Juanita Phillips
Juanita Phillips (born 11 October 1963[1]) is an Australian former journalist and news presenter and reporter. Phillips was previously the weeknight presenter of ABC News NSW in Sydney.
Juanita Phillips
11 October 1963
Journalist and news presenter and reporter
1982–2023
ABC News NSW as weeknight presenter 2003-2023
- The Courier-Mail 1982-? as cadet journalist, writer and columnist
- Reporter and presenter at TVQ-10-early 1990s
- Ten Eyewitness News presenter of weekend bulletin
- Ten News First at Five (co-anchor with Ron Wilson
- Sky News Australia as Presenter
- BBC World News as News Presenter
- CNN International as co-anchor
Early life[edit]
Phillips was born in Brisbane, Queensland where she began her career in 1982 as a cadet newspaper journalist at The Courier-Mail where she became a feature writer and columnist.[2]
ABC News[edit]
In 2003, she moved to co-anchor ABC News NSW with Tony Eastley and later become solo presenter of the bulletin.
During 2007, Phillips wrote a number of articles for The Bulletin including an article on animal rights activist Lyn White that caused some controversy.[3]
On 30 November 2007, Phillips suffered an on-air coughing fit while presenting ABC News NSW, forcing the ABC to switch to a simulcast of the Victoria state bulletin from its Melbourne station until her coughing fit subsided.[4] In her 2010 book, A Pressure Cooker Saved My Life, she describes the episode as a result of a stress-induced laryngeal spasm.
On 19 November 2013, The Australian published the ABC's top salaries; Phillips' salary at the time was $316,000.
In July 2023, Philips announced her resignation from the ABC after 21 years and 4,500 bulletins.[5] Her final bulletin was on Sunday 10 September. Jeremy Fernandez has been announced as her replacement.[6]
Personal life[edit]
In 2002, Phillips married Mario Milostic, an Australian graphic designer, after a six-week courtship. Their first child was born in 2003 and their daughter in 2006. In 2009, Phillips took carer's leave from the ABC to care for their children while her husband was interstate for rehabilitation from bowel cancer.[7] They separated in 2010.[8]
In 2012, Phillips began a relationship with the federal minister for climate change, Greg Combet.[9] In 2013, the relationship attracted some controversy for a first-class overseas trip paid from government funds.[10] In May 2013, Phillips was removed from one evening's ABC News bulletin due to a conflict of interest which arose after Combet faced an ICAC inquiry into government corruption.[11][12]