GRANT’S HEARTFELT PLEA
THE GOLD LOGIE WINNER SAYS TO REMEMBER THOSE IN TROUBLE
Despite his recent Gold Logie, Grant Denyer is battling a new personal crisis.
The former Family Feud host is lending his star power to raise awareness about the drought currently affecting thousands of Australians.
In a heartfelt plea to his 73,000 Facebook followers, the former TV weatherman begged his fans to help Aussie farmers.
‘This is how dry it is at our place,’ he wrote alongside a photo of his acreage in Bathurst. ‘So dry that the kangaroos are drinking out of our dog bowl... It’s so sad right now. In many places it’s the worse drought since records began.’
The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted the odds of an El Nino weather event – which occurs when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean become much warmer than average, often resulting in severe droughts here – are now twice as high as normal.
If El Nino does develop, it is set to prove devastating for Australian farmers, who are already on their knees following a year-long dry spell that some are describing as the worst drought in more than 100 years.
Statistics currently show that almost 60 per cent of Queensland is in drought, while a staggering 52 per cent of NSW is currently affected.
Grant and his wife Chezzi moved their family to their rural property in 2016 after the 40-year-old sought treatment in a Thailand rehab facility.
Since then, Grant has admitted country life saved him after he started spending half the week filming in Sydney, then headed back to the tranquillity of rural life. ‘I like going to the farm and switching off, becoming human again. It’s a
real safety valve away from the rat race,’ he explained in an interview with New Idea.
And Grant isn’t the only star highlighting the severity of the current climate situation. Sunrise host Samantha Armytage, who is currently taking time off to spend quality time at her Bowral country retreat, shared a picture of her dog Banjo walking along a dry country path. ‘Looks like you need rain too. We’re dairy farmers at Kyogle NSW and it’s been a shocking season for milk,’ wrote one follower, while another stressed: ‘The drought is so physically and emotionally challenging to our farmers.’
Grant was also quick to stress the emotional impact on farmers. ‘Some families are at breaking point unable to afford food... Mental health issues have risen 70 per cent in our region and suicide by farmers is the most tragic consequence of such a drastic situation,’ he wrote.
The father-of-two went on to promote the charities Rural Aid and Buy a Bale, which he supports. ‘Farmers harvest our food and the material for the clothes on our back. Please think of them. We need them. They need us.’