Ben Fordham
Ben Fordham | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 November 1976 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1997−present |
| Employer | Nine Network |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Ben Fordham (born 29 November 1976) is an Australian journalist, sports reporter and radio presenter. Fordham currently hosts Ben Fordham Live on Sydney radio station 2GB.
Career
Fordham began his career on Sydney's 2UE radio station, for which he won a Walkley Award[1] for his coverage of the 1997 Thredbo landslide. In 1998, Fordham moved to television and joined Sky News Australia as a reporter and presenter.
After less than a year at Sky News, Fordham joined the Nine Network, working on tabloid current affair and news programs including 60 Minutes, A Current Affair, Nine News and Today.[citation needed]
Fordham filled in for Stuart Bocking on 2UE Nights in the 2008/09 summer period and also filled in for Ray Hadley on 2GB in the 2009/10 summer period.[citation needed]
In 2010, he joined Nine News and Today as a reporter, he also covered the 2010 federal election.[citation needed] In January 2011, Fordham became the Today sports presenter replacing Cameron Williams. He also joined 2GB in January 2011, replacing Jason Morrison on the programme Sydney Live (since renamed Ben Fordham Live).[citation needed]
In March 2014, Fordham announced that he would be leaving Today at the end of the year to concentrate on his radio career.[2] Since moving into his radio position, he has served as a fill-in presenter on Today and Nine News. In 2016, Fordham was announced as co-host of Australian Ninja Warrior alongside Rebecca Maddern on the Nine Network.[3]
In 2018, Fordham was also made an inaugural board member of the Ash Williams Show Podcast, alongside other media personalities such as Ed Kavalee, Sonia Kruger and Tony Martin. Fordham was also instrumental in securing the support of Scott Pape as a permanent board member.[4] In May 2020, 2GB announced that Fordham would replace Alan Jones, who was retiring from radio.[5] Fordham finished hosting his drive show on 22 May 2020 and began his new role on 1 June 2020. His breakfast show took the same name as his drive show: Ben Fordham Live.[6]
In October 2021, Fordham announced that he will not return as co-host of Australian Ninja Warrior.[7]
Personal life
When Fordham was seven years of age, he was diagnosed with epilepsy after suffering a seizure.[8] He did work experience at a radio station as a teenager while a student at Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview, a Catholic college in Lane Cove.[9] He is managed by the Fordham Company, which was run by his late father, John.[10]
In October 2011, Fordham married Seven News presenter Jodie Speers. In August 2014, Fordham announced on Today that his wife was pregnant with their first child; their son was born later that year.[11]
In April 2016, Fordham announced on radio that Speers was pregnant with their second child.[citation needed] She gave birth to a daughter later that year.[12]
In September 2019, Fordham announced that Speers gave birth to their third child.
Legal issues
On 26 February 2009, Fordham was charged with concealing a serious crime and breaching the Listening Devices Act.[13] The Nine Network and A Current Affair producer Andrew Byrne were also charged.
On 20 July 2010, NSW Supreme Court judge Elizabeth Fullerton called Fordham's attitude "disrespectful" when he failed to appear in court to hear her judgement on the charges of breaching the Listening Devices Act. Justice Fullerton found him guilty of one of four charges against him, that he knowingly recorded a conversation on 28 May 2008. Byrne was convicted of four charges of breaching the act.
The conversation was aired on ACA in May 2008, claiming to show former Waverley mayor James Markham ordering a fatal hit on a male escort.[14] Although found guilty, Fordham and Byrne each escaped conviction, with Justice Fullerton saying it was "an appalling lack of judgment by two senior journalists who are otherwise held in esteem by their colleagues".[15]
References
- ^ "Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (Australia) - records of the W.G. Walkley Awards, 1956 - 1999". State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
- ^ "Sports presenter Ben Fordham quits Channel Nine's The Today Show to concentrate on 2GB Drive show". news.com.au. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ "Ben Fordham, Freddie Flintoff join Australian Ninja Warrior 2017". MediaWeek. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ^ @ashwilliams1 (26 April 2018). "A week is a long time in business. @AshWilliamsShow welcomes another new board member, @scottpape AKA 'The Barefoo…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Lallo, Michael (12 May 2020). "Ben Fordham did work experience for Alan Jones. Soon, he'll replace him". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "STARTS MONDAY | Ben Fordham launches 2GB Breakfast show". 2GB. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "BEN FORDHAM quits Nine's NINJA WARRIOR". TV Blackbox. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
- ^ Auerbach, Taylor (9 September 2015). "My epilepsy battle: 2GB host Ben Fordham tells how he has suffered and coped". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ Rao, Shoba (20 October 2015). "Ben Fordham talks about his private battle with epilepsy". News.com.au. News Corp. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "Media Watch - Fordham follies". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 June 2004. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
- ^ "Ben Fordham and wife Jodie Speers welcome their first child Freddy". News.com.au. News Corp. 6 December 2016. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "'We had a little Pearl. She's as cute as a butterfly'. Ben Fordham and Jodie Speers announce birth of daughter". The Daily Telegraph. News Corp. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "Channel Nine charged over report". news.com.au. 26 February 2009. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
- ^ Kontominas, Bellinda (20 July 2010). "ACA reporter found guilty of breaching listening devices law". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
- ^ Wells, Jamelle. "Hit man sting journalists avoid conviction". abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 28 February 2011.