Richard Wilkins (TV presenter) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Wilkins
|
|
|---|---|
Wilkins at the 2014 ARIA Music Awards, Sydney, 26 November 2014
|
|
| Born | 19 June 1954 Auckland, New Zealand
|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Other names | Richard Wilde, Dickie |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Employer | Nine Network |
| Television | Weekend Today Today |
Richard Stephen Wilkins, born on June 19, 1954, is a well-known TV and radio host. He was born in New Zealand but is an Australian citizen. He works as the entertainment editor for the Nine Network. You can also hear him on smoothfm radio on weekends.
Contents
Richard Wilkins: Early Life and Music
Richard Wilkins was born in New Zealand on June 19, 1954. He went to a teachers' college there. He studied English and music.
He dreamed of being a pop singer. He used the stage name "Richard Wilde". A big music company called PolyGram signed him to a global deal.
In 1980, he brought his band, Wilde And Reckless, to Australia. He released some songs and a short album. He even toured with the famous singer Grace Jones. Later, he left the music world. He started working behind the scenes. He was a manager for Sydney radio stations 2Day FM and 2UW. He also sang in a group of Australian Olympians. They released a song called "You're Not Alone". It became a top-30 hit.
In 2006, Richard returned to the stage. He played Vince Fontaine in the huge musical "Grease: the Arena Spectacular".
Richard Wilkins: TV and Radio Career
Richard Wilkins started hosting MTV Australia in 1987. He hosted it with Joy Smithers and Alison Drower. MTV Australia was shown on the Nine Network.
In 1992, he hosted a game show called Keynotes. This show filled in for Sale of the Century during the summer. In 1999, he hosted the Australian version of Entertainment Tonight. He hosted it with Marie Patane. For many years, he hosted the Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks show. On July 7, 2007, he presented at the Australian part of the Live Earth concert.
Richard has been the Entertainment Editor for the Nine Network. He shares daily news and interviews about show business. He has also hosted Nine Network's coverage of big events. These include The Academy Awards, The Golden Globe Awards, and ARIA Awards.
On June 26, 2009, he was reporting live. He was talking about the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. By mistake, he said that actor Jeff Goldblum had also died. This happened on the Today show. Later, it was found out to be a hoax.
In September 2011, Richard released his book. It was called Black Ties, Red Carpets, Green Rooms. He wrote it with Carrie Hutchinson. The book became a bestseller.
In May 2012, Richard started working at smoothfm. He hosts the weekend Mornings show. You can hear him from 10 am to 1 pm. He is on smoothfm 91.5 in Melbourne and smoothfm 95.3 in Sydney.
In 2019, Richard co-hosted Today Extra on Wednesdays and Thursdays. This was because David Campbell was hosting Weekend Today. In 2020, Richard took over from David Campbell. He became the co-host of Weekend Today.
Celebrating 30 Years at Nine
In 2017, Richard Wilkins celebrated a big milestone. He had been with the Nine Network for 30 years! In January 2017, he co-hosted the G'Day USA Gala for the twelfth time. This is an annual Australian event in the United States. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop asked him to host it. In November 2017, Richard returned to host the ARIA awards. This event was held at The Star in Sydney for the Nine Network.
Fake Ad Scams Targeting Richard
In November 2023, ABC News in Australia reported something important. They said that fake pictures of Richard Wilkins are often used by scammers. These scammers put the fake pictures on social media. They also use them on news and entertainment websites.
Richard Wilkins: Awards and Recognition
In 2000, Richard Wilkins received a special award. It was the "Heart of Variety" Award from the Variety Club. He got it for his great work helping others.
In 2014, Richard was given a high honor. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). This award recognized his important service to the community. He helped many charities. He also contributed a lot to the entertainment industry.
Richard has also won two Australian Commercial Radio Awards. He won them for "Best Music Special". These awards were for his work on specials about John Farnham and Michael Buble.
Richard Wilkins: Personal Life
Richard Wilkins has five children. His oldest child has Down syndrome. This child was born in New Zealand when Richard was 18 years old. Richard has talked about the challenges of raising a child with Down syndrome at a young age. Richard's youngest son, Christian, is a model and actor. Richard's youngest child is with fashion designer Collette Dinnigan. They dated in the early 2000s.
Richard tested positive for COVID-19 on March 12, 2020. This was at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Five days before, he had been in contact with Rita Wilson. She was one of the first famous people known to get the coronavirus.
