Aussie celebrity comebacks: Brendan Fevola, Schapelle Corby, Wayne Carey
These Aussie celebs hit the heights before disaster struck. Here’s a look at the stars who built their careers back from rock bottom.
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These Aussie celebs were at the top of their game, then disaster struck.
Here’s a look at the stars who returned from rock bottom, and made the ultimate comeback.
BRENDAN FEVOLA
Perhaps the most impressive celebrity comeback is Brendan Fevola, who went from star footballer to being chased out of the league, battling and overcoming an expensive gambling addiction, divorcing and later rekindling his romance with now-fiancee Alex to hosting one of Melbourne’s successful breakfast radio shows.
Things soured for the Carlton forward around 2009 when he was fined $10,000 and ultimately dumped by the club after his drunken Brownlow Red Carpet hosting antics.
Around that time, it became clear Fev was dealing with a crippling gambling addiction which had become so bad his debt reached $1m.
He revealed he once lost $365,000 on the punt in one day.
More recently, Fev revealed he’d even sold one of his Coleman Medals to make some quick cash after a day on the booze.
He spent some time in rehab to deal with his demons.
Fev’s 14-month marriage to Alex, from which he shared children Leni and Lulu, ended in 2006, and the couple divorced in 2014.
But two years later, the pair reunited, became engaged and in 2018 welcomed a third daughter, Tobi.
Things began to turn around when Fev won reality TV show I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here, which saw his $100,000 prize money go to The Shane Warne Foundation charity.
He also joined Fox FM’s morning breakfast radio show as a host alongside Fifi Box and Dave Thornton.
Over recent years, Fev’s image as a family man became more prevalent on social media, especially on stories and posts by his daughter Mia Fevola (a daughter from Alex’s previous relationship).
Earlier this year, Fev sold his $2.2m Brighton East home to move into $3m, five-bedroom Hampton home.
SCHAPELLE CORBY
Schapelle Corby became a celebrity through hitting rock bottom.
She became a household name when she was arrested and later convicted of smuggling 4.2kg of cannabis into Bali in 2004.
Before her stint in Kerobokan Prison, she was living a somewhat normal life on the Gold Coast.
She was sentenced to 20 years in jail in 2005, but spent nine years in Kerobokan Prison after a successful sentence reduction on the grounds of mental illness.
In 2014 she was released from jail, and spent three years on parole in Indonesia.
When she returned to Australia soon after, a media frenzy ensued with many hoping to nab the first post-prison interview with Schapelle.
It soon became clear Corby couldn’t accept any paid media interviews to talk about her conviction or time in jail, as she’d be profiting from crime.
In the days leading up to her return to Australia, Corby created an Instagram account, which has since amassed 167,000 followers.
She also revised her 2006 autobiography to include her life outside of bars.
After a brief hiatus, Corby returned to the limelight in 2020, appearing on SAS Australia and fast became a fan-favourite for her dogged nature.
This year, she’s appearing on Dancing With The Stars.
JODI GORDON
Actor Jodi Gordon was at the height of her fame in the mid 2000s.
She’d won the Logie for Best New Talent in 2006 for her portrayal of Martha on hit soap Home And Away, and around that time also appeared on Dancing With The Stars.
But in 2009, Gordon’s life appeared to be taking a turn.
She was found by police in the home of alleged Kings Cross bikie gang member Mark Judge, after making a frantic triple-0 call under the delusion armed robbers were threatening her life.
When police reviewed CCTV footage, they found no sign of any intruders — only Jodi and Mark hiding in a bedroom.
Gordon was at the time in a relationship with Ryan Stokes, son of media mogul Kerry Stokes. The couple’s relationship ended shortly after the incident.
Gordon went on to date NRL player Braith Anasta, who she later married and shares a daughter.
The pair split in 2015, and ever since Gordon’s relationship history has been tumultuous. Professionally, things are looking up in Gordon’s acting career.
After playing Elly Conway on Neighbours from 2016-2020, she now has her sights set on becoming the next Bachelorette. Watch this space.
KYLE SANDILANDS
The radio shock jock has seen his fare share of controversies over the decades, but Sandilands’ popularity lives on and his breakfast show with co-host Jackie O is still a Sydney radio ratings winner.
Perhaps one of his biggest dramas saw Sandilands take a two week absence from his show after a stunt with a 14-year-old girl strapped to a lie-detector test went wrong.
In the segment, Sandilands asked the teen about her sexual history when she revealed she’d been sexually assaulted as a 12-year-old.
Several of the show’s advertisers pulled their funding and Sandilands was sacked as Australian Idol host in 2009
Sandilands has developed a reputation for his bad-boy image.
In 2020, his comments about the Virgin Mary were found to breach Australian Communications and Media Authority code, after receiving 180 complaints for inciting hate and ridicule towards Christians.
Despite the scandals over the years, Sandilands still continues to rake in the cash.
In 2019, the duo signed what is rumoured to be the biggest contract in Australian radio history — which could see Sandilands pocket almost $50 million by the end of 2024.
KARL STEFANOVIC
Stefanovic had been a Channel 9 golden boy for a long time.
For many years he was the host of Today with Lisa Wilkinson and occasionally hosted 60 Minutes and A Current Affair, but his time in the limelight hasn’t always come without drama.
He came under fire for appearing drunk while hosting the breakfast show the morning after the Logies in 2009, which saw the host take a short leave of absence and apologise for his behaviour.
Stefanovic’s public image was also tarnished after his marriage breakdown to wife of 21-years Cassandra Thorburn in 2016.
Five months after the split, Stefanovic was dating Sydney shoe designer Jasmine Yarbrough, who he married in 2018.
Stefanovic was hosting popular Today at the time of his split and new relationship, but after details of his personal life came to light, ratings took a dive and Stefanovic was sacked from the show.
In 2019, he spent a year in exile away from the media scrutiny.
But after letting the dust settle, Stefanovic was back hosting the morning show with Allison Langdon.
WAYNE CAREY
Former AFL star Wayne Carey’s media career also appears to be unscathed after a series of incidents.
In 2002 he had an affair with Kelli Stevens, the wife of then-teammate Anthony Stevens, and was forced to quit North Melbourne after details of the fling became public.
In 2006, Carey’s private life came into the spotlight again when he revealed his was leaving his pregnant wife Sally for model Kate Neilson.
Around that time, Carey went into hiding after being sacked by Channel 9 for impending assault charges over incidents in Melbourne and Miami.
Neilson told the Herald Sun at the time she loved Carey despite his baggage, and described their relationship as being “on a rollercoaster of exhilarating highs and exasperating lows”.
Carey later revealed the cause of his problems were crippling alcohol and cocaine addictions.
Carey has also been through a slew of other incidents that have seemingly blown over, including being convicted of indecent assault for grabbing a woman’s breast, giving character evidence for gangland figure Jason Moran and being arrested over an assault in Las Vegas.
Carey’s career changed for the better in 2014 when he started calling Friday night football, hosted The Marngrook Footy Show and joined Channel 7 to host Talking Footy alongside Bruce McAvaney and Luke Darcy.
Today he’s still calling AFL games.
GRANT HACKETT
One of Australia’s swimming icons, Grant Hackett led an illustrious sporting career in the pool, but things weren’t as rosy on dry land.
In 2011, police were called after the star swimmer trashed his luxury apartment in an explosive rage after attending Derby Day.
His then-wife Candice Alley and two year-old twins watched on, but were unharmed in the incident.
During his episode, Hackett ripped off the interior door at his apartment, overturned a grand piano, punched holes in the wall and smashed bottles of booze.
Three years later Hackett was involved in another curious incident, this time at Crown Casino where he was seen in the luxury hotel foyer in his underwear and with a singlet around his waist.
At the time, Hackett said he was looking for his now four-year-old son Jagger, who had somehow escaped from the star’s room.
Hackett revealed he had a “heavy reliance” on controversial sleeping pills Stillnox toward the end of his swimming career and during his marriage breakdown.
In 2016, Hackett was involved in a mid-flight drama when he “nipple crippled” another male passenger, leaving Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert to interject.
Hackett’s last public scandal was in 2017 when he went AWOL after an argument with his father and altercation with his brother, which saw his family make a plea on TV over fears of his safety.
More recently Hackett has changed his ways, taking over as chief executive of Generation Life investment firm, after working for the company since 2017.
Last year he welcomed a baby boy, Eddie, with his fiance Sharlene Fletcher, who he married in a COVID-safe ceremony in late 2020.
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