Magda Szubanski was received with rolling laughter and applause as she came onstage as ‘Sharon Strzelecki’ at the 2026 Logies, with Robert Irwin, to present the Gold Logie. She had crawled out of the tiger enclosure of the Irwin Zoo and thus arrived with a broken arm, eye patch, bow & arrow through her hair, clothing torn and back scratched. “Kath & Kim” had just been voted best TV show of the last 70 years.
Magda came out on stage at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House last Sunday the 4th of October to a huge audience who gave her a rousing welcome, a standing ovation. Well deserved.
Magda was in conversation with Fran Kelly. She has written her second memoir, entitled “I CAN’T TELL YOU, BUT I WILL” (also the title of Sunday’s show). Her first acclaimed memoir published in 2015, was “Reckoning: A Memoir”. It was about her Polish born father, who was a resistance assassin in WW2.
Magda speaks very proudly of her Polish family and their courage in WW2. They hid many Jewish families and were members of the resistance.
Magda’s new memoir is about her mother, Margaret. A proud, feisty and funny Scottish/Irish woman. Magda tells us that Margaret was the funniest member of her family. She also had the ‘brutally honest’ trait that is so prominent amongst the Scottish people. Magda uses her wonderful lyrical Scottish accent to quote her mother. She says her mother was the ‘love of her life’.
Margaret believed that some people are built for flight, some for freeze, some for fight. Her mother was definitely programmed for fight. So is Magda.
Things weren’t always easy for Magda in her childhood. She kept a lot from her mother. Around her high school days, when she realised she was gay – it was terrifying for her. She became unhappy, she withdrew, became more isolated. Then she went to Melbourne university. That saved her life. The Women’s Room. Suddenly she could be herself.
Concerning her passionate and outspoken fight for marriage equality, she was asked a question about public opinion, was she worried.
Magda said it was worth potentially losing her celebrity for that cause.
Magda’s easy and honest way of talking is comforting. She talks with great courage of her struggle with cancer and the audience understands. Her discussion about assisted dying makes sense. The honesty within the family about being the family carer. The honesty about parents not wanting their children to be their carers for too long a time. It’s essential as we will all face our mortality. Magda radiates positivity. Even if she’s scared, she’ll face it.
“There’s a big difference between dying and being dead”, she says.
Fran Kelly was a great interviewer, warm and funny.
It was a stimulating and thought-provoking hour to be sitting with Magda and Fran chatting about life and family.
Lots of laughter and great ideas. Jokes that only Magda can tell.
It was invigorating. And more standing ovations closed the session.
