Kathy Lette

Kathy’s struggle came the moment her truth hit the world. When Puberty Blues was published, she was still a teenager — and suddenly the target of national outrage. The book was banned in schools, attacked in Parliament, and dismissed as obscene by people who hadn’t even read it. Strangers called her names, journalists labelled her “unfeminine,” and the establishment tried to shame her back into silence. But instead of retreating, Kathy turned pain into punchlines. She discovered that humour could be both shield and sword — a way to confront sexism without losing her sparkle. Through laughter, she survived the criticism and transformed outrage into art.

Now, it’s your turn.
👉 I am afraid that…

Say it honestly.
Maybe it’s: “I am afraid that if I speak up, people won’t like me.”
Or, “I am afraid that if I fail, I’ll lose everything I’ve built.”
Kathy’s story shows that fear is inevitable — but it’s also information. When you name it, you strip it of power. And when you can laugh in its face, you’re already halfway to beating it.

Kathy’s breakthrough wasn’t fame — it was freedom. After years of being told to tone it down, apologise, and behave, she realised she didn’t need anyone’s permission to be brave. That moment changed everything. She stopped trying to fit in and started standing out — turning taboo into humour, ridicule into relevance, and pain into purpose. From How to Kill Your Husband to The Boy Who Fell to Earth, Kathy used comedy to open conversations the world was too afraid to have — about sexism, motherhood, autism, and equality. She proved that wit could be a weapon, and that when women tell the truth loudly and fearlessly, the world has no choice but to listen.

Now it’s your turn.
👉 Even though I am afraid of… I will… anyway.

Say it out loud.
Maybe it’s: “Even though I am afraid of being judged, I will tell the truth anyway.”
Or, “Even though I am afraid of standing out, I will be myself anyway.”
Kathy’s breakthrough reminds us that bravery isn’t the absence of fear — it’s the decision to act in spite of it. Because the world doesn’t change when we play it safe. It changes when we choose to live — and speak — unapologetically.

Kathy Lette has spent her life proving that bravery doesn’t always come with a battle cry — sometimes, it arrives with a punchline. Through books like Puberty Blues and How to Kill Your Husband, she’s used humour to make the serious accessible and the uncomfortable undeniable. Her comedy has opened conversations about sexism, equality, and the realities of womanhood — not by softening the truth, but by amplifying it through laughter. She’s shown that every joke can carry justice, and every story told honestly can change the way people see the world.

Now it’s your turn.
👉 One thing I will do to make a difference…

Maybe it’s: “One thing I will do to make a difference is call out bias when I hear it.”
Or, “One thing I will do to make a difference is use humour to defuse, not divide.”
Or even, “One thing I will do to make a difference is tell my truth, no matter who’s listening.”
Kathy’s legacy reminds us that real change doesn’t always start with protest — it often starts with one brave sentence.