WHEN radio hosts Hamish Blake and Andy Lee called up an unsuspecting Melbourne man as part of a prank, they were expecting it all to end with a “GOTCHA!†and plenty of laughs.
It certainly did, but what the Hit Network’s Drive show didn’t bargain on was the “world’s best bloke†being on the other end of the line.
The segment involved Hamish ringing 23-year-old electrician James Lord, under the alias “Tim Barnard†— a total stranger going for a job interview who needed a last-minute reference.
It was promising from the beginning, with Lord telling Hamish, “Yeah sweet, I’ll just tell them that you’re a ripper bloke — I’ve got you covered.â€
Minutes later, Andy rang back, acting as “Graham Burn from Kells & Co.,†an accounting firm checking on “Tim’s†reference — effectively, testing out whether Lord will lie to help a stranger.
And boy, did he step up to the plate.
After some exceptionally quick-thinking, he told “Graham†that he and “Tim†had met through his football club, and that they’d known each other for years.
Here are some of his more creative accolades for the complete stranger.
On whether “Tim†is good with money:
“He'd help out a lot with a few fundraisers. He helps out the [football club] Treasurer a lot.â€
On how many languages he speaks:
“I know he definitely speaks two.â€
On his best qualities:
“What you see is what you get with him, he’s a go-getter and when he says things are going to get done, they’ll get done.â€
Eventually, the giggles got the better of Hamish and he jumped in, outing the prank, and telling Lord: “James, mate, you are the best bloke in the world!â€
Watch the full (hilarious) video below.