The nation was left collectively devastated on Saturday as the news broke that legendary cricketer Shane Warne had died suddenly from a heart attack while holidaying with friends in Koh Samui, Thailand.
WATCH: Shane Warne appears on Neighbours
From Dannii Minogue to Mick Jagger, fans and friends were quick to pay tribute to the Australian icon, who was beloved by many not just for his impressive sporting achievements but for his larger-than-life larrikin nature that many dubbed to be “quintessentially Australian”.
Despite making headlines over the years for his, at times, scandalous behaviour, the Spin King never backed away from having a laugh at his own expense via cheeky cameos on some of Australia’s most loved shows.
In light of the tragic news of Shane Warne’s shock death, we take a look at the loveable larrikin’s most iconic appearances on Australian television.
Neighbours
Guest-starring as himself on Neighbours in two episodes titled Ain’t That A Shane and The Warne Identity back in 2006, the sports star visited Ramsay Street to help raise funds for his charity, the Shane Warne Foundation, which assisted seriously ill and underprivileged children.
Ramsay Street residents were even lucky enough to be treated to a demonstration of Shane’s iconic spin bowl.
Kath & Kim
A testament to his penchant for not taking himself too seriously, Warnie appeared in a 2007 episode of Kath & Kim, titled Wedding of the Century, where he played Wayne Shaun, a Shane Warne impersonator who marries Magda Szubanski’s character, Sharon, in a fabulously bogan wedding.
In one scene, the pair decide to tie the knot at Luna Park, where “Wayne” expertly bowls the wedding ring box to Sharon while explaining why he was late for their wedding.
“Was that a flipper?” Sharon asks her husband-to-be.
“Sorry I’m late, I’ve been practising at me cricket as a surprise for you, Sharon,” Wayne replies.
At the end of the episode, Sharon walks into Kath’s home depressed, revealing that Wayne had bought a mobile phone – a cheeky nod to Shane’s infamous 2005 texting scandal.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
Warnie again hit the small screen in 2016 for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! where he was bitten on the head by an anaconda and forced to face his fear of spiders.
Speaking of the wild experience, Warne said: “It is an amazing feeling … on the one hand I am very relieved and excited that you’re out, but to go six weeks and to get so close, to go to that final three is sort of disappointing too.”
“It feels good to be out and I look forward to seeing the family and friends and children and everything,” he said.
He also revealed that the strict jungle diet had seen him drop a whopping 13kg, with the spin bowler telling KIIS 101.1, “but after the pizza and beer I am about to consume, we may be back up again by the end of the day’’.
Shane
Earlier this year, an Amazon Prime documentary about Shane Warne – simply titled Shane – was released, giving a rare insight into the ruthless competitor and devoted dad.
“One of my strengths on the field is I can intimidate people,” Shane revealed in the candid documentary.
“Whether it be a word, or by a bit of silence, whether it’s to stay at the top mark and spin a ball, whether it’s to eyeball someone at the batsman at the other end, whether it was a little sledge here or there — whatever it was I was a man on a mission, I wasn’t taking any prisoners.
“Standing at the top mark with the ball in my hand and I look down at the pitch, it was my domain, it was my spot, I owned it.”
Of course, there were also some hilarious recounts from the cheeky cricketer about his brief stint at the Australian Cricket Academy.
“We went on a trip to Darwin and I mooned some people out of the pool on this balcony,” Warnie said.
“I mooned them and I got sent on a trip back to Adelaide.”
For more on the life and legacy of Shane Warne, read the articles below
How did Shane Warne die? All we know so far
Celebrity tributes flow in for ‘Spin King’ Shane Warne following his sudden death
Despite his legendary cricket career, Shane Warne’s greatest achievements was his kids
Inside Jackson Warne’s close relationship with his father Shane
From Simone Callahan to Liz Hurley: Shane Warne’s love life was complicated but rewarding
Despite their split, Shane Warne and Simone Callahan always put their kids first
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