Narelda Jacobs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Narelda Jacobs OAM
Jacobs at National Sorry Day 2013
Born	Perth, Western Australia
Nationality	Australian
Occupation	Television journalist, TV weather presenter
Years active	2000–present
Employer	Network 10
Known for	10 News
Spouse(s)	Karina Natt (married 2024–present)
Children	1

Narelda Jacobs OAM is a well-known Australian journalist and television presenter. She started her career with Network 10 in Perth, Western Australia, in 2000.

In January 2020, she moved to Sydney to help host Studio 10. She also presented 10 News for Perth. Since 2024, Narelda presents the national news show 10 News First: Midday. She also presents 10 News First: Afternoons. She works with NITV as a co-host for The Point. You might also see her on various ABC Television programs. She has even acted in some TV shows.

Narelda is an Aboriginal newsreader. She is also openly gay.

Early Life and Education

Narelda Jacobs grew up in Perth. Her family belongs to the Whadjuk Noongar people. Her father, Cedric Jacobs, was a minister for the Uniting Church in Australia. He also worked to support Indigenous rights. He was part of the Stolen Generations. Her mother, Margaret, was also involved with the church.

Narelda was the youngest of five daughters. Her mother was from Belfast and had Irish and English family. Her father was a Whadjuk Noongar man. He was very active in Aboriginal politics. Journalists often visited their home or called her father. He was part of a group that went to the United Nations in Geneva in 1981.

Narelda and her parents were always interested in the news. Narelda decided in Year 7 that she wanted to be a journalist. She went to Hampton Senior High School.

After high school, Narelda applied to the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). She was not accepted at first. Her first job was at the National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT). She soon moved to their media team. At 18, Narelda became pregnant. She got married, but the marriage ended six months after her daughter was born.

With her family's help, Narelda went back to work at the NNTT. After five years, her boss encouraged her to apply for WAAPA again. This time, she was accepted. She began studying broadcast journalism at WAAPA.

Career Highlights

After graduating, Narelda started her career at GWN in Bunbury. In 2000, she joined Ten News in Perth. She became their court reporter. She also filled in as a weather presenter during summer. In 2008, Network Ten announced that their Perth news bulletin would be made in Perth again. Narelda was chosen as the new presenter.

Narelda is an Aboriginal and openly gay newsreader in Western Australia. She publicly supported the "Yes" vote in the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.

In March 2019, Narelda helped host SBS's broadcast of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. She also co-hosted in 2020 and 2021.

On January 13, 2020, Narelda moved to Sydney. After 20 years at 10 News First Perth, she joined the Studio 10 morning talk show. Later in 2020, Narelda returned to read the Perth edition of 10 News First. She balanced this with her work on Studio 10.

In 2020 and 2021, Narelda co-hosted the Sunrise Ceremony on January 26 (Australia Day). She hosted it with John Paul Janke. The event was shown on NITV, SBS, and Channel 10.

In late 2022, it was announced that Narelda would host a new news show. It was called 10 News First: Midday. She started hosting on Monday, January 9, 2023. This show follows Studio 10 and airs from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm.

In 2023, she presented an episode of Compass. The episode was called "Come Together".

In February 2024, Narelda appeared on Fran Kelly's podcast Yours Queerly. She was with Pasifika New Zealander drag artist Kween Kong. Narelda said she had admired the star of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under for a long time.

Narelda has also appeared on other TV shows. These include The Project, Insiders, Q+A, and The Drum. She also works as a speaker. She was in the TV documentary The Dark Emu Story. She has also acted in Australian TV shows like Safe Home and Total Control. She co-hosted the podcast 456 Club.

Awards and Recognition

In the 2023 King's Birthday Honours, Narelda Jacobs received the Medal of the Order of Australia. This award was given for her "service to the media, and to the community".

Community Involvement

In November 2021, Narelda Jacobs joined the first National Indigenous Advisory Group for Football Australia. This group helps support and increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander involvement in soccer. She was also an ambassador for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Narelda is an ambassador for several organizations. These include the Pinnacle Foundation, Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation, Motor Neurone Disease Association WA, WA Aboriginal Leadership Institute, and Deadly Science. She was also a Rainbow Champion for World Pride Sydney in 2023.

Family Life

Narelda Jacobs lives in Sydney with her wife, Karina Natt. They got married in August 2024. Narelda's daughter, Jade Dolman, is an artist. She creates art under the name JD Penangke.