Gus Worland and Karl Stefanovic are returning to Wollongong for a Healthier Illawarra Men event. Photo: Supplied.
Australian TV presenter and journalist Karl Stefanovic will return to Wollongong this November, joining cricket legend Lord Ian Botham OBE for a candid International Men’s Day Lunch conversation tackling the tough issues facing men today.
Stefanovic will interview Botham onstage during the annual Healthier Illawarra Men event on 14 November in Wollongong.
He will also be hosting a powerful panel discussion featuring Botham, high-profile media identity and men’s health advocate Gus Worland, and another special guest to be revealed soon.
Stefanovic and Worland already have links to Healthier Illawarra Men (HIM), having been central to the organisation’s first reformation event in 2022 — the Gotcha4Life Mateship Miles Brunch.
That event raised more than $34,000 and set the foundations for HIM’s growth into one of the Illawarra’s most recognised community movements.
HIM chair Mark Sleigh said it was fantastic to have Stefanovic return for this year’s HIM International Men’s Day Lunch.
“He and Gus were central to our first event in 2022, the Gotcha4Life Mateship Miles Brunch, which set the foundations for the HIM movement,” Mark said.
“Having him back alongside Botham and Gus brings together three powerful voices who aren’t afraid to have the tough conversations about men’s health and wellbeing.”
A Gold Logie-winning presenter and long-time co-host of Nine’s Today Show, Stefanovic has built a career on connecting with Australians through interviewing, storytelling and his unmistakable sense of humour.
His return to Wollongong to support HIM highlights his passion for social issues, particularly men’s mental health, and is helping shape this year’s International Men’s Day Lunch into HIM’s biggest yet.
Botham was announced as part of the line-up in June.
Widely regarded as England’s greatest all-round cricketer and affectionately known as “Beefy”, he played 102 Tests, scoring more than 5000 runs and taking 383 wickets, and is famous for his match-winning feats in the 1981 Ashes.
He has also been a tireless charity fundraiser off the field, raising more than £20 million for health-related charities in the UK and Australia.
Worland, who was announced earlier this month, previously worked on Triple M breakfast radio and on a series of reality TV programs including Man Up on the ABC, and is the founder of Gotcha4Life.
“My connection with HIM goes back to that first Mateship Miles Brunch in 2022, and to see how much the movement has grown since then is inspiring,” Worland said.
“The Illawarra is showing what can happen when men come together, get vulnerable, and support each other.”
Event MC will be WIN News journalist and anchor Bruce Roberts, who is known for his openness about men’s health.
Since 2022, the HIM International Men’s Day Lunch has quickly become one of the Illawarra’s premier events, raising significant funds for Illawarra programs addressing men’s mental health, wellbeing, and domestic violence prevention.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the event, and applications for HIM’s next grant funding round are now open, supporting Illawarra charities and community groups delivering frontline men’s health initiatives.
Limited tickets remain for the 2025 International Men’s Day Lunch on 14 November at UOW Uni Hall, Wollongong.
