Carrie Bickmore
An empathetic broadcaster who turned personal tragedy into a national conversation about brain cancer, raising millions for research.
Born 1980 (age 46)·Australian journalist, radio presenter and television presenter·Birthday: December 3·Generation X
Biography
Carrie Bickmore's warmth and quick wit made her a fixture in Australian living rooms, but it was her profound courage that cemented her place in the nation's heart. Rising from a radio newsreader to a core host of 'The Project', she balanced sharp political interviews with disarming relatability. Her professional life was forever shaped by the loss of her first husband, Greg Lange, to brain cancer in 2010. In 2014, she used her Logies acceptance speech—wearing a beanie in solidarity with patients who lose their hair—to launch 'Beanies 4 Brain Cancer'. That single, heartfelt moment ignited a movement, raising over $20 million and fundamentally shifting awareness of the disease in Australia. While she stepped away from 'The Project' in 2022, her drive continues on national radio, and her advocacy work remains a powerful testament to using a public platform for transformative personal purpose.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Carrie was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carrie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Carrie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 2015.
- Founded the 'Beanies 4 Brain Cancer' campaign, raising over $20 million for research.
- Served as a co-host on Network Ten's 'The Project' for 13 years from its 2009 launch.
- Currently co-hosts the national drive radio show 'Carrie & Tommy' on the Hit Network.
Did You Know?
She originally studied journalism at the University of Canberra.
Her 2015 Logies speech for brain cancer awareness received a standing ovation and went viral.
She published a children's book titled 'Mother's Day' in 2021.
She began her media career reading news on a Perth radio station.
“I want to show our little boy that his dad was a great man and that brain cancer is something we need to talk about.”
