Famous Australian Media Personalities

Australian Steve Irwin was a world famous, high-spirited, lively host of The Crocodile Hunter television series. A conservationist, he was also part of other shows and documentaries on wildlife and environment. He was known for close encounters with some of the most dangerous and endangered animals in various jungles. He died after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming in Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Julian Assange made headlines all over the world in 2010 when WikiLeaks, a non-profit organization founded by him, gained international attention after publishing leaks, such as the Afghanistan war logs and Iraq war logs. After dodging arrest for several years, he was finally arrested in 2019 and is currently imprisoned in HM Prison Belmarsh.

Malcolm Turnbull is a retired Australian politician. From 2015 to 2018, Turnbull served as the 29th prime minister of Australia. He also served as the leader of the Liberal Party on two occasions. For his service to the Parliament of Australia, Turnbull was awarded Companion of the Order of Australia during the 2021 Australia Day Honours. 

The younger sister of Australian popstar Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue had begun her career on Australian TV as a child actor. Known for her award-winning role of Emma Jackson in the soap Home and Away, she later also launched a music career, appeared in movies and plays, and introduced a clothing line.

Anusha Dandekar is an Indian-Australian VJ, actress, and singer. She is popularly known for hosting many TV shows. Beginning her career as a TV anchor and VJ, she branched out into acting as well, making her film debut with a role in the Bollywood film Mumbai Matinee. Since then, she has appeared in a few other movies.

Adriano Zumbo is an Australian television presenter and pastry chef. He is known for appearing as a guest on the TV show MasterChef Australia. He also hosts his own baking competition show Zumbo's Just Desserts and appears as a judge on Netflix's baking reality television series Sugar Rush. Thanks to his popularity, Zumbo has garnered several nicknames including Sweet Assassin.

Brianna Keilar is a journalist who previously worked as a general assignment correspondent, Congressional correspondent, and White House correspondent for CNN. She is currently working as CNN's senior political correspondent. In 2019, Keilar, a military spouse, started writing a column titled Home Front, which continues to play an important role in bridging the civilian-military divide.

Ricky Ponting is an Australian retired cricket player best known for his abilities as a batsman, fielder, and captain. Widely regarded as one of the modern-time greats, Ponting is the leading run-scorer for Australia in Test and ODI cricket. Ponting captained the Australian Test team between 2004 and 2011 and is considered one of the most successful cricket captains of all time.

Kym Johnson began training in dance at age 3 and graduated to ballroom dance at age 13. She soared to fame after winning season 2 of the Australian reality show Dancing with the Stars. Once part of competitive ballroom dancing, she is now also famous for her fitness DVDs.

Canadian-Australian actor Aden Young is best known to fans as Daniel Holden from Rectify. Born to a CBC broadcaster father, he participated in theater even as a child. He later also gained fame with films such as I, Frankenstein and The Unseen. He is married to Australian singer Loene Carmen.

Jennifer Hawkins first soared to fame after winning both the Miss Australia and the Miss Universe pageants in 2004. Initially a Newcastle Knights cheerleader, she was named the second-most-sexiest woman in the world by FHM and later gained international recognition with Seven Network travel show The Great Outdoors.

Well-known Australian comedienne Magda Szubanski soared to fame with her performances in shows such as Kath and Kim, D-Generation, and Fast Forward. She has also been part of movies such as Happy Feet and penned a bestselling memoir. An open lesbian, she is also an LGBT activist.

Remembered for the legendary poems Waltzing Matilda and The Man from Snowy River, Andrew Barton “Banjo” Paterson was an Australian bush poet who depicted rural life through his works. Initially a law clerk and a journalist, he later adopted the pseudonym Banjo, which was his favorite horse’s name.

The younger sister of Australian actor Nicole Kidman, Antonia Kidman was initially a journalist and later gained fame with the series The Little Things. She has also penned books on parenting, such as Feeding Fussy Kids. She is a mother of six and joined law school after the birth of her sixth child.

A prominent Australian media figure, Sonia Kruger has gained fame hosting shows such as Big Brother Australia and Dancing with the Stars. She is also known for appearing in the award-winning film Strictly Ballroom. After several miscarriages, she gave birth to her first child through IVF at age 49.

Best known for his roles in series such as Neighbours and movies such as Infini, Daniel MacPherson has also had a 6-year stint as a co-host of Dancing with the Stars. Initially a sportsperson, he was discovered by an agent at a triathlete event. He was also a Mensa member.

UK-based video journalist Brady Haran is known for his popular YouTube math channel Numberphile. Fans also love his other channels, such as the chemistry-oriented Periodic Videos and the physics-oriented Sixty Symbols, and his podcasts Hello Internet and The Unmade Podcast. He also has inactive channels on language, food, and culture.

Paul Khoury is an Australian TV personality known for hosting shows like Coffee Lovers’ Guide to Italy. Also known for his captivating voice, Khoury has been anchoring ESPN's Asia Pacific Poker Tour. From 2010 to 2015, Paul Khoury hosted The Aussie Millions, one of the world's richest poker events. 

Multiple BAFTA award-winning Australian journalist and documentary filmmaker John Pilger had begun his career working for media houses such as Daily Telegraph and Daily Mirror. He is vocal about social issues, such as the treatment of the indigenous community in Australia and the US and UK foreign policies.

Eddie McGuire is an Australian TV presenter, radio presenter, and sports commentator for Fox Footy. A famous name in Australian Football League, McGuire was honored with the Australian Sports Medal in 2001. For his achievements in entertainment, media, and community-based activities, Eddie McGuire was awarded an honorary doctorate by RMIT University on 17 May 2013.           

At 21, Lisa Wilkinson was the youngest editor of the Australian teen magazine Dolly. She grew up to be a renowned journalist and presenter and is now known for her shows such as The Project. She has also appeared in movies such as Broadcast Battleground and Sharknado 5: Global Swarming.

Nine Network presenter and journalist Karl Stefanovic is best known for hosting shows such as Today and 60 Minutes. In his reporting career, spanning over 2 decades, the Gold Logie-winning journalist has covered many major events, such as the Christchurch earthquake and the Japanese tsunami.

Best known as the host of RocKwiz, French-Australian presenter Julia Zemiro is a trained theater actor, too, who has worked with the likes of the Bell Shakespeare Company. She has hosted her own interview show, Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery, and has been on shows such as Thank God You’re Here.

 Australian cricket commentator and former cricketer, Lisa Sthalekar, was once the captain of Australia's international women's cricket team. Born in India and adopted by parents who lived in USA, she was introduced to cricket by her father. She started playing professionally as a young woman and went on to have an exemplary career. She retired in 2013. 

Australian actor/singer Bec Hewitt began her career at age 5, working in commercials, and later soared to fame as Hayley Smith Lawson from Home and Away. A talented dancer, too, she also won Dancing with the Stars. She has also released chart-busting singles such as All Seats Taken.

Australian TV and radio host Rove McManus soared to fame with the show Rove and now also co-owns the TV production company Roving Enterprises. He is also a kangaroo breeder and co-owns a steakhouse too. Fans also know him for the catchphrase “Say hi to your mom for me.”

Apart from being a SBS newsreader for 3 decades, Lee Lin Chin has also presented comedy segments and a comedy cooking show. Born to Chinese parents in Indonesia, she began her journalism career in Singapore and moved to Australia later. She has also done voice-over and appeared in films such as Resistance.

Samantha Armytage is an Australian TV presenter and journalist best known for co-hosting a popular breakfast show called Sunrise from 2013 to 2021. Samantha Armytage has also hosted other shows, such as Bringing Sexy Back and Seven 4.30 News. In 2021, she launched her own podcast titled Something to Talk About with Samantha Armytage.

Best known for The Kyle and Jackie O Show, which she co-hosted with Kyle Sandilands and which became the number one radio show in Australia, Jackie O was discovered at a deli by radio DJ and future husband Phil O'Neil. She has also hosted TV shows and is an animal rights activist.

Bestselling Australian author Peter FitzSimons has had an illustrious career as a journalist with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald for over three decades. Apart from penning biographies, he has written books such as Burke and Wills. He has also played national-level rugby for the Wallabies.

Best known as the host of shows such as Australia's Funniest Home Video Show, Jo Beth Taylor had stepped into showbiz as a singer at age 5. She quit her career abruptly in 1997, which she later claimed was a decision made to avoid a stalker and malicious rumors.

Indigenous Australian actor Ernie Dingo initially gained fame with his award-winning performance in the series Tudawali. He was also a talented basketball player before he stepped into films. An Australian National Living Treasure, he is known for films such as Crocodile Dundee II and also starred with Cate Blanchett in Heartland.

Initially an announcer for Groove FM, Zoe Naylor, she later worked for TV, on shows such as Gladiators and The Footy Show. Equipped with a degree in drama, she later impressed audiences with her performances in films such as The Reef and as Regan McLeod in the series McLeod's Daughters.

Australian actor and TV host Rob Mills is best known for his appearances in Australian Idol and Winners & Losers. He has also gained fame as Fiyero in the Australian version of the Broadway musical Wicked. He was also the runner-up in season 1 of The Masked Singer Australia.

Apart from being an award-winning horticulturalist and landscape designer, Jamie Durie has also proved himself to be a skilled TV host. He also owns the architecture company Patio, later renamed Durie Design, and has gained fame for his shows such as The Outdoor Room and HGTV Showdown.

Koch Industries heir David Koch was a chemical engineer from MIT and even excelled in basketball in college. Listed at number 11 on the Forbes billionaires list in 2019, he was also a dedicated philanthropist who has donated billions to charity. He was also the vice-presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party.  

Known for his signature horn-rimmed glasses and his sarcastic sense of humor, Red Symons gained fame as a judge on Red Faces and Australia's Got Talent. The Australian radio and TV personality has also performed as part of Skyhooks and used the pseudonym Red Pinko Sims for many recordings.