The journalist and television presenter Mike Willesee has died of throat cancer, aged 76.
Willesee was a household name in Australia, best known for his work at the ABC’s This Day Tonight and Four Corners, Channel Nine’s A Current Affairs and his own nightly current affairs show, Willesee At Seven, on Channel 7, over a career that spanned more than 50 years. He was a fixture on prime time television at a time when the commercial current affairs shows were taken seriously and often conducted tough interviews with politicians.
He was famous for his interviewing skills and rose to prominence over his questioning of the prime minister Harold Holt about the appointment of a new ABC chairman. His 1993 interview with the Liberal party leader, John Hewson, 10 days out from the election has been credited with helping turn the “unlosable” election in Labor’s favour, after Hewson floundered while answering pointed questions from Willesee about the Liberal party’s GST policy.
He asked: “If I buy a birthday cake from a cake shop, and GST is in place, do I pay more or less for that birthday cake?”
David Hurley, former executive producer of A Current Affair, said Willesee was a “big friendly bear of a man” who was a master of the craft of interviewing.
Hurley said his interview technique became known as “the Willesee stare” and it would demolish his subjects.
“He was the best of the best,” Hurley said. “He was kind, and modest and lit up a room.”
Vale journalist and broadcaster #MikeWillesee. In this clip from his 1975 program Willesee At Seven, he interviews Barry Humphries about why he enjoys making people laugh.
— NFSAonline (@NFSAonline) March 1, 2019
Courtesy Seven Network. pic.twitter.com/VlAyOtMRrH
Willesee was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2016.
In an interview with ABC’s Australian Story at the time, he said: “I was getting sick and I had a lot of pain in one side of my jaw. It was cancer. The prognosis wasn’t very good. Six to 12 months.”
Willesee was married three times, first to former Miss Australia, Joan Stanbury, and then to actor and model Carol Brent. He had two children with Stanbury – Michael and Katie – and three daughters with Brent – Amy, Lucy and Jo.
In 1999 he married Channel Nine television make-up artist Gordana Poljak and had a son, Rok. The third marriage ended after 11 years.
Former media colleagues paid tribute to Willesee above all as a “tough” journalist, who exemplified serious reporting and interviewing on commercial television.
ABC’s news director, Gaven Morris, said Willesee “was one of the true pioneers of TV journalism in Australia”. Political journalist Paul Bongiorno wrote on Twitter: “Mike’s interviewing technique masterful....with a phrase he could undo an obfuscating politician. Few if any have matched his ability to do this. A master of the craft.”
Tough reporter, brilliant documentary maker, successful media entrepreneur, spellbinding interviewer. A man of complex flaws but enormous strengths, including kindness to those starting out. My condolences to the Willesee family. Vale Old Master. https://t.co/WBCV2B2Q0a
— Hugh Riminton (@hughriminton) March 1, 2019
The ABC said Willesee was a great of Australian journalism and an important part of ABC history for his work on This Day Tonight and Four Corners. “All at the ABC extend our condolences to his family and loved ones,” the corporation said.
Deeply saddened to hear that our colleague and TV legend Mike Willesee has passed away. Our thoughts are with his family. We’ll remember an incredible journalist, tenacious and tough. A loss for our industry. #sn7 #7news pic.twitter.com/frCLuecanD
— Melissa Doyle (@melissadoyle) March 1, 2019
The minister for communications, Mitch Fifield, said Willesee’s contribution to journalism and current affairs in Australia had been enormous and his legacy as a pioneer in the golden age of current affairs would be long-lasting.
“Mike was one of the country’s most respected journalists, interviewers and presenters,” Fifield said. “He graced our television screens for more than 50 years working on top-rating shows on the ABC and the Nine and Seven networks.”
Sad news: Television legend Mike Willesee has died. Mike was a trail-blazer in Australian current affairs. He was a tough journalist and a master of the television craft. His on-camera stares & questions - & silences - put fear into the powerful. Condolences to family and friends
— John Lyons (@TheLyonsDen) March 1, 2019
Vale Mike Willesee. A true giant of broadcast journalism and an inspiration to the generations that followed. Deepest condolences to all his family.
— Mark Riley (@Riley7News) March 1, 2019
The great Mike Willesee has died. He was one of the true pioneers of TV journalism in Australia, an outstanding interviewer and a presence in every Australian living room for decades. Vale.
— Gaven Morris (@gavmorris) March 1, 2019
Sad to hear of the death of Mike Willesee. We worked together. Nice man. Great pioneering TV journalist, and the absolute prince of television interviewers.
— Mike Carlton (@MikeCarlton01) March 1, 2019
Labor’s manager of opposition business, Tony Burke, said on Twitter that Willesee’s interview with Hewson was a reminder “of how in their finest moments, the simplicity of a question from journalists can cut through everything.”
