2DayFM's Harley Breen opens up about his 'cult' past

Em Rusciano regularly refers to her co-host’s time in a ‘cult.’

Now 2DayFM's Harley Breen has opened up to Be exclusively about how his strict religious upbringing helped carve him into the funny man making us laugh every day.

“I wouldn’t be who I am without watching Dad [a preacher] perform for 20 years,” he told us. “I’d sit in the church every week watching him, so that’s going to rub off.”

Harley – who made his radio debut alongside Em earlier this year – went on to explain that having his personality “oppressed” for so many years made it easy for him to go into stand up.

“Everything else is really hard and daunting for me,” he said, talking candidly. “But standing on stage in front of a group of people is the easiest thing I can think to do.”

Since the dad-of-two turned his back on the religion, he’s gone on to build a successful career as a comedian and radio presenter.

Still, Harley, 37, makes it clear religion is something he respects, even though he doesn’t personally believe in it.

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“I had a few pivotal life moments that changed my thinking and opened up my ideas to other things,” he said. “I read other books and went – oh this is horsesh*t for me.”

He added: “I know what’s right for me and that I don’t believe in the existence of the higher power.”

The EmRusciano Radio Show with Harley Breen weekdays from 6am on Sydney's 1041 2DayFM and week nights from 7-8pm nationally on the Hit Network.

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