Lisa Wilkinson

Lisa Wilkinson AM is an Australian television presenter and journalist.

Lisa Wilkinson AM
Wilkinson at David Jones, Sydney
Born	Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Education	Campbelltown Performing Arts High School
Occupation	Television presenter, journalist
Years active	1981−present
Employer	Network 10
Television	The Project
Spouse(s)	Peter FitzSimons ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	3
Website	The Project bio

Wilkinson is currently host of Network 10 news-current affairs and talk show The Project.

Wilkinson has previously co-hosted the Nine Network's breakfast television program, Today, with Karl Stefanovic from 2007 until 2017 and Weekend Sunrise on the Seven Network from 2005 until 2007.

Career

Wilkinson was born in Wollongong,[1] but grew up in Campbelltown and attended Campbelltown High School (now Campbelltown Performing Arts High School).[2] She began her career working for the magazine Dolly.[3] At age 21,[3] she became the youngest editor of the magazine.[2] After four years, she was appointed editor of the magazine Cleo and went on to become International Editor-in-Chief.[3] Her television career began in the late 1990s when she was a regular panelist on Network Ten and Foxtel's Beauty and the Beast. During the 2000 Summer Olympics, she (along with Duncan Armstrong) co-hosted The Morning Shift on the Seven Network.[4]

In April 2005, Wilkinson began hosting Weekend Sunrise on the Seven Network with Chris Reason, later with Andrew O'Keefe.[5] On 10 May 2007, it was confirmed that Wilkinson was to co-host Today on the Nine Network after Jessica Rowe left the network. Wilkinson's last appearance on Weekend Sunrise was 6 May 2007, and she began appearing on Today on 28 May 2007.[6]

Wilkinson hosted the Ethnic Business Awards, which is a national business award highlighting migrant and Indigenous excellence in business, for 3 years in a row (2005-2007).[7]

From 2008 to 2016, Wilkinson was the co-host of the Nine Network's Carols by Candlelight, replacing long time host Ray Martin when Martin semi-retired. Wilkinson's co-host from 2008 until 2012 was Karl Stefanovic, and in 2013 she was joined by David Campbell.[8][9] She was replaced by Sonia Kruger in 2017 after she left the Nine Network.[10]

In August 2015 Wilkinson was appointed as The Huffington Post, Australian Editor-at-large.[11]

On 16 October 2017, Wilkinson resigned from the Nine Network and Today due to a contract dispute and citing 'lots of reasons'[12] after ten years with the network, effective immediately.[13] In 2018, she joined The Project, a nightly TV current affairs programme on Network 10.[14]

Personal life

Wilkinson married media personality Peter FitzSimons on 26 September 1992;[15] they have two sons and one daughter.[16][17][18]

Honours

Wilkinson was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2016 Australia Day Honours list for significant service to the print and broadcast media as a journalist and presenter, and to a range of youth and women's health groups.[19]

In 2017, Wilkinson's portrait by artist Peter Smeeth was a finalist in the Archibald Prize, and winner of the Packing Room Prize.[20][21]

References

1. Turk, Louise (7 June 2008). "A Day At A Time". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
2. "Campbelltown City Council – Committee Minutes" (PDF). Campbelltown City Council. 7 December 2004. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2007. ...Lisa Wilkinson (a former student of Campbelltown High School who became the youngest ever editor of an Australian women's magazine).
3. "Today biography". Today.ninemsn.com.au. 15 October 2013. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
4. The Morning Shift, tv.com
5. Casamento, Jo (21 July 2013). "You'd be a fool to feel safe on TV". The Sydney Morning Herald.
6. "TV job gives new meaning to 'hot seat'". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 May 2007.
7. "Ethnic Business Awards". Ethnic Business Awards. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
8. McManus, Bridget (19 December 2013). "Today's Lisa Wilkinson: 'We need to start developing a women's club [in media]'". The Age. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
9. Knox, David (20 October 2008). "End of an era as Ray quits Nine". TV Tonight. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
10. Knox, David (19 December 2019). "Carols by Candlelight: guide". TV Tonight. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
11. Davies, Anne (19 August 2015). "Huffington Post appoints television presenter Lisa Wilkinson as editor-at-large". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
12. "'Lots of reasons': Lisa Wilkinson on leaving Today". Queensland Times. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
13. Charis Chang and Liz Burke. "Lisa Wilkinson quits Today Show". News.com.au. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
14. Enker, Debi (29 January 2018). "Despite the hype, Lisa Wilkinson's Project debut is a fizzer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
15. "Galleries: 1992 Weddings". Perth now.com. p. 4. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
16. Clune, Richard (25 July 2010). "Today show hosts a perfect match". Sunday Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
17. "Addressed for success". The Sun-Herald. 1 August 2010.
18. "In Conversation: August Literary Lunch with Peter FitzSimons". Live at the Centre.com.au. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
19. "Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia (M-Z)" (PDF). Australia Day 2016 Honours Lists. Office of the Governor-General of Australia. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
20. Peter Smeeth, Lisa Wilkinson AM – Winner: Packing Room Prize 2017, Archibald Prize 2017, Art Gallery of New South Wales
21. Packing Room Prize 2017: Peter Smeeth's portrait of Lisa Wilkinson wins Archibald's art award, Paige Cockburn and Louise Hall, ABC News Online, 20 July 2017

External links

• Lisa Wilkinson on Twitter
• Lisa Wilkinson at IMDb