Yvonne Sampson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yvonne Sampson
Born	Yvonne Sampson
Occupation	Television presenter
Years active	2005–present
Spouse(s)	Chris O'Keefe (m. 2018)

Yvonne Sampson is a well-known Australian television sports presenter and commentator. She helps bring exciting sports news and games to viewers across Australia.

Currently, Yvonne works for Fox Sports. Before that, she was a familiar face on Nine's Wide World of Sports and presented sports news for Nine News Sydney.

Early Life and Background

Yvonne Sampson grew up in Queensland, Australia, on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. Her family lived on a farm near a town called Palmwoods.

Yvonne has Indigenous Australian heritage. Her grandmother on her father's side was Indigenous.

Television Career Journey

Starting in Sports Reporting

Yvonne Sampson began her career as a cadet reporter. This happened with a little help from a chance meeting. Her father, who was a taxi driver, met former rugby league player Wendell Sailor. This connection helped Yvonne get her start.

She worked one day a week at the Seven Network's local news service. This was Seven Local News on the Sunshine Coast. At the same time, she was studying at the Queensland University of Technology. She also worked at an animal hospital.

Moving Up in Television

After finishing her studies, Yvonne joined the Seven Network full-time. She became a sports reporter. She worked in different cities across Queensland. These included Maryborough, Mackay, and Townsville. Later, she returned to the Sunshine Coast. There, she also became a studio presenter.

In 2012, Yvonne moved back to Queensland. She joined the Nine Network in Brisbane. In January 2014, she got a big opportunity. She was asked to move to Sydney. This allowed her to be more involved with Nine's Wide World of Sports. She also presented the sports news on Nine News Sydney.

Big Moments in Rugby League

In 2015, Yvonne made history. She helped commentate the 2015 NRL Grand Final. This was a big rugby league game between the North Queensland Cowboys and the Brisbane Broncos. She said it was her most challenging and exciting job on a football field. This was because of the thrilling end to the game.

In 2016, she became the host of The Sunday Footy Show. She took over from the long-time host, Peter Sterling. In the same year, Yvonne also became the first woman to host the network's State of Origin coverage. State of Origin is a very important rugby league series.

Joining Fox Sports

In December 2016, Yvonne signed a new deal. She joined Fox Sports. It was announced that she would host their rugby league coverage. This included Thursday and Saturday night games. She also started hosting a new weekly show called League Life.

In June 2021, Yvonne joined the panel of the Fox League show, NRL 360. She became the new host after Ben Ikin moved to the Brisbane Broncos.

Family Life

In April 2017, Yvonne Sampson shared some happy news. She announced her engagement to Chris O'Keefe. Chris is a reporter for Nine News. They got married in 2018.

The couple welcomed their first child in April 2022. In June 2025, Yvonne announced that they were expecting their second child.