Carrie Bickmore’s heartbreak as she accepts top honour with emotional speech: ‘If I could go back…’

by

Carrie Bickmore has been named Victorian Australian of the Year.

The popular radio personality received a prestigious award for 2026 in recognition of her work with brain cancer research and advocacy. Since 2015, her foundation, Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer, has raised over $27 million to support the cause.

The charity was created to honor the memory of her husband, Greg Lange, who sadly died in 2010 after fighting brain cancer.

I’m really passionate about supporting innovative healthcare, and that’s why I launched The Brain Cancer Centre in 2021. Essentially, we’ve created a hub where the brightest minds – researchers, doctors, and leading institutions – can collaborate on developing cutting-edge treatments and running vital clinical trials. It’s all about accelerating progress in the fight against brain cancer.

Since it began, the program has received an additional $45 million in funding, allowing it to support research projects nationwide.

During the emotional ceremony, Carrie revealed that she felt uneasy about accepting the award. 

She admitted feeling uneasy because she sees so many amazing people – not just those working on brain cancer, but everywhere – achieving great things.

Honestly, it was clear she was hesitant at first, but she told me she felt she had to accept the nomination. She said turning it down would be letting down everyone in the cancer community, and she just couldn’t be that person – she wouldn’t even call herself anything but a coward if she did.

Carrie shared her thoughts on her husband’s battle with cancer, explaining that it inspired her to get involved in research to fight brain cancer.

I’m honored to receive this award, but if I could change one thing, I would take away the pain my younger self experienced. I’d trade this recognition to prevent my then-boyfriend from having a seizure and then fighting a nine-year battle with brain cancer.

She called it one of the worst things she’d ever seen, and said she was deeply shaken and unsure how to react afterward.

I then realized I could use my position to prevent others from experiencing what Greg and I had gone through—to protect other talented people and young girls who hadn’t yet had a chance to figure out their futures.

During the ceremony, Bryan Lipmann received the 2026 Victorian Senior Australian of the Year award.

Bryan, a social worker, founded Wintringham, a company dedicated to providing housing and care for over 3,000 seniors, helping to prevent homelessness.

Neale Daniher was also present, and recently earned the title of Victorian Australian of the Year for 2025, later becoming Australian of the Year.

Carrie’s husband, Greg, sadly died in December 2010 after a ten-year fight with brain cancer. He was 35 years old.

Even though he was terminally ill, they married in 2005 when Karl Stefanovic was 25, and later had a son named Oliver.

She said having their son was the greatest thing they ever did together.

Following her husband Greg’s passing, Carrie continued his work by launching her own charity, Carrie’s Beanies for Brain Cancer. She first shared the news of the charity when accepting the Gold Logie award in 2015.

Read More

2025-11-07 01:36