Sophie Walsh
Born (1985-10-24) 24 October 1985 (age 38)
OccupationWeekend Today news presenter
Years active2009–present
EmployerNine Network
Known forJournalism
TelevisionNine News Sydney (2009–2011, 2016–2019, 2020–present)
Nine News Queensland (2011–2016)
Today/Weekend Today (2020–present)
WebsiteNine News profile

Sophie Walsh (born 24 October 1985)[1] is an Australian television news presenter journalist.

Walsh is currently based at the Nine Network, where she is a presenter and reporter for Nine News and a news presenter on breakfast program Weekend Today.

Career

Early in her career Walsh worked as a news reporter and head of newsroom at WIN Television in Bundaberg, where she helped launch a new news bulletin in the Wide Bay area.[1]

In October 2009, she joined the Nine Network in Sydney, where she became a reporter for Nine News, and a fill-in presenter on the network's national bulletins. She also presented newsbursts on Nine's sister channel, 9Go!, in 2010.[1]

In September 2011, she moved to the Brisbane newsroom, which had just been rocked by the sacking of two reporters for their roles in a faked live helicopter cross during a nightly bulletin the previous month.[2] One of the stories she covered was the deportation of four Italian girls from Brisbane to their father's home in Florence, Italy.[3][4] She also received a Clarion Award nomination for her DMAA investigation into an amphetamine-type chemical used in sports supplements, which resulted in a blanket ban on all products by the Therapeutic Goods Administration on Australian shelves.[1] In addition to her reporting duties, she became the weekend weather presenter in 2014, replacing Davina Smith, and occasionally filled in as weekend news presenter.[5]

In July 2016, after filling in for Alison Ariotti as the weekend co-presenter of Nine News Queensland in the first half of the year whilst she was on maternity leave, Walsh returned to the Sydney newsroom, retaining her roles as a reporter and fill-in weather presenter.[6]

During her time in Sydney, she presented other national bulletins, and has also appeared on the Today and Weekend Today as a reporter and fill-in news presenter. She was also a fill-in presenter on Nine News Sydney. Walsh presented Nine News Sydney on Christmas Day, 2018.[7]

In June 2019, Walsh was appointed European correspondent for Nine News, replacing Michael Best who returned to Australia to become News Director on Nine News Perth.[8] In June 2020, while covering the George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom, Walsh was in the middle of a live cross to Brenton Ragless on Nine's Adelaide evening news bulletin when she was attacked by a bystander on-camera (the attack itself was not seen on air). She was unharmed from the incident.[9]

Walsh returned to Sydney in October 2020, with Carrie-Anne Greenbank replacing her as European correspondent.[10]

In April 2023, Walsh was appointed as news presenter on Weekend Today.[11][12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Sophie Walsh". LinkedIn. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Sacked Channel 9 'Choppergate' reporter Melissa Mallet denies any wrongdoing". news.com.au. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  3. ^ Silva, Kristian (7 October 2012). "'Please save them': sisters' plea". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  4. ^ Bolt, Andrew (16 October 2012). "How dare Channel 9 play ratings games with these girls". Herald Sun. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  5. ^ Bennett, Stephanie (24 January 2015). "Hot days but more rain predicted for long weekend". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  6. ^ "Could Channel Nine's Queensland news director be destined for a new gig?". The Courier Mail. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  7. ^ Sam Sam TV! (26 December 2018). "Nine News Sydney – 25/12/2018". Retrieved 1 January 2019 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ McKnight, Robert (7 June 2019). "Nine News shakes up reporting and producing teams". TV Blackbox. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  9. ^ Knox, David (4 June 2020). "Nine News journalists attacked in London clashes". TV Tonight. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  10. ^ Perry, Kevin (20 July 2020). "CARRIE-ANNE GREENBANK NAMED AS NEXT EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT FOR NINE NEWS". TV Blackbox. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  11. ^ "Jayne Azzopardi and Clint Stanaway new hosts for Weekend Today | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Jayne Azzopardi and Clint Stanaway confirmed as new hosts of Weekend Today". 9now.nine.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
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