Anh’s Brush with Fame: Aug 8

Carrie Bickmore is Anh Do’s subject this week on Anh’s Brush with Fame.

Popular broadcaster Carrie Bickmore joins Anh with stories from her life, sharing how she has dealt with personal tragedy and triumph in the public eye. Can Anh capture her warmth and her spirit?

Born in Adelaide, Carrie reflects on the courage it took for her recently divorced mother to take her then five-year-old daughter on a working holiday to America alone. Upon their return, she fell in love with their neighbour, and they began a new life together in Perth, along with a stepfather and two stepsisters for Carrie.

Carrie took careers advice to pursue her love of ‘talking’ and volunteered at a local radio station until her first on-air opportunity led to a proper job at the station. With her partner Greg, she followed her radio career to Melbourne, before Greg’s brain cancer diagnosis set them on a difficult journey. They married and had son Ollie before Greg passed away in 2010.

After getting her television start on Rove, Carrie joined the topical affairs program The 7PM Project at its inception. Her compassion and energy have made her a Logies favourite, and in 2015 she used that platform to launch a successful campaign for awareness and research into brain cancer.

She shares her delight in finding love again and having a sister for Ollie.

Anh finds Carrie’s energy ‘joyous’ and explains his struggle to get her likeness. What will Carrie think of the end result?

8pm Wednesday on ABC.