Lisa Wilkinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lisa Wilkinson
|
|
|---|---|
Wilkinson at David Jones, Sydney in 2013
|
|
| Born |
Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
|
| Education | Campbelltown Performing Arts High School |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1980–2022 |
| Television |
|
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3 |
Lisa Clare Wilkinson is a well-known Australian television presenter, journalist, and magazine editor. She has been a familiar face on Australian TV for many years.
Lisa has previously hosted popular breakfast TV shows like Today on the Nine Network (from 2007 to 2017). She also worked on Weekend Sunrise for the Seven Network (2005–2007). More recently, she was part of The Project on Network Ten (2018–2022).
Contents
Lisa Wilkinson's Career Journey
Lisa Wilkinson was born in Wollongong, Australia. She grew up in Campbelltown, a suburb of Sydney. She went to Campbelltown High School, which is now called Campbelltown Performing Arts High School.
Working in Magazines
Lisa started her career in the world of magazines. This was before she became famous on television.
Dolly Magazine
Lisa began working for Dolly magazine. This magazine was very popular with young women. When she was just 21 years old, she was offered the job of editor. This was a big achievement for someone so young! While working at Dolly, Lisa became known for finding new young talent. One famous person she discovered was a young Nicole Kidman, who later became a huge movie star.
Cleo Magazine
After making Dolly magazine's sales three times bigger, Lisa was asked by Kerry Packer to become the editor of Cleo. This was another major women's lifestyle magazine. One of the first things she did at Cleo was to remove the magazine's famous male centrefold. During her time as editor, she helped guide other journalists who were just starting out. These included Mia Freedman and Deborah Thomas.
Lisa was Cleo's editor for over ten years. This made her the longest-serving editor for the magazine. During her time, the magazine's sales grew a lot. She later became the International Editor-in-Chief for Cleo. This meant she helped launch the magazine in other countries like New Zealand and parts of Asia.
Australian Women's Weekly
From 1999 to 2007, Lisa was an editor-at-large for The Australian Women's Weekly. This is one of Australia's most well-known magazines.
Huffington Post
In 2015, Lisa was asked by Arianna Huffington to become the Australian Editor-at-large for The Huffington Post. This is a big online news website. She held this role until 2018.
Television Career
Lisa Wilkinson's TV career started in the late 1990s. She became a regular guest on a talk show called Beauty and the Beast. This show was on Network Ten and Foxtel. During the 2000 Summer Olympics, she helped host The Morning Shift on the Seven Network.
Weekend Sunrise
In April 2005, Lisa started hosting Weekend Sunrise on the Seven Network. She first hosted with Chris Reason, and later with Andrew O'Keefe.
Today Show
On May 10, 2007, it was announced that Lisa would co-host Today on the Nine Network. She started on the show on May 28, 2007. She joined Karl Stefanovic as his co-host. In 2016, Lisa and Karl helped the Today show become the number one breakfast TV program. This was the first time it had been number one in 12 years!
On October 16, 2017, Lisa left the Nine Network and the Today show. This was after ten years with the network. She left because she was seeking fairer pay. She announced her departure on Twitter. Soon after, she announced she was joining Network 10. In her 2021 book, It Wasn't Meant to Be Like This, Lisa shared more about her decision to leave.
The Project
In 2018, Lisa joined The Project. This is a nightly TV current affairs show on Network 10. On November 20, 2022, Lisa announced she was leaving her role on The Project.
Carols by Candlelight
From 2008 to 2016, Lisa was a co-host of the Nine Network's Carols by Candlelight. This is a very popular Christmas event. She took over from long-time host Ray Martin. Her co-host from 2008 to 2012 was Karl Stefanovic. In 2013, she was joined by David Campbell. When she left the Nine Network, Sonia Kruger took over her role in 2017.
Other Notable Moments
In 2013, Lisa gave the Andrew Olle Media Lecture. This is an important speech about media. She spoke about how women are treated in and by the media. She was the first female journalist to give this speech since 1997.
In 2017, a newspaper pointed out that Lisa wore the same blouse on air that she had worn four months before. Her co-host, Karl Stefanovic, had previously worn the same suit every day for a year without anyone noticing. Lisa posted a message online criticizing this unfair treatment. The next day, she wore the blouse again on air. She joked that her biggest legacy might be daring to wear the same outfit twice on TV. Other hosts on the Today show, both male and female, also wore the blouse in the following days to show their support. This event led to a review of how women are treated in workplaces like Parliament House.
Lisa Wilkinson's Personal Life
Lisa Wilkinson married Peter FitzSimons on September 26, 1992. Peter is an author, journalist, and former rugby player. They have two sons and one daughter.
In 2021, Lisa published her autobiography, a book about her own life. It is called It Wasn't Meant to Be Like This.
Awards and Honours
Lisa Wilkinson has received several awards and honours for her work.
In 2016, Lisa was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. This is a very special honour given to Australians who have done great things. She received it for her important work in print and broadcast media, and for helping youth and women's health groups.
In 2017, a portrait of Lisa by artist Peter Smeeth was a finalist in the Archibald Prize. This is a famous art competition in Australia. The portrait also won the Packing Room Prize.
At the 2022 Logie Awards, Lisa was part of The Project team that won two Logie Awards. These awards celebrate the best in Australian television. They won for Most Popular Panel or Current Affairs Program and for Most Outstanding News Coverage or Public Affairs Report.
