In a tell-all interview with Andrew Denton on the Enough Rope program, Carey told of his early years growing up in Wagga.

Carey was taken to Adelaide with his mother and saw little of his father until he moved back to Wagga when he was 13.

“I moved from Adelaide back to Wagga when I was 13 and didn’t see much of my mum after that,” Carey told Denton.

Carey spoke of his father Kevin – known as the hardest man in the Riverina – and his upbringing with his siblings in Wagga.

He said despite his dad being a hard man, his family had a normal upbringing.

“He (Kevin) was very strict at times but we always had food on the table and clothes on our backs,” Carey said.

The 36-year-old also talked about walking the greyhounds every day and helping to chop wood.

However, having friends over was something Carey said his father never allowed.

“We had no visitors. We were just told there were no other kids in the yard.”

Carey’s older sister Kelly, who was present in the audience with Carey’s older brother Dick, spoke about him being a very shy and quiet boy growing up.

“He didn’t say boo. If you were to say something that would hurt or offend him he would cry,” Kelly said.

Carey said he still has a relationship with his former partner, Sally, who is also formerly from Wagga, and the couple has not filed for divorce.

“We are friends, we had our period where we were good friends,” Carey said.