Kerri-Anne Kennerley
Encyclopedia
Kerri-Anne Wright Kennerley (born 22 September 1953 in Brisbane
, Queensland
, Australia
) is an Australian television personality. She is one of Australia's most seasoned light entertainment hosts. She is noted for her very professional and personable hosting style, and her ability to handle awkward guests and situations with gentle humour and composure.
She is usually mentioned among the television industry as Australia's "Daytime TV Queen", because her television career is marked as hosting programs during the day.
, and when she tackled the New York cabaret circuit as a 19 year old singer.
Upon her return to Australia in 1981 after a five year stint in the US, Kennerley met her future husband. In that year she landed her first adult role on Australian TV, as the dowdy Melinda Burgess in TV series The Restless Years
, a teen-oriented soap opera
. She hosted the breakfast TV program Good Morning Australia
a role she held for 11 years. During the 1980s Kennerley also performed as a singer, and released a self-titled album (Kerri-Anne) as well as a Christmas album in 1985. Her cabaret
singing style was parodied by singer and comedian Gina Riley
on the TV comedy show Fast Forward. She also appeared on the television show and later record album Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge
with a rendition of the AC/DC song Dirty Deeds
.
From 1996 until 1998, she was the compere of the daytime-variety TV show Midday. Her hosting duties on the show earnt her three Gold Logie nominations. Once Midday finished in late 1998, she joined the What's Cooking program in 1999. This role, however, (and the program itself) only lasted a few months. Both Midday and Whats Cooking aired on the Nine Network
.
In 2001, she shifted to Channel Ten to host Greed
and Moment of Truth. Both shows a flop and lasted a handful of episodes.
In 2002 Kennerley returned to the Nine Network where she has hosted Kerri-Anne (formally titled 'Mornings with Kerri-Anne') ever since. She has garnered considerable media attention from the program's dance instruction segments featuring prominent Australian politicians – Peter Costello
and the macarena
, Cheryl Kernot
and the Cha-cha-cha
and Kevin Rudd
and the rumba
. Her more memorable interviewees included the normally reticent Priscilla Presley
who discussed her ex-husband Elvis
and daughter Lisa Marie
. American TV actor John Stamos
who appeared on her show in June 2007 was arguably her most challenging interview. Two years later Stamos conceded that he was drunk, which confirmed media speculation raised at the time. Kennerley also persuaded Russell Crowe
to hurl himself against a wall on her show. Kennerley caused controversy in 2010 while discussing sexual assault allegations involving two Collingwood Football Club
players on her show by referring to women who socialize with footballers as "strays" and for suggesting that "responsibility cuts both ways".
She is one of several of Nine Network's stable of stars whose contracts are being cut in an attempt to rein in operating costs at the network. She has stated however that she is not retiring, as she enjoys being an entertainer.
It is not known whether Kerri Anne Kennerley will ever appear solo again as a host on a television program in Australia, following her show being axed in November 2011.
, the first such event to be held there. "Meeting John was the biggest turning point in my life" she says. She has two step children, plus a pet dog Harvey, that she named after former band leader Geoff Harvey. In a recent interview in Australian Women's Weekly
, she revealed that she had a miscarriage
15 years ago and will always regret not having children. Kennerley has received several nominations for the Australian Skeptics
' annual Bent Spoon Award
s due to her uncritical acceptance of psychics and psychic phenomena.
. She was nominated for the Gold Logie
in 1997, 1998 and 1999 for her role as host of Midday. She has also been nominated for many other awards.
Kennerley was awarded a star on the Caloundra Walk of Stars in 1988. She is between Leo Sayer and Lucky Grills outside of a charcoal chicken restaurant.
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) is an Australian television personality. She is one of Australia's most seasoned light entertainment hosts. She is noted for her very professional and personable hosting style, and her ability to handle awkward guests and situations with gentle humour and composure.
She is usually mentioned among the television industry as Australia's "Daytime TV Queen", because her television career is marked as hosting programs during the day.
Career
Kennerley, known by her initials as KAK, has rarely been out of the public eye since her first television appearance in 1967 at the age of 13 on the children's shows The Channel Niners and Everybody's In on Brisbane's QTQ 9. Her audience stayed with her when she crossed to The Saturday Show on Network TenNetwork Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
, and when she tackled the New York cabaret circuit as a 19 year old singer.
Upon her return to Australia in 1981 after a five year stint in the US, Kennerley met her future husband. In that year she landed her first adult role on Australian TV, as the dowdy Melinda Burgess in TV series The Restless Years
The Restless Years
The Restless Years is an Australian soap opera which followed the lives of several Sydney school-leavers and young adults. It was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation for Network Ten. It debuted December 1977 and ran until late 1981. It was not renewed by the network due to declining ratings...
, a teen-oriented soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
. She hosted the breakfast TV program Good Morning Australia
Good Morning Australia (breakfast TV)
Good Morning Australia from Network Ten was the name of two different programs. This article is for the breakfast TV show, not to be confused with Bert Newton's morning program....
a role she held for 11 years. During the 1980s Kennerley also performed as a singer, and released a self-titled album (Kerri-Anne) as well as a Christmas album in 1985. Her cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
singing style was parodied by singer and comedian Gina Riley
Gina Riley
Gina Riley is an Australian actress, writer, singer and comedian.Riley became a popular television performer in the sketch shows Fast Forward, its successor Full Frontal, Big Girl's Blouse and Something Stupid. In the latter she was also a producer and writer...
on the TV comedy show Fast Forward. She also appeared on the television show and later record album Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge
Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge
Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge is an album released by Austereo in 2001 featuring musical challenges posed by radio comedian Andrew Denton to musicians, generally selecting a song in a style in contrast to their own...
with a rendition of the AC/DC song Dirty Deeds
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (song)
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the title track and first track of their album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, released in September 1976, and was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott....
.
From 1996 until 1998, she was the compere of the daytime-variety TV show Midday. Her hosting duties on the show earnt her three Gold Logie nominations. Once Midday finished in late 1998, she joined the What's Cooking program in 1999. This role, however, (and the program itself) only lasted a few months. Both Midday and Whats Cooking aired on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
.
In 2001, she shifted to Channel Ten to host Greed
Greed (game show)
Greed is an American television game show that aired on Fox from November 4, 1999 until July 14, 2000. The game consisted of a team of contestants who answered a series of multiple-choice questions for a potential prize of up to $2 million...
and Moment of Truth. Both shows a flop and lasted a handful of episodes.
In 2002 Kennerley returned to the Nine Network where she has hosted Kerri-Anne (formally titled 'Mornings with Kerri-Anne') ever since. She has garnered considerable media attention from the program's dance instruction segments featuring prominent Australian politicians – Peter Costello
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...
and the macarena
Macarena (song)
"Macarena" is a Spanish dance song by Los del Río about a woman of the same name. Appearing on the 1994 album A mí me gusta, it was an international hit between 1995 and 1996, and continues to have a cult following. It was ranked the "#1 Greatest One-Hit Wonder of all Time" by VH1 in 2002.The song...
, Cheryl Kernot
Cheryl Kernot
Cheryl Kernot is an Australian politician, academic, and political activist. She was a member of the Australian Senate representing Queensland for the Australian Democrats from 1990 to 1997, and the fifth leader of the Australian Democrats from 1993 to 1997...
and the Cha-cha-cha
Cha-cha-cha (dance)
The Cha-cha-cha is the name of a dance of Cuban origin.It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953...
and Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
and the rumba
Rumba
Rumba is a family of percussive rhythms, song and dance that originated in Cuba as a combination of the musical traditions of Africans brought to Cuba as slaves and Spanish colonizers. The name derives from the Cuban Spanish word rumbo which means "party" or "spree". It is secular, with no...
. Her more memorable interviewees included the normally reticent Priscilla Presley
Priscilla Presley
Priscilla Presley is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the ex-wife of singer Elvis Presley, and the mother of singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley....
who discussed her ex-husband Elvis
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and daughter Lisa Marie
Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley is an American singer and songwriter, also known as the "Princess of Rock and Roll". She is the only child of Elvis Presley, and daughter of Priscilla Presley.-Early life:...
. American TV actor John Stamos
John Stamos
John Phillip Stamos is an American actor, singer and musician best known for his work in television, especially in his starring role as Jesse Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. Since the cancellation of that show in 1995, Stamos has appeared in numerous television films and series. From 2006...
who appeared on her show in June 2007 was arguably her most challenging interview. Two years later Stamos conceded that he was drunk, which confirmed media speculation raised at the time. Kennerley also persuaded Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
to hurl himself against a wall on her show. Kennerley caused controversy in 2010 while discussing sexual assault allegations involving two Collingwood Football Club
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
players on her show by referring to women who socialize with footballers as "strays" and for suggesting that "responsibility cuts both ways".
She is one of several of Nine Network's stable of stars whose contracts are being cut in an attempt to rein in operating costs at the network. She has stated however that she is not retiring, as she enjoys being an entertainer.
It is not known whether Kerri Anne Kennerley will ever appear solo again as a host on a television program in Australia, following her show being axed in November 2011.
Personal life
Kerri-Anne was born Kerri-Anne Wright, the daughter of a builder/hobby farmer who along with three siblings was raised in Brisbane's bayside suburb of Sandgate. In 1984 she married divorcee John Kennerley at the Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
, the first such event to be held there. "Meeting John was the biggest turning point in my life" she says. She has two step children, plus a pet dog Harvey, that she named after former band leader Geoff Harvey. In a recent interview in Australian Women's Weekly
Australian Women's Weekly
The Australian Women's Weekly is an Australian monthly women's magazine published by ACP Magazines, a division of PBL Media based in Sydney. Audited circulation in 2009 exceeded 500,000 copies monthly, making it the largest magazine in Australia.-History:...
, she revealed that she had a miscarriage
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
15 years ago and will always regret not having children. Kennerley has received several nominations for the Australian Skeptics
Australian Skeptics
The Australian Skeptics is a non-profit organisation based in Australia which investigates paranormal and pseudoscientific claims using scientific methodologies.-History:...
' annual Bent Spoon Award
Bent Spoon Award
The Bent Spoon Award is an award given by Australian Skeptics, "presented to the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle". The name of the award is a reference to the spoon bending of Uri Geller...
s due to her uncritical acceptance of psychics and psychic phenomena.
Awards
Kennerley has been nominated on numerous occasions for a LogieLogie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
. She was nominated for the Gold Logie
Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television
The Gold Logie Award has been awarded annually to the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television at the TV Week Logie Awards since 1960...
in 1997, 1998 and 1999 for her role as host of Midday. She has also been nominated for many other awards.
Kennerley was awarded a star on the Caloundra Walk of Stars in 1988. She is between Leo Sayer and Lucky Grills outside of a charcoal chicken restaurant.
TV and Radio work
- Good Morning AustraliaGood Morning Australia (breakfast TV)Good Morning Australia from Network Ten was the name of two different programs. This article is for the breakfast TV show, not to be confused with Bert Newton's morning program....
(1981 – 1991) - 2UE2UE2UE is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia owned by Fairfax Media. It is Sydney's and Australia's oldest commercial radio station, first broadcasting on 26 January 1925 on 1025 kHz AM before moving to 950 kHz in 1935 when virtually all Australian radio stations were assigned new...
Fill in Announcer (1992 – 1993) - 2CH2CH2CH is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia, at 1170 kHz AM. It broadcasts an oldies format, and is aimed to an older age demographic...
Breakfast shift & CEO (1994 – 1995) - Monday To Friday (1995)
- Midday with Kerri-Anne (1996 – 1998)
- What's Cooking? (1999)
- Greed (2001)
- Moment of Truth (2001)
- Kerri-Anne at Midday, Radio Show - 2GB2GB2GB is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia broadcasting on 873 kHz, AM. It is one of Australia's most popular talk-back radio stations, and is the number one station in Sydney.-History:The station commenced broadcasting in August 1926...
(2001) - Kerri-Anne (formally titled Mornings with Kerri-AnneMornings with Kerri-AnneKerri-Anne is an Australian morning television program shown on the Nine Network, hosted by Kerri-Anne Kennerley. It aired weekdays at 9am for two hours. The final episode of the series aired on November 25, 2011.-History:...
) (Oct 2002 - Nov 2011)