Kerri-Anne Kennerley opens up about her biggest battle yet

AUSTRALIAN TV personality Kerri-Anne Kennerley has lived a ‘shocking nightmare,’ after her husband fell from a balcony and broke his neck.

KERRI-ANNE Kennerley has always been fastidious about her appearance, always impeccably styled during her thousands of hours of television over the years.

And yet here she is, mascara-laced tears streaking down her face, staining her cheeks and chin and she doesn’t care. ‘Couldn’t give a toss’, she says. Kerri-Anne is grieving.

In the space of two or three seconds, the world of Kerri-Anne and her husband John was completely and catastrophically inverted. Five weeks ago, Kerri-Anne played in a golf tournament at Coffs Harbour and afterwards at the presentation of prizes she was joined by her husband of more than 30 years for photographs. Standing on the edge of a verandah, John lost his balance and fell just one metre onto the grass.

Kerri-Anne Kennerley with husband John, who have been married for almost 30 years. Picture: Supplied

In a near impossible alignment, of all the things that could go wrong going wrong, he broke his neck. When Kerri-Anne got to him he said, ‘I can’t feel anything’ before losing consciousness. When he woke, he was in Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital with no memory of what had happened.

The couple are known for their closeness, and do most things together. Their bucket list was well planned and they were enthusiastic about their retirement plans. Today those plans are totally discarded.

John cannot breathe unaided and cannot move his arms or legs. Kerri-Anne spends about eight hours each day with him. But while there is movement, there is hope — and John has movement in one or two fingers in his right hand and he can wriggle his toes. It doesn’t sound much, but it opens the door for improvement.

On Sunday Night, Kerri-Anne reveals how life has changed since her husband’s accident. Picture: Channel 7/Sunday Nighr.

I interviewed Kerri-Anne twice for Sunday Night: the first interview was typical Kerri-Anne — the woman we all know so well; professional, in control and her feelings kept well in check. She told us what had happened and conceded the future looked bleak. But it just wasn’t the whole story.

The second interview was back at the scene of the catastrophe, the Bonville Golf Resort in Coffs Harbour. Kerri-Anne opened her heart — and shed her makeup. It was raw and it was real as she spoke with both fear and anger.

John is a surprising man. And those who have met this typical English gentleman at their numerous A-lister events may be surprised to know that he drove high-octane power boats in competition and rally cars. He has a very tough side to him, and it’s matched by the strength in the spirit of Kerri-Anne.

John Kennerley, husband of Kerri-Anne, broke his neck after falling just one metre from a balcony in Coffs Harbour. Picture: Supplied

The situation looks bleak, he has been in intensive care for five weeks and doctors warn that he may be there for the rest of the year. But talking with him in this foreboding environment was such a surprise. His mind was alert, his eyes twinkle and he laughs at jokes just as he did when we partied.

While he can’t speak, he mouths his words very clearly and I could understand most of what he said. It was the first time I had interviewed somebody who could not speak. But his courage and his sense of humour was uplifting.

His body is not working, but the John I know is still there. The fight in which he is now engaged is being engaged fully. And he could have no one better in the trenches beside him than Kerri-Anne.

Mike’s special report aired on Sunday Night last night at 8.30 on Seven.