Australia’s Got … Mental Health Stigma

You may have seen Michael Webb’s audition video for Australia’s Got Talent (AGT) recently. For those of you that haven’t, there was a contestant who performed a magic trick using a deck of cards. But, unlike your usual magic trick, this contestant was using the deck of cards to tell a story. And the story was of a 28 year old man called Jack.

We learn that despite having a great family and life, and often being referred to as the “King” on a night out with his mates, deep down Jack was struggling. He felt sad and alone, and often ended up feeling guilty and shameful that he even felt this way.  He would often find a nice quiet room in the house and cry as a way of coping.

After all, “28 year old males need to be strong. They don’t talk about their feelings”.

Michael went on to explain that Jack did some research and found that 1 in 10 people seek professional help. He also found that in the past year, Australia lost 3,318 people to suicide, and for every person that died by suicide, another 20 made an attempt on their life. Jack didn’t want to be another statistic.

The story really took a turn when Michael revealed that Jack sought strength and empowerment in hearing other people share their mental health stories, including Australian politicians and celebrities. So, he decided to do the same. And in fact, he decided to share it on Australia’s Got Talent! 

All along, the story of Jack was actually Michael’s story.

The judges and many in the audience were brought to tears, gazing up at this incredibly brave man.

If hearing other people’s stories helped Michael on his own journey, just imagine how many people he may potentially be helping by having the courage to share his story on national TV in front of thousands of people.

For far too long, mental ill health has been swept under the rug and been too taboo to talk about. Michael brought his story out of the shadows and into the light for everyone to hear and understand that it’s okay to struggle and seek help, and that there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

If you’ve followed my journey in the mental health space, you will know that one of my three pillars of how we can rewrite the mental health narrative is through having authentic conversations and hearing people share their stories. By hearing other people’s stories and journeys, we take another step towards destigmatising mental health.

Michael, thank you for having the courage to share your story on such a public platform. We need more people like you!

You can watch the full video here!