Celebrity

Australia mourns the loss of ‘courageous’ and beloved television personality Fiona MacDonald

Matthew Hart
Oct 04, 2024
As news of MacDonald's passing broke, fans across the country delivered a sea of tributes. Source: Getty Images.

Following a brave battle against motor neurone disease (MND), beloved Australian television personality Fiona MacDonald has sadly passed away at the age of 67.

MacDonald, who was a familiar face to Australian audiences in the 1980s, announced her own tragic passing in a posthumous social media announcement shared to fans by her sister, Kylie.

In her heartbreaking farewell, MacDonald spoke of how her health battle had made “the last few months tough” and that given the difficulties she was facing she made the decision to “cease all medical support” and enter palliative care.

“Farewell my friends. My sister Kylie is posting this because I have left the building – Hopefully I’m looking down from a cloud. Last night brought an end to a very tough few months. Was very peaceful the boys and Kylie stayed with me to say goodbye. While I’ve never wanted to die, the thought of leaving my tortured body was a relief,” she wrote.

“The last few months have been tough. Unable to swallow normal food, the tube feeding that should have sustained me didn’t work because my gut couldn’t tolerate any of the multiple brands of protein drinks. It went straight in and straight out.

“I have been slowly starving, growing weaker and weaker. I’ve also developed terrible back pain because my muscles aren’t supporting my frame.

“The black humour that served me well through the first years of this journey turned to despair. I made the decision after much soul searching to cease all medical supports and finally go into hospital for end of life palliative care. When you love life as much as I do, it takes a great deal of courage to make choices that lead to farewell.

“So let’s not call it goodbye as I hope to see you again on the other side.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by fionafinewines (@fionafinewines)

Born in Queensland, MacDonald got her start on local television before coming to the attention of national audiences on the children’s television show Wombat.

In 1985, MacDonald took on hosting duties for the Australian version of the British game show, It’s A Knockout.

After charming audiences across the country with her bubbly personality during her time on It’s a Knockout, MacDonald stepped away from the spotlight and began work in the wine industry.

Sadly in 2021, MacDonald was diagnosed with MND. Despite the challenges she faced following her diagnosis, MacDonald remained open about her experience with the condition and spoke further about the disease in a 2023 episode of Australian Story.

As news of MacDonald’s passing broke, fans across the country delivered a sea of tributes, many thanking her for brightening up their television screens each day while others praised her for her courage in her health battle.

MacDonald is survived by her sisters Kylie and Jacki and her two sons Harry and Rafe.

CelebrityNewsThe latest news
Share:
Share via emailShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Pinterest