Adriana Xenides facts for kids

Adriana Xenides (born Adriana Coutsaimanis; 9 January 1956 – 7 June 2010) was a famous Australian television presenter. She was also a model, actress, and even wrote books for children. Adriana was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her father was Greek and her mother was Spanish.

She moved to Australia when she was a child. Adriana became very well known for her long time role on the game show Wheel of Fortune. She was the co-host and helped turn the letters. She holds a Guinness World Record for her time on the show. Adriana passed away in 2010 after facing health issues.

Career

Adriana moved from Argentina to Adelaide, South Australia, when she was a teenager. She started a career as a model. In 1978, she was a finalist in the first Mrs South Australia contest.

Soon after, Grundy Television asked her to join their team. In 1981, Adriana became the co-host of Australia's Wheel of Fortune. She worked alongside Ernie Sigley at first. She stayed on the show for 18 years, which is a very long time!

Adriana worked with several hosts during her time on Wheel of Fortune. These included John Burgess, Tony Barber, and Rob Elliott. For the first 15 years, from 1981 to 1996, she never missed a single episode. Adriana officially left the show in 1999. She was listed in the Guinness World Records for being the longest-running game show host. Later, her American counterpart, Vanna White, broke this record in 2001. However, Adriana still holds the Australian record.

After Wheel of Fortune, Adriana appeared on other TV shows. She was a panelist on the talk show Beauty and the Beast. In 2002, she was a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother. She also worked with her Wheel of Fortune co-host John Burgess on Burgo's Catch Phrase.

Personal life

Adriana Xenides was married three times. Her first marriage was at age 19 to Michael Xenides. They were married for three years. Adriana decided to keep Michael's last name for her career. In 1982, she married Frank Cortazzo for one year. Her last marriage was to Robert Phillips, which lasted two years. Adriana also had other partners later in her life.

Health Challenges

Adriana faced health challenges for many years. She spoke about having a stomach condition that caused her pain. Doctors were not always sure about the exact causes of this condition.

In 2010, Adriana shared that she had faced serious health issues in the years before.

Death

Adriana Xenides passed away on 7 June 2010. She died at the Liverpool Hospital in Sydney. Her death was caused by a ruptured intestine. She had been in the hospital for a few days before her passing due to a stomach ailment.

• The Silver Dog and the Bear (1997),

Filmography

• Golden Fiddles (1991), as Estelle Drayford
• Angel Baby (1995), as Herself

See also

In Spanish: Adriana Xenides para niños