Burgess has hosted numerous radio shows over the years. He started in the industry through a chance meeting with
John Laws, and joined his network radio station
2GB. On 25 September 2006, he started as breakfast show announcer for the
easy listening radio station
3MP in
Melbourne. On 12 December 2011, he took over from
Johnny Young at
6IX in
Perth, departing the station in December 2015. Burgess returned to 6IX in a new timeslot on 22 April 2017. Burgess moved into television in the 1970s, when hosting the teenage music show "Turning On" on the
Seven Network station HSV7. The series feature many popular music artists and bands including
Zoot and Gilian Fitzgerald, one of the main dancers, and featured Judy Moody and Christine Kelson. Burgess took over from
Ernie Sigley, the original host of
Wheel of Fortune on the Seven Network, taking over in 1984 and remaining until 1996. He then hosted game show
Catch Phrase on the
Nine Network; it was eventually renamed ''Burgo's Catch Phrase''. He also hosted the game show
Pass the Buck in 2002, also on Nine Network and hosted some
Oz Lotto draws from 1994 to 1995 on Channel 7 every Tuesday. John Burgess joined the cast of the reality comedy series
Balls of Steel Australia on
The Comedy Channel in 2012. ==Health concerns==