Kerri-Anne Kennerley

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Kerri-Anne Kennerley
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 23 Kerri-Anne Kennerley arrives at the Australian Premiere of 'I, Tonya' on January 23, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Eva Rinaldi (39822032472).jpg
Kennerley on 23 January 2018
Born
Kerri-Anne Wright

(1953-09-22) 22 September 1953 (age 68)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Occupation
  • Television presenter
  • radio presenter
  • actress
  • singer
Years active1967–present
EmployerNetwork 10
Known forStudio 10
Spouse(s)Jimmy Miller
John Kennerley
​
​
(m. 1984; died 2019)​

Kerri-Anne Kennerley (née Wright; born 22 September 1953) is an Australian television and radio presenter, actress and singer living in Sydney. She has more than 50 years in the industry, and is an inductee into the Logie Hall of Fame. Kennerley was a co-host on Network 10's Studio 10. She is currently due to star in Pippin at the Sydney Lyric Theatre as Pippin's grandmother, Berthe.[1]

Career[]

Kennerley made her first television appearance in 1967 at the age of 14 on the children's shows The Channel Niners and Everybody's In on Brisbane's QTQ 9. After returning to Australia from the US in 1981 she landed the role of Melinda Burgess in TV series The Restless Years, a teen-oriented soap opera. She hosted the breakfast TV program Good Morning Australia on Network Ten for 11 years.

During the 1980s Kennerley performed as a singer, and released a self-titled album (Kerri-Anne) as well as a Christmas album in 1985.[2]

Her cabaret singing style was parodied by singer and comedian Gina Riley on the TV comedy show Fast Forward. She appeared on the television show and later record album Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge with a rendition of the AC/DC song Dirty Deeds.

From 1996 until 1998, she was compere of the daytime-variety TV show Midday. Hosting duties on the show earned her three Gold Logie nominations. After Midday ended in late 1998, she joined the What's Cooking program in 1999. This role (and the program) only lasted a few months. Both Midday and What's Cooking aired on the Nine Network.

In 2001, she shifted to Network Ten to host the game shows Greed and Moment of Truth. Both flopped and lasted only a few episodes. In 2002, she returned to the Nine Network where she hosted Kerri-Anne (originally titled Mornings with Kerri-Anne).[citation needed]

Kennerley moved to the Seven Network in 2012, and appeared as a contestant on the network's program Dancing with the Stars. A planned prime-time program for the network was put on hold due to Kennerley's cancer battle,[3] but appeared as a guest reporter on Sunday Night and as fill-in presenter for Kylie Gillies on The Morning Show.

In September 2013, Kennerley joined Foxtel to present the true crime series Behind Mansion Walls for the Crime & Investigation Network. The initial order is for 13 one-hour episodes.[4] Kennerley has also been a guest panelist on Network Ten's The Project.[5]

In 2016, Kennerley spoke out in support of Sonia Kruger who had suggested a ban on Muslims immigrating to Australia.[6] Kruger was later found by the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal to have vilified Muslims.[7]

In 2017, Kennerley made a cameo appearance as herself in the first episode of The War on Waste.[8]

Kennerley is an advisor on the fourth season of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.[9]

In September 2018, it was announced that Kennerley will be joining Studio 10 as co-host.[10]

During climate change demonstrations related to the Extinction Rebellion in October 2019, Kennerley suggested that people should run over the protesters with their cars as a solution to stopping the campaign from affecting traffic. Commenting on her show Studio 10, she said that, "No emergency services should help them, nobody should do anything, leave them there, and you just put little witch's hats around them or use them as speed bumps." She also said in the same segment that an alternative solution would be to starve them in prison.[11][12][13]

In 2020, it was announced that Kennerley, was one of several Network Ten stars who would be made redundant because of network budget cuts, others include fellow Studio 10 personality and news presenter Natarsha Belling and long time weather presenter Tim Bailey.[citation needed]

Following her departure from Studio 10, Kennerley was cast in the featured role of Berthe in Pippin at the Sydney Lyric Theatre[1]

Personal life[]

Kennerley was born Kerri-Anne Wright in Brisbane, Queensland, the daughter of a builder/hobby farmer. Along with her three siblings, she was raised in Brisbane's bay-side suburb of Sandgate.[14] During her time in the US, she was married to record producer Jimmy Miller. She has said that he regularly subjected her to physical assaults. She sought support from friend John Kennerley, who helped her leave the abusive marriage.[15]

In 1984, she married John Kennerley, who had two children from a previous marriage. In a 2006 interview in The Australian Women's Weekly, she revealed that they had tried to have children for many years, that she had a miscarriage 15 years ago, and will always regret not having children.[16]

In June 2012, Kennerley revealed in an interview in New Idea magazine that she had breast cancer.[17]

In 2013, she was elected to the board of Golf Australia.[18]

In March 2016, her husband was paralysed after injuring his neck in a fall at Coffs Harbour.[19] He died in February 2019, aged 78.[20]

Kennerley lives in the Sydney suburb of Woollahra.[21]

Awards and honours[]

Kennerley was nominated for the Gold Logie in 1997, 1998 and 1999 for her role as host of Midday. Kennerley was awarded a star on the Caloundra Walk of Stars in 1988, between Leo Sayer and Lucky Grills. In 2017, she was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame. In 2018, her portrait appeared on a series of Australia Post stamps, as part of the "Legends of Television" series[22]

TV and radio work[]

Controversies[]

In 2010, Kennerley caused controversy while discussing sexual assault allegations involving two Collingwood Football Club players, by referring to women who socialize with footballers as "strays" and for suggesting that "responsibility cuts both ways".[23]

In 2019, Kennerley made controversial sweeping statements regarding the rape of Indigenous women and children in "the outback".[24]

In 2019, Kennerley made an on-air comment to a young female reporter wearing a playsuit saying "Did you forget your pants today?", following it up with a comment to camera that was construed by commentators as shaming the reporter.[25]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Pippin's Sydney Cast Announced Ahead of November Commencement | The Otaku's Study". Otakustudy.com. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Kerri-Anne Kennerley". rateyourmusic.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  3. ^ Davies, Rebecca (9 April 2012)"Kerri-Anne Kennerley lands new Seven Network TV show?", digitalspy.com.au. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  4. ^ "Kerri-Anne Kennerley joins Foxtel". TV Tonight 9 September 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  5. ^ "Pete Helliar, ready for segues and Kerri-Anne". TV Tonight. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
  6. ^ Guthrie, Susannah (25 July 2016). "Stay brave: Kerri-Anne Kennerley defends Sonia Kruger". New Daily. New Daily. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  7. ^ Whitbourn, Michaela (15 February 2019). "'Sonia Kruger 'vilified' Muslims in Today show segment'". SMH. Fairfax. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  8. ^ "Kerri-Anne Kennerley says size doesn't matter". Starts at 60. 26 May 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  9. ^ Hoyer, Melissa (20 July 2015). "Gabi Grecko, Geoffrey Edelsten, Mel Greig sign up for Celebrity Apprentice". news.com.au. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  10. ^ "Kerri-Anne Kennerley to return to morning TV". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  11. ^ Shanahan, Leo. "Kerri-Anne Kennerley says Extinction Rebellion protesters should be used as speed bumps and jailed". The Australian. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  12. ^ Chung, Frank. "'Use them as a speed bump': Kerri-Anne Kennerley suggests running over climate change protesters". News.com.au. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Kerri-Anne Kennerley's controversial 'speed bumps' comments generate official complaints". OverSixty. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  14. ^ "On with the show" by Matthew Fynes-Clinton, The Courier-Mail (21 July 2007)
  15. ^ Moran, Rob (9 October 2017). "'I think I'll be dead': Kerri-Anne Kennerley reveals past domestic abuse". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  16. ^ "Kerri-Anne's Baby Blues", "The Courier Mail" (22 October 2006)
  17. ^ Staff Writers (11 June 2012). "Kerri-Anne Kennerley's shock cancer news". news.com.au. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  18. ^ Golf Australia (10 April 2013). "Kerri-Anne Kennerley joins Golf Australia Board". Golf Australia. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  19. ^ Willis, Charlotte (7 April 2016). "KAK 'paid $350k' by Seven for TV tell-all". NewsComAu. News Limited. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  20. ^ Clun, Rachel (27 February 2019). "'The love of my life': Kerri-Anne Kennerley's husband John dies, aged 78". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  21. ^ Horton, Shelly (21 October 2013). "Inside the eccentric home of Kerri-Anne and John Kennerley". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  22. ^ "Stamp Collectables - Stamp Issues". Shop.auspost.com.au. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  23. ^ "Kerri-Anne Kennerley's 'strays' barb". The Age. 6 October 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  24. ^ "'Do you forgive me?': Kerri-Anne Kennerley visits outback after TV race row". Sbs.com.au. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  25. ^ "Kerri-Anne Kennerley accused of 'slut-shaming' female colleague live on Studio 10". news.com. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2020.

External links[]

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