Not your average 21st: 96FM’s Russell Clarke shares unforgettable Fat Cat tale

96FM Perth Breakfast co-host Russell Clarke has recounted the 21^st birthday which officially shattered his childhood and left him traumatised.

It involved an unexpected encounter with the beloved kids’ TV character Fat Cat during Channel 7’s Perth Telethon.

With Russell celebrating his birthday this week, he and brekky co-host Lisa Shaw invited listeners to share stories of their most memorable birthdays.

But the standout tale came from the birthday boy himself.

Sharing memories of his own 21^st birthday, Russell said it was an unforgettable evening … for all the wrong reasons.

“It was the night that my childhood ended,” Russell said on-air.

It happened at Channel 7 HQ, back when Russell was a young radio announcer, and the story comes with a spoiler alert!

“We were down the back of the building. Telethon was on and … in passing, in the corridor … I bumped into Fat Cat.”

But Fat Cat was missing something. His head.

In fact, he was carrying his head by his side.

“Everyone loses their head at some time,” said Russell.

“He didn’t lose it. He had it with him.”

Russell is now two months into his new brekky role with the ARN station, taking over from Dean ‘Clairsy’ Clairs, who stepped away from Breakfast radio in August after more than 40 years in the industry.

Image: 96FM