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There’s a mantra that helps Channel Seven star Karen Ledbury get through the toughest of times: “Make today great because that’s all you have”.
The popular presenter – who fronts The Morning Show’s advertising segments alongside her commitments on Sydney Weekender – certainly kept to her word when she wowed on stage performing Shania Twain’s Man! I Feel Like A Woman, for the 2026 Telethon in support of WA kids.
“So proud of you getting out of your comfort zone,” Karen’s brother Sean told her on Instagram after her appearance on stage, while her Morning Show co-star Kylie Gillies confirmed she’d “nailed” it, and another fan declared, “You belong on a stage!”.
But beneath the star’s gutsy show, Karen is dealing with a heartwrenching situation – and in August this year she admitted “life is the toughest it’s ever been”.
In June 2022, Karen’s husband Aidan suffered a devastating stroke while she was at work filming.
“The studio that we work in is actually like a concrete jungle, so there is no reception,” Karen recalled of the day in question on The Morning Show in August 2023.
“I couldn’t get any calls. I couldn’t get any texts, and we are supposed to finish at 4pm but I finished at 2pm and I went down to the car park, came back out.”
Usually, at that time, Karen would give Aidan a call.
“Normally, I get reception on my phone and I’ll ring him and say ‘do we need bread?’ ‘Do we need to pick something up?’” she explained.
“But I wasn’t getting reception so… I turned my phone off and turned it back on again and there were 37 missed calls from both of my eldest sons and two of my husband’s best friends.”
Karen’s “super fit” 53-year-old husband had suffered a stroke and he wasn’t expected to survive.
While he did pull through, in an emotional April 2026 interview with the The Inspired CEO, Karen revealed that her husband can’t walk, communicate or talk, and that he needs “24-hour care”.
“And his life expectancy is not great. But every day we just acknowledge it, but let’s make today great because that’s all you have,” she poignantly shared.
“You’re always going to feel the pain. You’re always going to feel the sadness. That doesn’t really ever go away,” the star admitted.
“But learning how to fit it into your life – I fit grief into my life and I allow it to be there – I do sit in it a lot,” she went on.
“I don’t dismiss it and go, ‘okay, well let’s be happy and let’s get on with it’. I sit in our issues sometimes and really process it and think about what it means.”
Karen shared that she had learned to “just stop and be present”.
“I think if the more you stay in the present, the more deeper relationships, the more you get out of life,” she told the podcast.
Now, sources tell Woman’s Day that Karen found contributing to the Telethon efforts through song and dance was cathartic for her.
“Karen’s spent so long juggling work and everything happening at home that having a moment on stage, doing something she genuinely loves, was incredibly special,” a source says.
“Knowing what she and Aidan have been through as a family, you can imagine how emotional it would have been.
“There is something powerful about channelling those feelings into something positive, particularly when you’re doing it to help others.”
It helps of course that Karen “loves what she does” – something the source said was important when life “feels overwhelming”.
“Her work allows her to connect with people, have a laugh and focus on something beyond the challenges at home,” the insider goes on.
“That doesn’t mean the hard days disappear, but having something familiar to return to can make a real difference.”
The source says Karen has been touched by the overwhelmingly positive reaction to her performance – which shows another side to the star.
“It would be wonderful if she felt confident enough to explore that further, especially with so many people saying she belongs on stage,” the source goes on.
“But I think she’s taking life one step at a time. Right now, enjoying the moment and continuing to do the things she loves might be more important than making any big plans.”
