Jean Kittson
A rapier wit.
Profile
Jean Kittson AM is an author, public speaker, actor and comedian.
Jean came to national attention on ABC TV’s ‘The Big Gig’, followed by Let the Blood Run Free, Kittson Fahey, Good News Week, the Glasshouse, Flat Chat, The Einstein Factor, and many more. She is also known for her comedy debates for the ABC, Channel 9 and Channel Ten.
She recently appeared with Denise Scott and Matt Okine on Mother and Son.
She also recently appeared alongside Krew Boylan, Rose Byrne, and Celeste Barber in the Australian film Seriously Red.
She has twice been a guest on Andy Lee’s The One Hundred.
She was a participant on Celebrity Apprentice 2022.
She is a regular panellist on ABC 702 radio drive program, Thank God It’s Friday and a weekly panellist on Today Extra, Nine Network.
She has conversed twice with Richard Fidler on Conversations, presented twice for Women of Letters events and was invited to speak about menopause at the National Press Club.
She has been a regular columnist with New Weekly, Sunday Telegraph, the Sydney Morning Herald – Sydney Magazine, Inspire Magazine, the Readers Digest Health Smart Magazine and the online magazine, The Hoopla.
She is the author of three books, ‘Tongue Lashing’ and the best seller, ‘You’re Still Hot to me, the Joys of Menopause’.
Her latest book, also a best seller, ‘We Need to Talk about Mum and Dad’ was published by Pan Macmillan.
She was a founding Director of the National Cord Blood Bank, the inaugural chair of the Australian Gynaecological Cancer Foundation (AGCF) and a founding Ambassador for Ovarian Cancer Australia.
She is currently the Patron of Palliative Care Nurses Australia, and an Ambassador for the Macular Disease Foundation, the Australian Gynaecological Foundation, the Raise Foundation and Taldumande Youth Services.
In 2023 she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. (AM)
Media
Feedback
One of the great debaters - superb delivery from extensively researched material. A lady and comedian of the highest order - witty, sensuous and clever.
What a brilliant performance! Not only did you contribute a creative address but you did so with charm and good manner.
Jean was fantastic - she really contributed to the debate and I appreciated the extra time and effort she kindly gave to ensure the event was a success.
Jean was absolutely fabulous - well prepared, well researched, well presented. Oh and she stole the hearts of about 100 guys.
Jean's vibrant personality, affable nature and wonderful zest for life make her a fantastic speaker and personality. She has many 'fans' present and they couldn't get enough of her. She was willing to please and open to everything we suggested.
Jean Kittson's presentation was a sensational performance and captivated the entire audience.
Jean is just the best speaker - not only her expression but her humour.
Jean was great. She prepared herself well and read the group well - very professional and very funny.
Jean was incredible! The audience absolutely loved her performance. She was truly professional and read the audience well.
Jean was well prepared and delvered a witty, engaging and entertaining performance.
Jean obviously puts in a great deal of time and effort into her presentations - she was able to entertain an extremely varied group of people with her humour.
Jean was absolutely outstanding. She researched the topic with great thoroughness and was really able to target her presentation to her audience. Intelligent, perceptive and witty and managed to put a light-hearted view but insightful spin on some difficult issues.
Jean Kittson was a terrific guest speaker & the audience thoroughly enjoyed her performance.
Very few comedians would take the time to research an organisation as thoroughly as Jean did. Her efforts were well rewarded by a very appreciative audience. That is when they could stop laughing to do so!
Fantastic! Dynamic! Amazing! A real star! Jean created a script and is a lovely and accommodating lady. She was perfect as a representative of Aherns: articulate, intelligent and gorgeous!
Jean was amazing, she managed to make a very technical and dry topic entertaining with her anecdotes and comical insights into the every day. She was fantastic!
Jean was well received by our guests and the evening seemed to flow well with humour and her professionalism.
Ms Kittson is an absolute marvel! She agreed to take on the APSEA 2006 entertainment slot at extremely short notice. As a result, she was given only a very "brief" brief about this newly-emerging and complex industry. Not only did she entertain the audience (in fact, she had them in teary fits) but she presented an industry-relevant segment from an extremely funny and original perspective. She was clearly the highlight of the event. I am impressed with Jean's thorough professionalism - her ability to take on such a difficult task on such short notice is testament to her talent and commitment to her clients. I would have no hesitation recommending Jean - and, indeed, engaging her again myself! She is an outstanding entertainer and a delightful and charming person to boot. Thanks to Saxton's and to Jean for a job well done!
From the first day, once the strongly male audience had gotten used to a smart female, Jean went from strength to strength. Great to work with and we would recommend whole heartedly.
Jean was terrific. She is very personable, highly professional, extremely talented and most eager to be involved. Jean showed what a charming and highly intelligent person she is by staying well after her performance and participating in some of our activities the next day notwithstanding that she was accompanied by her children and Husband. Jean was very much appreciated by our delegates. Her booking was an inspiring choice, even if I say so myself.
Jean was absolutely fantastic. She was great with the winners and all attendees both before her stand up and after… she was swamped for autographs. And her standup routine was fantastic again (2nd time round).
I wished to express our thanks and sincere appreciation for your excellent role of Mistress of Ceremonies at our recent National Congress. We have received a number of verbal comments regarding your professionalism as well as how your humour and research added to an overall positive experience of Congress.
She was terrific - perfectly pitched to the audience.
Jean is a very entertaining and generous speaker. She was very well received by our attendees.
The feedback we've received is that your speech is probably the best post-lunch speech that they've had in a long time. That's high praise indeed for a girl! I am sure you knew how well received you were on the day, the response from the audience was unequivocal.
It was an absolute pleasure having you here and I hope that you enjoyed the event as well.
An absolute delight, well researched, polished, accomplished, professional and excellent. Would definitely re-book.
Jean had done her research thoroughly on the insurance business and got many laughs on such things as 'Marine Hull Insurance' which apparently is a mystery to everyone, and the signing of an insurance contract across the kitchen table - it was hysterical. She also included reference to two guys that had done something for charity during the day and referred to them personally and made their day! Absolutely lovely and charming.
Clever lady.
Alot of comments received about Jean and her sense of humour. It was obvious that she had done her homework on Elgas and by integrating this into her speeches, got the dinner crowd on side and involved. A great choice for our Awards Night. Kept it moving and entertaining.
Jean was highly entertaining and created a personalised routine based on our crowd and their interests. We sent out feedback forms to our delegates and everyone has raved about Jean and how much they enjoyed the entertainment.
Jean Kittson was a true professional in all aspects - and a lovely lady to boot! As an MC she was perfect for our function, wrapping our audience up in a little cocoon of warmth and humour and creating just the right ambience. Even when there were slight mechanical glitches, Jean smoothly carried on and the audience were none the wiser. Thank you for recommending her.
She was very good, the audience responded really well to her.
Jean Kittson was delightful to deal with - so willing to help in the pre promotion and diligent in her efforts to ensure she spoke appropriately for our audience!
Yet again Jean Kittson proved to be entertaining while keeping the crowd under control and working her way through the "must say" items (partners, setting the scene etc.).
Jean was challenged with a hard topic to facilitate - a topic on airports that she was not accustomed too. Jean not only exceeded our expectations in regards to her professionalism, but her research, humour and presentation were sincerely exceptional. We have only had good feedback, and I know that other airports were thinking the same… thank God for Jean to liven the day up.
Jean was very well prepared, pitched her presentation at the right level and was extremely well received by the audience.
Jean was excellent. The presentation was very entertaining - there was lots of laughter in the room and we have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback.
Jean Kittson was an absolute pleasure to work with and was very well suited to the event and to our clientele.
Jean was absolutely OUTSTANDING. She was careful to do her research and cover the core topics and weave in the theme of diversity and inclusion in an engaging, insightful and humorous way. We have had so much terrific feedback - she was the perfect MC for our end of year executive luncheon!
Jean was a wonderful speaker and kept the audience in raucous laughter for the entire time. One of our best speakers and she can be highly recommended. She stayed for the whole event which was a wonderful commitment and she was a delightful person to talk to. Our surveys showed that everyone enjoyed her performance.
Brilliant ability as an MC - professional, engaging, funny and able to control a rowdy crowd!
Jean adapted her presentation between Sydney and Kiama. I've never seen the women so engaged and with tears flowing from laughing so much. Jean also got her message across beautifully which allowed other women to open up and feel that they are not alone.
Jean Kittson was fabulous as a speaker. She was humble and very, very generous with her time and also very inclusive to those who she spoke with. Both audiences (Northern Beaches, Sydney & Kiama) loved her and Jean's talk started the discussion and gave them permission to talk about each woman's own personal experience. Most of the feedback forms collected at the event mention how entertaining and informative Jean was, considering the topic Jean nailed it!
Jean Kittson was excellent as the MC on the night of our fundraiser, Bill’s Soiree for a Cure. She kept the audience entertained and had them engaged with all the proceedings in keeping with the theme of the evening. The evening progressed without any hiccups thanks to Jean’s skill and professionalism.
On behalf of the entire EVENT hotels crew we thank you so much for being absolutely amazing today! You not only had us all in stitches the whole day but also brilliantly tied in the WHOLE theme of the entire conference! Even with all our last second changes and my stuff up on writing the runner up names in ‘da Vinci code’ order lol!! How you turned it all into a comedy act ...and kept the vibes flowing ...so good! Thank you and we wish you all the very best!
Jean was such a delight to work with, from the pre event briefing to her performance on stage. Our guests were thoroughly entertained and left with huge smiles on their faces.
