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Vale: Mike Willesee

Legendary broadcaster Mike Willesee has died after a long battle with throat cancer.

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Legendary broadcaster Mike Willesee, who popularised nightly current affairs on commercial TV, has died aged 76 after a long battle with throat cancer.

Willesee became a household name after fronting the ABC’s Four Corners for two years from 1969. He then left the national broadcaster, persuading Channel Nine to allow him to start his own nightly program in November 1971 — A Current Affair.

Willesee’s interviewing style, with quiet questions and long pauses, became his trademark style.

Ray Martin once said the “Willesee pause” became his signature move.

“You give a politician a moment’s silence and they feel like they had to talk,” Martin said.

“They often said things they didn’t want to say to Mike Willesee.

“But he had charisma and there was a touch of class about what he did in his journalism.”

Kerry O’Brien, a former long-time presenter of the ABC’s 7.30, remembered Willesee as “an absolute trailblazer on Australian television”.

“I regarded him right through my career as the benchmark,” O’Brien said.

“He cut his teeth on This Day Tonight. Mike was the first Canberra correspondent and had no television experience.

“He was quality and class from the outset. A very sharp mind and a great instinct for the right question.”

He famously offered a young Paul Hogan a TV job, and befriended a young Quentin Kenihan.

An interview quizzing Liberal leader John Hewson about GST on a brthday cake was regarded as the moment he lost a federal election campaign. But there were also infamous moments, including one night when he was sozzled on air.

In recent years Willesee joined Seven’s Sunday Night.

Hugh Marks, Nine, CEO:

“I’m writing to you regarding the sad passing of Michael Willesee. His death has robbed us all of a trailblazing pioneer of journalism, the likes of whom we’ll likely never see again.

“Our deepest condolences go to the whole Willesee clan at this time, including Allison Langdon and her husband, Mike Willesee Jnr.

“The word legend is somewhat too readily conferred in modern times, but it describes Mike to a tee. He all but invented current affairs television in Australia at the ABC in the 1960s. Then later at Seven and Nine he moulded the medium into an art form of which for decades he remained the prime and most skilful exponent.His particular skills as an interviewer are unarguably the stuff of legend. Most famously the ‘Willesee pause‘ where Mike deliberately allowed many seconds of silence to pass before his next question. He knew the power of silence, or a slight quizzical tilt of the head, would usually cause a hapless interviewee to fall into the mistake of speaking to fill the dead air. This ‘gotcha’ technique came to represent Michael Willesee at his brilliant best.

“When others spoke too much, he said only what was necessary – the short, sharp question which everyone was thinking, but no-one dared ask.  He had a mind as sharp as a steel trap and a sense of humour as cheeky as his smile

“But across the craft he always shone like a beacon.

“So many aspiring – and practising – journalists have learned so much from Mike. And everyone who practises journalism in Australia is in his debt.

“Mike was a modest and humble man. A big friendly bear of a man who worked hard, and back in the day, played even harder. But he was always a gentle man. Generous and caring of others, his presence would always light up the room.

“Michael Willesee will be sadly missed but fondly remembered by all of us at Nine and across the media generally. Especially those who were fortunate enough to come into his orbit and to regard him as a friend.”

Seven statement:

“We are deeply saddened to hear Veteran Australian television reporter, Mike Willesee, has lost his battle with throat cancer at the age of 76.

“The Perth-born journalist was known for his masterful interviewing skills.

“Willesee dominated Australian television current affairs for 50 years setting an industry standard that few were able to match.

“His final major TV investigation was for Seven’s flagship news and public affairs programme Sunday Night.

“Our thoughts are with his family.”

Source: ABC

8 Responses

  2. TEN News played an interview where he asked Quentin what heaven was like, Quentin replied ‘I don’t know but you will be there before me’…sadly Quentin got there first but I am sure he would have greeted Mike warmly. Vale Mike Willesee, a true TV legend.

    1. Sometimes. “The senator and radio host, 74, fell on St Kilda Road in Melbourne on Monday, where he was knocked unconscious and later taken to The Alfred Hospital for tests. He vowed he will continue to “live his life” and enjoy a drink – despite his life-saving transplant.
      “I’m very appreciative to the family of my donor,” he added. “But you have to live your life, I didn’t have a drink for five years and swore I would never drink again, but you have got to live your life.” (startsat60.com)

  4. Mike Willesee – a legend with a most impressive body of work. A journo with the highest integrity.

    I remember a story he did on ACA in the 70s, a story for which I wouldn’t be surprised that he cringed at when given the assignment. Mike interviewed a morbidly obese gentlemen on a pension living in what was probably Sydney public housing. The basis of the story was that the pension was so low that he was forced to eat tinned dog food. No forums in those days, but it was soon pointed out in other media that dog food was much more expensive than many other foods aimed at human consumption. I recall that that a competing current affairs program explored a supermarket pointing out the easily available more nutritional and less expensive options.

    Vale Mike Willesee. So sad.

  6. This was a gentleman who knew how to conduct an interview and entrap those pesky politicians who thought they got away with it. Deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

  7. Mike Willesee is one of the best journalists of our time. I have many fond memories of him. Other than the John Hewson interview, I remember when he approached a talent agency in Sydney to extract a confession about their business practices and his 1999 documentary for Fox Television in the US titled Signs from God: Science tests Faith. Rest In Peace Mike. You belong in the same class as another great Ian Ross.

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