Cal Wilson died of a rare and aggressive form of cancer, according to her management, Token Artists.
The Christchurch-born comedian, actor and writer died on Wednesday morning at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. She was in hospital for the four weeks leading up to her death, Token said.
Cal Wilson in 2022.Credit: Getty Images
Reports that Wilson collapsed on the set of Bake Off are incorrect, Token said.
Many in the Australian comedy and arts scene were rocked by the news of her death, as her illness had only been revealed to close friends and family. She is survived by her husband, Chris, and teenage son, Digby. Her family has asked for privacy.
Tributes to the colourful and exuberant Wilson, who moved from New Zealand to Melbourne in 2003, have been paid by comedians locally and overseas, including Rebel Wilson and Adam Hills, with many describing Wilson as warm and generous.
A regular on Spicks and Specks, Good News Week, Would I Lie To You and Have You Been Paying Attention?, she also had her own Netflix stand-up special. She was one of the hosts of The Great Australian Bake Off for Foxtel. Earlier this year, she appeared on the SBS documentary series Who The Bloody Hell Are We?
Detail of Clown Jewels, the portrait of Cal Wilson by Andrea Huelin that won the Archibald 2023 Packing Room Prize.
A portrait of Wilson painted by Andrea Huelin for the Archibald Prize won the Packing Room Prize this year. The headdress she is wearing in the painting is much like the elaborate and ridiculous headdresses Wilson shared with her online community during lockdown.
“I was in a panel talking about the artwork just Monday night, and it made me reflect that art sitters can be quite nervous, especially once they are a bit famous because they don’t have any control over what the artist does with it. It did make me reflect on how generous and trusting it is for someone who is already in the public eye, to give someone their image,” Huelin said.
“It’s a brave thing to do, it shows humility and confidence and generosity, and I think that really does reflect that she was that kind of person.
“She often said, ‘I can’t believe something so silly could be celebrated as proper arty art’. We both found that ironically hilarious.”
Many people said they felt uplifted by the painting, describing it as joyful, according to Huelin, which is how fans and friends described Cal Wilson’s real-life persona.
“People have responded to the colour, and I think that is probably the look on her face,” she said. “We can relate to it somehow. We feel brought into the painting because of the look on her face. Mainly it was fun and didn’t take itself too seriously. It was in a sense of its time in that way, I didn’t intend it this way, it was like colour after the terrible darkness of Covid, especially for Melburnians.”
The colour and joy in the painting are hallmarks of the Kiwi artist who adopted Australia as her home and became one of our most-loved comedians.
Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.