Introduction
Cal Wilson (5 October 1970 – 11 October 2023) was a New Zealander stand-up comedian, author, radio and television presenter who was based in Australia.
Early life and education
Wilson was born in New Zealand on 5 October 1970. After high school in Christchurch, she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Canterbury.
Comedy career
Wilson co-founded the Court Jesters improv group in 1990 and was part of the New Zealand team that won the World Theatresports title in Los Angeles in 1994.
Wilson then moved to stand-up comedy full-time and in 1997 was the inaugural winner (with Ewen Gilmour) of New Zealand's most prestigious comedy award, the Billy T.She also regularly appeared on TV3's Pulp Comedy. From 2003, she began living in Melbourne.
In 2001, Wilson won the "Best Newcomer" award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. She appeared to critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2004.
Her 2006 show, Up There, Cal Wilson, sold out at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Television
Wilson appeared on the Australian comedy shows SkitHOUSE, Rove Live, Thank God You're Here, Good News Week, Spicks and Specks, The Project, Celebrity Name Game, Show Me the Movie!, Would I Lie to You? Australia, Have You Been Paying Attention? and Hughesy, We Have a Problem and the New Zealand TV show 7 days.
In 2002, she helped write the screenplay for the New Zealand sitcom Willy Nilly.
In 2007, she was part of the ensemble cast of the Australian sketch comedy TV show The Wedge.
In 2008, Wilson appeared in the eighth series of the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars. Paired with series 7 winner Craig Monley, she was the third eliminated contestant.
In 2010, she became host of the program Sleuth 101 and also took part in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Great Debate.
In 2012, she appeared as a guest on the UK comedy quiz show QI (series J, episodes 3 - Journeys, and 6 - Joints) and in 2013 was captain of "Team Cal" on the Australian light entertainment television series Slide Show.
In 2018, Wilson voiced Petal and Thorn in the children's TV series Kitty Is Not a Cat.
In 2019, she recorded a Netflix Original Comedy Special titled Comedians of the World representing New Zealand. In 2019, she toured a stand-up show, Gifted Underachiever.
In 2022, Wilson participated in the eighth season of the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.
In August 2022, it was revealed that Wilson would host the seventh season of The Great Australian Bake Off alongside Natalie Tran and new judges Darren Purchese and Rachel Khoo.
In mid-2023, Wilson featured in SBS's Who the Bloody Hell Are You? (Season 1, Episode 2).
Radio
In 2007, Wilson co-hosted, with Akmal Saleh, the drive time radio show The Akmal Show with Cal Wilson (later called The Wrong Way Home with Akmal, Cal and Ed), which aired on Nova FM in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Prior to that role, she was a regular guest on the Triple M program Get This.
In 2009, Wilson co-hosted Mornings on Nova 100 (Melbourne) with Dylan Lewis. She resigned from Nova 100 in November 2009.
Personal life and death
Wilson married Chris Woods in 2008. The couple had a son and had lived in Sunshine, a suburb of Melbourne.
Wilson died from a rare and aggressive form of cancer on 11 October 2023, six days after her 53rd birthday, at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Camperdown, Sydney. She had been in hospital for four weeks prior to her death.
Filmography
Voice roles
- Kitty Is Not a Cat as Petal / Thorn / Rose (2018–2020)