In a Seven News and Today Tonight exclusive, Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum has spoken for the first time about the horrific fall at his home in December which nearly cost him his life as well as his “grueling” road to recovery.
The interview was conducted by Seven’s Jennifer Keyte at his home in Richmond, Melbourne, after consultation with his medical team.
Molly revealed that while he remembers slipping and falling as he hung Christmas lights off the roof in his back courtyard – hitting his head on a sphinx sculpture – his next memory was a month later in the Epworth Rehabilitation clinic.
“It was raining and then I slipped and went ‘kabang’ and hit that sphinx there. Actually it sort of at least cushioned some of the fall I think… I remember banging my head and went ‘oh my god’ and then I apparently just passed out,” he said.
He suffered a traumatic brain injury, fractured ribs, punctured lungs, compressed vertebrae and damaged ligaments in his neck. While his recovery is far from over, Molly described his current health as “really good” and joked that his speech is actually better than ever after intensive rehabilitation.
He also revealed he fled the Epworth briefly before being discharged. After walking out, and trying unsuccessfully to hail a taxi, Molly got lost in the surrounding streets and was later found by an Epworth staff member in a café.
“After a while it was just too much for me being in there and I felt like a caged animal,” he told Keyte.
Molly also spoke of the “overwhelming” support he has received from the public as well as family and friends.
Of the immediate future, he said he is most looking forward to going to the football: “I cannot wait to go to the footy. I know it sounds tragic … but I just can’t wait to go to the footy and just be a normal person in my scarf, whatever I wear, and just cheer on, you know.”
And the music legend has also set his sights on his next big interview – with Sir Elton John, his son Zachary, partner David and Zachary’s godmother Lady Gaga. “Can you imagine in a park, Elton, a pram and Lady Gaga? It’s mind boggling!” he joked.
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