Giselle Fernández facts for kids

Giselle Fernández (born May 15, 1961) is a well-known American television journalist. She works as a news anchor for Spectrum News 1. You might have seen her on major TV shows like CBS Early Show, CBS Evening News, Today, and NBC Nightly News. She also hosted Access Hollywood and was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.

Early Life and Education

Giselle Fernández was born in Mexico City, Mexico. When she was four years old, her family moved to East Los Angeles, California in the United States. Her father was a flamenco dancer, which is a traditional Spanish dance style. Her mother studied Mexican folklore, which means she learned about traditional stories and customs.

Giselle went to California State University, Sacramento. She graduated in 1982 with a degree in Journalism and Government.

Career Highlights

Giselle's TV career began in 1983. She worked at local TV stations like KRDO-TV in Colorado and KEYT-TV in Santa Barbara. In 1985, she joined KTLA in Los Angeles. There, she worked as a reporter and weekend news anchor.

Later, Giselle moved to other CBS-owned stations. She worked at WBBM-TV in Chicago in 1987. Then, in 1989, she moved to WCIX in Miami.

In October 1991, Giselle got her first national news job at CBS News in New York City. She became a correspondent, which means she reported on stories. She also filled in as an anchor for morning, evening, and weekend news shows.

Later, she moved to NBC. At NBC, she anchored Weekend Today and the Sunday edition of NBC Nightly News. She also covered many important events around the world. For example, she reported on the movement of people from Cuba and problems in Haiti. She also covered the U.S. invasion of Panama and the trial of those involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. She even reported from the Persian Gulf War, where she saw a missile attack. Giselle also had the rare chance to interview Fidel Castro, who was the president of Cuba at the time.

From 1996 to 1999, Giselle co-hosted Access Hollywood. This was an entertainment news show on NBC. After that, she co-hosted This Week in History on the History Channel.

In 2001, Giselle returned to Los Angeles and worked at KTLA again. She left in 2003 to work on other projects. These included making a movie and writing books for children. In 2004, her children's book, Gigi and the Birthday Ring, was published.

Today, Giselle is the president of her own company, Skinny Hippo Productions. She also co-leads F Squared Productions, where she develops film and TV projects. Currently, she works for Charter Communications' Spectrum News 1 Southern California.

Giselle anchored Your Morning on Spectrum News 1 for six years, starting in 2018. In August 2024, she moved to an afternoon show called Rush Hour. She also continues to host LA Stories, a weekly series that has won an Emmy award.

Awards and Recognition

Giselle Fernández has won five Emmy Awards for her journalism work. The Los Angeles Press Club gave her The President's Award for Impact on Media in 2023.

She is also a member of the Smithsonian National Board for Latino Initiatives. She has worked on the board of trustees for the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In 2006, she was named the year's Outstanding Philanthropist. This award is given to people who are very generous in helping others.

Personal Life

While working in Chicago, Giselle met Ron Kershaw. They were engaged to be married, but sadly, Ron passed away. A month later, Giselle's father also passed away.

In 2002, Giselle married John Farrand, a British business executive. They had a daughter named Talei. The couple separated in 2014.

In January 2006, Giselle was a contestant on the TV show Dancing with the Stars. She danced with professional partner Jonathan Roberts. She was the third contestant to be eliminated from the show.

See also

In Spanish: Giselle Fernández para niños