Michael Hayden Walsh (born 5 March 1938) is an Australian former radio and television presenter, currently focused on owning and operating live theatres, and theatre production both locally and the United Kingdom. Walsh was the first "King of Australian Daytime TV", with his program ''

The Mike Walsh Show ''The Mike Walsh Show'' was an Australian variety daytime television series. Hosted by Mike Walsh, the show ran from 1973 to 1984 for 90 minutes each weekday afternoon. History The program was launched on the 0-10 Network and moved to the Nine ...

'', featuring both local and international guests, including

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

performers.

Early life

Walsh was born in

Corowa, New South Wales Corowa is a town in the state of New South Wales in Australia. It is on the bank of the Murray River, the border between New South Wales and Victoria, opposite the Victorian town of Wahgunyah. It is the largest town in the Federation Council a ...

. He completed his education at Xavier College in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

, before studying pharmacy and arts at

Melbourne University The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...

where he was heavily involved in student theatre revues.

Radio career

Prior to starring on television Walsh was a disc jockey on 1260 3SR Shepparton and

3XY Magic 1278 (official callsign: 3EE) is a commercial radio station in Melbourne, Australia owned by Nine Entertainment Co, and run under a lease agreement by Ace Radio. History 1935–1991: 3XY 1935–1967 3XY began broadcasting on 8 Sept ...

Melbourne, and a "Good Guy" on Sydney commercial radio station 2SM.

Television career

Walsh hosted ''The Mike Walsh Show'' from 1973 to 1985. The program screened originally on the 0-10 network, the forerunner of

Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of fiv ...

, before transferring to the

Nine Network The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...

. It won 24 Logies, with Walsh winning a Gold Logie. The program was renowned for introducing fellow Gold Logie winning personality

Jeanne Little Jeanne Mitchell (11 May 19387 November 2020), professionally known as Jeanne Little, was an Australian entertainer, comedienne and television personality who won the Gold Logie award in 1977 (a dual honour that year with Don Lane winning as Be ...

in 1974. The Mike Walsh Show became so popular in the midday time slot that it eventually moved to a night time format to try to reinvigorate night time variety. The idea was to keep the midday show going but with a new host, whilst transferring the popularity of the Mike Walsh Show to the night time slot. Following speculation about who the host would be, Walsh announced on the midday show that, “there was only one choice for the new host and frankly if he had said no, we wouldn’t have gone to night time. The host of the midday show for next year will be….Ray Martin.” The announcement was greeted with rapturous applause and cheering, perhaps due to Martin's popularity as a

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique st ...

reporter. The Midday Show with Ray Martin ran for 13 years. The night time show with Walsh was a failure and was cancelled after a few weeks. He returned to television for a 12-week chat and music show on the ABC in 1987. He has the distinction of winning a Gold Logie and Sammy award in the same year. He has 24 Logies all up, and seven Sammys in total.

Theatre production

Walsh the executive producer of two highly successful musicals, ''

Nunsense ''Nunsense'' (1985) is a musical comedy with a book, music, and lyrics by Dan Goggin. Originating as a line of greeting cards, Goggin expanded the concept into a cabaret show that ran for 38 weeks, and eventually into a full-length musical. The ...

'' and '' Anything Goes.'' From 2006, Walsh has spent time in both Sydney and London producing theatre shows across Australia and on London's West End. These include: * ''

(''late 1987 to early 1989) * '' Anything Goes'' in 1989 * ''

Exit the King ''Exit the King'' (french: Le Roi se meurt) is an absurdist drama by Eugène Ionesco that premiered in 1962. It is the third in Ionesco's "Berenger Cycle", preceded by '' The Killer'' (1958) and ''Rhinocéros'' (1959), and followed by ''A Stro ...

'' (opened March 2009) at

Ethel Barrymore Theatre The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theater at 241 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1928, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the Elizabethan, Mediterranean, and Adam styles ...

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

* ''Holding the Man'' (opened May 2010) at the Trafalgar Studios 1, London * ''Umbrellas of Cherbourg'' (opened March 2011) at the Gielgud Theatre, West End * ''

A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is centered on seventeen Broadway dancers ...

'' (opened February 2013) at the London Palladium Theatre In 1977 he purchased Richmond's Regent Theatre, then in 1982 built a twin cinema complex in Penrith. Thereafter, he purchased two other cinemas and the Avalon. He has been the owner of

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established t ...

in Melbourne since 2000, funding and overseeing its restoration. Walsh also owns the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace (purchased 1986), a 1935

art deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...

six-cinema complex in Cremorne, Sydney which he restored at a cost of $2.5 million, and which features a 1925

Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...

orchestral pipe organ.

Fellowships program

From 1996, Walsh financed the Mike Walsh Fellowships for young performers to hone their skills overseas and in Australia. From 2006 onwards, he has provided $50,000 (originally $30,000) each year for the fellowships. By 2015 this has added up to over $700,000 awarded to more than 90 Fellows.

Honours

Walsh was honoured in 1980 with an award of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

. In 2016 he was appointed a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...

for significant service to the entertainment industry, and to the performing arts through support for young actors, theatre restoration and production.

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Mike 1938 births Living people People from New South Wales Australian radio personalities Australian television presenters Gold Logie winners Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire University of Melbourne alumni Television personalities from Melbourne People educated at Xavier College Members of the Order of Australia Australian theatre owners Film exhibitors