Carrie Bickmore’s top five women of the year

AN actress, a singer, a mother lost to cancer, and a two-year-old — Carrie Bickmore reveals the women who inspired her in 2017.

Carrie Bickmore: “In honour of double X chromosomes, here are my top five women of 2017.” (Pic: Cameron Grayson)

THE end of the year is upon us and soon news shows will be getting all reflective: compiling their “best ofs” for 2017. It has been a huge year. Starting with the inauguration of a man-child, and finishing with the women of Hollywood kicking some serious arse.

So in celebration of the double X chromosomes, I give you my top five women for 2017.

Top pick: Magda Szubanski.

1. Magda Szubanski

I grew up loving Magda on my telly like everyone else, but the day she came out on national TV on The Project in 2012 was the day I realised she was really something special. This year, she took bravery to a new level in becoming the public face of the same-sex marriage survey. Only she will ever know the personal toll the debate must have had on her, but to stand up for equality so passionately and eloquently against the cries of those who don’t believe in it was incredibly courageous.

The inspirational Connie Johnson, OAM.

2. Connie Johnson OAM

Speaking of courage, Connie Johnson went through more in her 40 years on this planet than any human should have to. She lost her mother to suicide and battled cancer three times. As I sat at her memorial service, it became so clear to me that Connie gave her Love Your Sister “villagers” far more than the incredible $5.6 million she raised for breast cancer research. Through her openness and honesty, she gave breast cancer survivors and their families a sense of community, a place to laugh, to cry and to feel empowered. She deserved every bit of that Order of Australia that she received.

Hall of Fame: Amanda Keller.

3. Amanda Keller

This year Amanda Keller was inducted into the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame. About bloody time, I say. I had always admired Amanda from afar and respected the way she navigated the media world with no drama, no fuss, just plain hard work. Often when you meet your heroes, they are not as amazing as you have built them up to be. But meeting Amanda and subsequently becoming her friend has been even more rewarding than I could have imagined.

Who doesn’t love Pink?

4. Pink

We all know Pink is a star, but this year she also provided me with some serious parenting aspirations. She was driving her six-year-old daughter to school when, out of the blue, Willow said, “Mama, I’m the ugliest girl I know... I look like a boy with long hair.” Pink stayed quiet (something we don’t often do as parents). She went home, channelled her inner 1995 and made a PowerPoint presentation of all the androgynous superstars she could think of, and told Willow that our job is to show the world more kinds of beauty. Just days after Pink retold this story in a speech at the VMAs, I met her at an intimate concert in LA. I was inspired by the way she does it HER way. She brought her daughter to the gig, and let her lay around on the stage next to her as she belted out some of her most famous tunes. There were no airs and graces, just a family doing their thing.

Evie and Carrie in 2016.

5. My daughter, Evie

I, unfortunately, can’t have my daughter lie next to The Project desk every night. As much as I’d like that, she’d get bored in a second. But, fortunately, I do get to wake up to this delightful little human every morning and she is my favourite female of 2017. Yes, ridiculously corny, but it’s my list and I’ll put whoever I damn want on it! She makes every day brighter and I can only hope she has half the courage and resilience of the women above.

Carrie co-hosts The Project, 6.30pm weeknights, on Network Ten.

Originally published as Carrie Bickmore’s top five women of the year