Karl Stefanovic shaves off Dan Repacholi’s beard for Movember on live TV
Federal MP Dan Repacholi shaved off Today Show host Karl Stefanovic’s beard in a spectacular display on live television, where he wielded the deadly hair clippers.
Mr Repacholi, who represents the Hunter electorate in NSW and is also a Special Ambassador for Men’s Health, agreed to perform as part of the Movember fundraising campaign, which has a target of $100,000.
At the charity’s headquarters on Friday morning, Stefanovic asked the former Olympian if she was “nervous” for the big event.
“Look, we raised a lot of money, so that’s great… over $103,000. So make us feel good again,” Mr. Repacholi said.
The MP, who has grown his beard for more than a decade, added that it was an “exciting” change.
He later admitted that his children didn’t even know what he looked like without his distinctive facial hair.
“My children are against me about this, too. They’re dirty. They don’t like it. They’re dirty.”
Both Stefanovic and co-host Sarah Abo took turns cutting the MP’s hair and repeatedly instructed them: “Go straight down. Take it all off.”
The stunt was aimed at raising funds for three charities that work with rural and regional Australians, a cause dear to Mr Repacholi.
“Look, this bad boy was 12.5 years in the making. So it’s all going well.”
“But the Mark Hughes Foundation, CareFlight Australia and the Royal Flying Doctors are three fantastic charities.
“We need to make sure we are helping… they are helping rural and regional Australians a lot.
“So helping these causes is more than welcome.”
50 per cent of the proceeds will be donated to the Mark Hughes Foundation, which aims to fund brain cancer research, while the remaining half will be split equally between the Royal Flying Doctor Service and CareFlight, which provides critical healthcare services across the country.
At the time of this writing, Mr. Repacholi’s fundraiser had exceeded its goal and raised more than $103,855 for all three charities.
“This shave is about much more than losing a beard; it’s about making a big impact. Every dollar raised will help provide vital medical care, research and support for the people and families who need it most,” the fundraiser’s description said.
