Australian Story: April 8

Australian Story looks to channel Enough Rope on Monday when Leigh Sales interviews 2023 Alone Australia winner Gina Chick before a studio audience.

When Gina Chick won the first season of the television survival show Alone Australia, having lasted 67 days in the Tasmanian wilderness, her life changed forever.

In a wide-ranging conversation with Leigh Sales, filmed before a live audience, Gina talks about how overwhelmed she has been by the outpouring of love and support she has experienced since Alone Australia and her 2023 episode of Australian Story aired.

“There has been zero trolling; like none,” she tells Leigh Sales. “Who gets that? When I walk down the street, people come up and they want to connect.”

She explains how that affirmation has helped her make peace with her big personality, something that made life difficult for her socially when she was a child.

“I found the whole journey is actually letting me express all of these different parts of myself. It’s like, OK, red carpet, do the whole thing but do it barefoot. I’ve managed to get away with not wearing shoes for anything so far. And now it’s a brand.”

Gina discusses her 35-year friendship with actor Hugh Jackman, her extraordinarily close relationship with her ex-husband Lee and, most movingly, how sharing the loss of her three-year-old daughter to cancer with a national audience has helped her.

“I lost my daughter 10 years ago and all of a sudden she’s alive again in all of these people who are coming up to tell their stories of loss or grief.”

8pm Monday on ABC.