The segment featuring the gold nugget found near Ballarat.
BALLARAT became an international talking point yesterday after a story from The Courier appeared on a popular US TV show.
Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who is due to visit Australia next month, recounted the discovery of a 5.5 kilogram gold nugget near Ballarat in January.
DeGeneres joked that any locals who sent her a nugget bigger than the one found, which is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, would win a free T-shirt.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that. How funny,” said Gina Nicholls on The Courier’s Facebook page.
“Had to laugh at the way she pronounced Ballarat,” said Ashlee Schultz.
DeGeneres announced her first trip to Australia in January, giving away plane tickets to 400 audience members as well.
The host has plans to film segments for her show in Melbourne and Sydney.
DeGeneres is married to Australian actress Portia de Rossi, who was born in Geelong, but said a trip to Australia had been on the cards for many years.
“I wanted to go long before I met Portia,” she said.
