When radio DJ and TV personality Mike Kasem took off his shirt for our photo shoot, we all stared. “You must be photoshopped!”

Yes, it’s true: Kasem is in way better shape than a guy whose day job is being on the radio has any right to be. Even his muscles have got muscles. For the record, the abdominals you see in these pictures have not been digitally enhanced. And no protein shakes were harmed in the making of this feature.

Part of the Class 95FM jock’s drive to be in peak physical shape has to do with his involvement in Sasuke Singapore — the second season debuts tomorrow. Granted, he sits on the sidelines as a smart-mouthed commentator together with Hamish Brown, and has yet to attempt the course. But Kasem said he’s ready to rumble. Looking at those deltoids, we believe him. Heck, we’re certainly not going to argue with him.

PUTTING THE SASS IN SASUKE

Ironically, one of the 39-year-old’s most developed muscles is his mouth. Barring his genes — his dad is the legendary former host of American Top 40, Casy Kasem — his years as an MTV Asia VJ from 1995 to 1999 probably helped hone his ability to talk up a storm, which Kasem puts to good use by giving funny blow-by-blow accounts of the Sasuke participants’ progress.

“At first, we were self-censoring a little bit. And then we got feedback that people like it when we’re ripping on people and having fun and making fun of people. So we kind of stopped self-censoring and we just let the producers censor us,” he said. “(But) we try to respect them as well ... After they fall, we say, ‘Good try’.”

As exhilarating as it is to see the muscle-bound warriors conquer the Sasuke course, it’s even more fun to watch the ones who fall flat on their faces — and to hear what Kasem and Brown have to say about it.

“I think humans like to watch people fail on TV more than succeed,” the co-host of Class 95FM’s Cartunes conceded. “In this day and age of reality, it’s more exciting to see somebody screw up than it is to see them do well.

“But Sasuke is a bit different. A lot of the people we make fun of, they’re going up there just to have fun, which is great. But I’ve been doing a lot of research on the Japan show and what they have been doing up there in Japan for Sasuke — they really have a good time and like to clown around, and they do stunts and funny things, but at the same time, they’re dead serious when it’s time for the run.”

Thanks to his association with the show, Mike’s interest in Sasuke has grown. “When I first got called in to audition for the show, I’d never heard of Sasuke,” he said. “I had heard of American Ninja Warrior, but just barely. I was definitely not into it; didn’t really care much. Doing the show, (I was) just having fun with the commentary, and then when I really started researching, (I realised) Sasuke is a culture, especially in Japan. I mean, around the world, there are people who train hard, who want to make it to Japan.”

The Sasuke contestant who completes the course in the shortest amount of time will represent Singapore in an international competition held in Japan.

“I do think that Singapore could contend in Japan and do well there, if not win the whole thing,” the former America’s Funniest Home Videos host asserted, adding: “I definitely want to run the course. Maybe I’ll go train with Bobby (Tonelli). I’d love to get up there and see what I could do. And I want to have Hamish make a tonne of fun of me.”

HAM AND CHEESE

Besides making his mark in Sasuke, Kasem is also arguably the breakout star of Channel 5’s sketch comedy show, Random Island, especially with his spot-on spoofs of Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan. His character is the “child whisperer” Cesar Milano.

Of his propensity for goofiness, the Los Angeles native said: “I was voted Class Clown every year in high school. I was just a ham. I was hamming it up before I knew who Jim Carrey was. When he came out, he was my idol. To me, Jim Carrey is the ultimate comedic talent.”

Still, Kasem said, when Random Island first started airing, he couldn’t bring himself to watch his own performance. He has since determined that his acting skills have come a long way.

“I remember I did an episode of Triple Nine with Robin Leong, back in 1998, I believe,” he recalled. “I was so bad. I played Detective Fernandez. I just didn’t know how to let it go on camera. We had a chase scene. Robin Leong was behind me, and I was in front, and we were chasing the perpetrator. All they told me was, ‘All right, he just stole this, and then you run after him and chase him’.

“So the cameras were all set up, and I ran after him, and I ended up passing him, because I was a lot faster than him! I turned around and the whole cast and crew were on their backs rolling around laughing. Robin had tears in his eyes, he was laughing so hard, and he was like, ‘Hey, man, you just passed the perp. Why didn’t you stick a hand out and grab him and stop him?’ I was like, ‘I don’t know what this scene is! I thought it was just us running’!”

Kasem considers a self-deprecating sense of humour his “strongest asset”.

“Like when I’m on air with Jean (Danker) on Cartunes, I’m mainly taking the p*** out of myself,” he said. “I’m not going to put her down to make myself look better — I put myself down. I think that’s what makes it work for me as a Westerner here in Singapore — not coming here with a cocky American attitude: ‘I know everything about the entertainment business ... I worked in the States so I know more; I hosted America’s Funniest Home Videos, hoo, ha’.”

And while he’s not afraid to let things get crazy — like proposing to local actresses he’s never met on air — Kasem also added a caveat.

“I’m not that guy who’s always on. You’ll see me at a bar or a restaurant and I might not talk much. I definitely think I turn it on more for the camera,” he revealed. “And that’s how my dad was, too. He’d be off air and just quiet, but when he gets on air, a light bulb turns on.

“Don’t get me wrong. I do clown around, absolutely. But I’m not like that 100 per cent of the time, or else you would hate to be around me.”

A sense of humour and a strong, serious side? Those things definitely go well with those abs.

Catch the second season of Sasuke Singapore starting tomorrow at 8pm, and Random Island on Tuesdays at 8.30pm, on MediaCorp TV Channel 5. Cartunes is on weekdays, 5pm to 8pm, on Class 95FM.

Photography: Jason Ho

Hair and makeup: Joanna Ang, Sono Bello (96953772)