Mike Willesee facts for kids

Michael Robert Willesee (born June 29, 1942 – died March 1, 2019) was a famous Australian TV journalist, interviewer, and presenter. He was known for his strong and direct way of asking questions.

Mike Willesee's Early Life and Family

Mike Willesee was born in Perth, Australia. His father, Don Willesee, was a politician. He was a senator for the Australian Labour Party and even served as a foreign minister. Mike's mother was Gwendoline Clark Willesee.

Mike had two brothers, Don Willesee Jnr. and Terry Willesee. Terry also became a TV presenter and journalist, just like Mike. Mike was a father to six children. His son, Michael Willesee Jr., followed in his footsteps and became a journalist too. Michael Jr. is married to TV host Allison Langdon. Mike's daughter, Kate, is a chiropractor. His niece, Janet Shaw, is a cyclist and author.

Mike Willesee's TV Career Highlights

Mike Willesee became well-known in 1967. He started as a reporter for a new TV show called This Day Tonight (TDT). He quickly gained a reputation for being a brave interviewer. He wasn't afraid to ask tough questions to politicians.

Hosting Popular Current Affairs Shows

After TDT, Mike hosted another important current affairs show. This was Four Corners, from 1969 to 1971. He then moved to the Nine Network. There, he hosted A Current Affair when it first started in 1971.

While working on A Current Affair, Mike discovered a young comedian named Paul Hogan. Paul Hogan had appeared on a talent show. Mike invited him to appear regularly on A Current Affair. Paul Hogan would perform short comedy skits. These skits often made funny comments about daily news. During this time, Paul Hogan became friends with the show's producer, John Cornell. John Cornell later became Paul Hogan's manager and close friend.

Mike later left the Nine Network. He joined the 0–10 Network (now Network 10). He became the director of news and current affairs there. He also hosted his own weekly interview show.

Success at the Seven Network

In 1975, Mike joined the Seven Network. He hosted the first Australian version of This Is Your Life. He also presented a nightly current affairs show called Willesee at Seven. This show became very popular. It even beat A Current Affair in the ratings. This led to A Current Affair being cancelled for a while in 1978.

Willesee at Seven later changed its name to Willesee '81 and Willesee '82. The show ended in 1982. After that, Mike started making documentaries for the Seven Network.

Mike was known for his long friendship with a boy named Quentin Kenihan. Quentin had a bone condition that made his bones very fragile. Mike also had some famous debates with the "Orange People." This group was recruiting members in Australia during the 1980s. In 1987, a group called the Committee of Skeptical Inquiry gave Mike an award. It was called the Responsibility in Journalism award.

Returning to Nine and Famous Interviews

Mike returned to the Nine Network in 1984. He started another nightly current affairs show called Willesee. He also produced special programs for the network. In 1986, he won a Logie Award for Most Popular Documentary.

One of Mike Willesee's most famous interviews was in 1993. It was known as the Birthday Cake Interview. He interviewed John Hewson, who was the leader of the Liberal Party at the time. The interview happened just ten days before a big election. Mike asked John Hewson many questions about a new tax his party wanted to introduce. This tax was called the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

John Hewson struggled to answer a simple question. Mike asked if a birthday cake would cost more or less with the new tax. John Hewson's answers were unclear, and he often hesitated. This made it seem like he didn't fully understand his own major policy. Many people believe this interview played a big part in John Hewson losing the election. He lost to Paul Keating.

Later Career and Awards

In his fifties, Mike Willesee reconnected with his Roman Catholic faith. He started reporting on religious topics. In 1998, he made a report called Signs From God. This report was about a woman in Bolivia who showed signs of stigmata. This documentary was watched by 28 million people in the United States.

In 2002, Mike Willesee was honored. He became the 19th person inducted into the TV Week Logies Hall of Fame. This is a very special award for people who have made a big impact on Australian TV.

In 2006, Mike appeared on the TV show Enough Rope. He talked about his interest in the Shroud of Turin. He wanted to know if science could prove it contained the blood of Jesus Christ.

In 2012, Mike joined the Seven Network's Sunday Night. He continued to do important interviews. His first interview was with Prime Minister Julia Gillard. In 2013, he interviewed the wealthy casino owner James Packer.

Mike Willesee's Personal Life and Passing

In 2017, Mike Willesee shared his personal story on the TV program Australian Story. He spoke about his fight with throat cancer. He also talked about returning to his Catholic faith after many years.

On March 1, 2019, Mike Willesee passed away in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was 76 years old and died from throat cancer.