Mike Whitney

Mike Whitney is one of Australia’s most sought after motivational and after-dinner speakers. He has an innate talent for communicating and holding people’s attention.  A consummate anecdotist and accomplished mimic, Mike is an entertaining raconteur whose stories are told with grace, humour and charm.

A qualified aviation engineer, Mike entered the world of cricket with a wild-man image and a reputation for bowling fast and dangerously. In 1994 after a 14 year successful career he retired from first class professional cricket.

Since then Mike has established himself in the entertainment industry and the hearts of the Australian people with his varied talents including promotions and marketing, print, television, radio and film.

Mike has been the host of Seven Network’s top rating programme Sydney Weekender since 1994.

Mike was co-host of 108 episodes of Who Dares Wins, a half-hour real life action program which aired during prime time on Wednesdays/Saturdays. He also hosted the AXN Who Dares Wins India Special, 6 x 1 hour programmes filmed on location in India and Australia and aired on AXN Cable in Asia and India.

In 2000, Mike was a presenter for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games covering the cycling, rowing, tennis, athletics, and Opening and Closing Ceremonies for The Seven Network. He was also co-host of The Olympic Show, the prime time Sunday afternoon sports programme which interviewed Olympic and Para-Olympic athletes prior to the games. He was also a presenter for the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002 and has been part of the Indian Cricket League commentary team.

In 2009 Mike Whitney was inducted as a life member by the South Sydney Rabbitohs for his contribution in being a Director on the Football Club Board in the critical period during the Club’s battle for reinstatement to the competition between 1999 and 2001. He also played a decisive role in attracting fellow Life Member Kerry Stokes to the Club as a major sponsor upon its readmission to the competition in 2002, a coup that ensured the Club’s ability to make its triumphant return to the NRL competition. Life Member of Cricket NSW and Randwick-Petersham Cricket Club, where he’s also the President for 18 years.

Mike is a patron for the Sydney Kids Committee (Young Christopher Robin Committee) and a member of the fundraising committee for the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. He has also organised a fundraising day “Whit Walk -Kilometers for Kids” with field events and family entertainment.

The author of two books two best-selling books Quick Whit and Whiticisms, Mike is a Life Member President of the Randwick Petersham Cricket Club where he has been President since 2001, and a Life Member of Cricket New South Wales.