Veteran TV journalist Mike Willesee dies aged 76

Veteran TV journalist Mike Willesee has died at the age of 76 after being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2016.

Mike Willesee on Australian Story in 2017. Credit:Mayeta Clark

The Perth-born journalist became a well-known name in Australian households after fronting Four Corners for two years from 1969, before moving to Nine's A Current Affair in 1971.

He started his TV journalism career at nightly current affairs show This Day Tonight and quickly gained a reputation for his fearless interview style, especially when it came to the country's politicians.

Moving through the ranks at ABC and Nine, which owns this masthead, Willesee went on to host the first iteration of This Is Your Life at Seven Network in 1975, before launching an eponymous current affairs program called Willesee at Seven.

Returning to Nine in the mid-'80s, Willesee gained national attention in 1993 when he put then-Liberal Party leader John Hewson on the spot with a question about how the proposed Goods and Services Tax would impact the price of a stock-standard birthday cake.

Hewson's fumbling response was poorly received by the Australian public, and many believe it led to his subsequent loss to Paul Keating in that year's federal election. On Friday, Hewson remembered Willesee fondly.

"Mike Willesee was obviously a journalist with passion," Hewson said. "He really understood the importance of his craft and he made an enormous contribution to shows like This Day Tonight, Four Corners and A Current Affair. I think he'll be remembered very fondly.

"I always respected him and his contribution to the industry over many years. He really was a benchmark for the industry."

Willesee was father to six children: Mike Jr. and Katie with first wife Joan Stanbury, a former Miss Australia; daughters Amy, Lucy and Jo to second wife Carol Brent; and a son, Rok, with Gordana Poljak.

Two of his children, Mike Jr. and Amy, followed in their father's career footsteps, with Mike a successful journalist married to 60 Minutes reporter Allison Langdon, and Amy a journalist and writer married to fellow novelist Mark Whittaker.

On Friday afternoon tributes to Wilesee began flowing in from the Australian media community.

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