Fran Kelly Biography – Fran Kelly Wiki
Fran Kelly is an Australian radio presenter, current affairs journalist, and political correspondent who has hosted the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Radio National program Breakfast since March 2005. She announced in October 2021, that she is stepping down as RN Breakfast host after 17 years at the helm of ABC’s agenda-setting news program. With an emotional message, she told her listeners she loved the job, but the early mornings were getting to her and it was time for a change. She finished in the role on December 2, 2021, being replaced by Patricia Karvelas.
In August 2022, Kelly was announced as the host of a new chat show on ABC TV dubbed Frankly. Her appointment attracted criticism from a number of newspaper columnists who all opined that the job should have been given to someone much younger. This led to a public debate about the apparent ageist attitudes and discrimination towards older women in the media. ABC chair Ita Buttrose and Kelly’s successor at RN Breakfast Patricia Karvelas were also criticized after they both defended Kelly against what they perceived to be ageist attitudes.
Frankly premiered on ABC TV on October 7, 2022, with Shaun Micallef, Richard Harris, and Kirsten Banks appearing as Kelly’s first guests. The program received generally mixed to positive reviews
In 1988, she moved to Sydney to work at Triple J. In 1990 she became a reporter for ABC Radio National’s current affairs programs AM and PM. Kelly became Canberra bureau chief, chief political correspondent with AM and PM, political editor for ABC’s Radio National Breakfast and ABC television’s The 7:30 Report, and ABC’s Europe correspondent. In 2005 she returned to Australia to host Radio National Breakfast.
She was involved with the documentary series The Howard Years in 2008, for which she interviewed former US president George W. Bush. She has appeared as a panelist and commentator on ABC TV’s Insiders, engaging in debate and discussion with other experienced political journalists.
In 2008 she became a recipient of a Same Same 25 award, recognizing her as one of the country’s most influential gay and lesbian Australians. She was named by The Sydney Morning Herald’s “the (Sydney) magazine” as one of Sydney’s 100 most influential people of 2011. She is described by the Australian electronic magazine Crikey as “one of the most influential media players in the country”
She was brought up in Adelaide and went to study at St Dominic’s Priory College for some time and then went to the University of Adelaide, completing an arts degree and majoring in literature and classics.
Fran Kelly Age
She was born in 1958 in Australia.
Fran Kelly Partner
She has been with her partner, Marion Frith, for almost three decades, with whom she is a step-parent to her partner’s three children from a previous relationship.
On October 21, 2021, her partner, Frith was present at the studio to support Kelly in the announcement of leaving RN Breakfast.
Fran Kelly Views
Kelly has described herself as an activist. She is a feminist and stated in a 2012 interview that she’s identified as such since her school years. In 2007, she launched the Australian Human Rights Commission’s “Same-Sex: Same Entitlements” inquiry. She has been involved with One Just World’s speaker forums, moderating a “Women of the World” forum for WOMADelaide and speaking on the “Stand Up Against Poverty” forum in 2009.
Fran Kelly Leaving RN Breakfast
In October 2021, she announced her departure from RN Breakfast. She said, “I’ve got some breaking news too, I just want to let you all know that my days presenting RN Breakfast are coming to an end. After 17 years it’s time. This has been, as you can hear I think, an extremely difficult decision to make. I absolutely love this job. I am so passionate about what we do here on RN Breakfast for you and with you, every morning.
“I have given it my heart and soul, I really have and I really will keep doing it, I love it. But Breakfast hours are a hard taskmaster. So I am going to step aside from this role later in December. I gonna take a break and catch some sleep. You will see me next year around the ABC in the lead-up to the election.” She then thanked her team, before adding: “I can’t believe I’ve actually got those words out. In fact, I have been dreading saying it out loud and making it real. RN Breakfast has been such a huge part of my life.“I will miss it and I will miss you. As I say, it has been a privilege and an absolute joy. For now, until December let’s keep doing what we do here together for a little while longer. And that means at 28 minutes to eight it’s time for the weather.”
She finished her role on December 2, 2021. “It’s been thrilling,” Kelly says. “It’s still thrilling. Every morning this week is thrilling. I sometimes think what am I doing? I love this. But it’s best to go before the job takes you.” The show has been taken over by Patricia Karvelas. She will start in January 2022.
Frank Kelly Frankly Show
In August 2022, Kelly was announced as the host of a new chat show on ABC TV dubbed Frankly. Her appointment attracted criticism from a number of newspaper columnists who all opined that the job should have been given to someone much younger. This led to a public debate about the apparent ageist attitudes and discrimination towards older women in the media. ABC chair Ita Buttrose and Kelly’s successor at RN Breakfast Patricia Karvelas were also criticized after they both defended Kelly against what they perceived to be ageist attitudes.
Frankly premiered on ABC TV on October 7, 2022, with Shaun Micallef, Richard Harris, and Kirsten Banks appearing as Kelly’s first guests. The program received generally mixed to positive reviews
