment, I just felt like I belonged there. I just felt like this whole essence is kind of something that I like doing.” he said.
After setting his sights on a career in radio in signed up to study broadcasting at Edith Cowan University, where his first challenge was to overcome his fear of public speaking.
“I actually had little bit of a fear of public speaking. Back then talking to a crowd was so scary for me, because when Jesse and I would dance I used to always look at these people who MC at The Court and Connections. People like BarbieQ and Hannah Conda, and I was in awe of how they could speak to a crowd. And I just could not do that.”
In learning about radio Jermaine soon came to realise that career longevity comes when you have many skills, and also embrace all the roles that are beyond being an on-air presenter. He describes the ECU course as one that throws you in the deep end to experience hands on learning, and he’s full of praise for former course coordinator Jo McManus.
“She just throws you in the deep end and immediately, and you know, you’re doing live shows first week in” Jermaine recalled. Soon he scored some work experience at NOVA, and he shares his first role was not a glamorous on-air position.
“I was carting. This is where you’re getting a show that’s already been broadcast and ingesting it into the software to play later.” he recalled.
After finishing his studies Jermaine joined the NOVA breakfast show in Perth as their video producer, capturing in moments in the studio for social media channels. While working behind the scenes he got to practice for his on-air debut, and when radio legend Gary Roberts heard one of demos he was given the green light to join the on-air talent.
Soon he was regularly being heard on Sunday afternoons, and filling in when presenters were unwell or on leave. A move to Sydney saw him join the team creating The Kyle and Jackie O Show, but after some time at the rival station he was tempted back to NOVA where he now helps produce the Drive program with Joel, Tim and Ricki-Lee.
When the opportunity came up to do some presenting shifts on weekends, Jermaine made a bold move. He pitched an idea for a show all of his own. A show that would celebrate the music that he was dancing to back in Connections when he was a teenager. The Jermaine Plane was ready for take off.
Jermaine shares that the name of the show grew out of a joke started by Tim Blackwell, Ricki-Lee and Joel Creasey.
When Jermaine first began presenting on air they introduced a segment on the Drive show called ‘Slip in In’. Where they would challenge him to casually slip certain phrases into his banter during a presenting shift. Tim challenged him to declare “You’re on the Jermaine Plane!”
“I hated the name. I hated the name because I thought they were mocking me. But then I kind of said, ‘Well, you know what? I’m just gonna own it’. Everyone started saying it around the office, and I was like, ‘I’m gonna own it. I’m gonna make it mine.'” Jermaine said.
Initially The Jermaine Plane aired on the NOVA digital channel NOVA throwbacks, but now it’s simulcast on the FM station and can be heard right across the country every Saturday.
The Jermaine Plane now airs every Saturday at 5pm across Nova 96.9 Sydney, Nova 100 Melbourne, Nova 106.9 Brisbane, Nova 93.7 Perth and Nova 919 Adelaide. The show is also available via DAB+ and on-demand through the Nova Player app.
Declaration: OUTinPerth co-editor Graeme Watson also works at Edith Cowan University.
