Pregnant new star of Channel Seven‘s Brisbane newsroom, Sarah Greenhalg, is standing firm when it comes to her upcoming maternity leave after being promoted as host of 7NEWS.
Greenhalg was promoted to the role earlier this year after respected journalist and newsreader Sharyn Ghidella was sensationally dumped from her high-profile role after 17 years with the network.
The former foreign correspondent is stepping into her new role as co-anchor of Seven’s 6pm nightly bulletin on Monday.
Greenhalg, 34, is six months pregnant and is set to go on maternity leave in just weeks.
She explained that management have provided assurances there won’t be a strict deadline for her to come back to work after she gives birth.
‘I’ll come back when it suits everybody, including bub,’ she told the Courier Mail.
‘Women have gone through such tough times historically, especially in television, when they had to come back very quickly from maternity leave because they felt enormous pressure to do so, otherwise they might be considered less than their male counterparts.’
Greenhalg revealed she’d almost given up on her dream of motherhood for fear of how it would impact her career and was pleasantly surprised when they chose her for the role.
Pregnant new star of Channel Seven’s Brisbane newsroom, Sarah Greenhalg, is standing firm when it comes to her upcoming maternity leave after being promoted as host of 7NEWS after the network axed Sharyn Ghidella. Pictured with co-host Max Futcher
Greenhalg was promoted to the role earlier this year after respected journalist and newsreader Ghidella was sensationally dumped from her high-profile role after 17 years with the network
‘It’s something I didn’t think would be possible early in my career,’ Greenhalg said.
‘But the fact that Seven has effectively promoted me, knowing that I am pregnant as well, I think it’s great, not just for me – I think it’s great for any female across the industry.’
Greenhalg has some big shoes to fill.
Greenhalg, 34, is six months pregnant and is set to go on maternity leave in just weeks. She explained that management have provided assurances there won’t be a strict deadline for her to come back to work after she gives birth
Co-anchor Max Futcher, who has been on the 7News Brisbane desk since 2018, endorsed her promotion and said he was excited to be working with her.
The success of their new partnership will be critical for Seven’s newsroom, after allegations of a ‘soul crushing’ and ‘toxic workplace culture’ exposed on ABC’s Four Corners saw Seven West Media take a 69 per cent dive in profits to $45million for the full year.
The sensational sacking of Ghidella, whose shoes Greenhelg will be filling, did not help.
The veteran TV presenter issued one final message to her former boss in August, days before her return to competitor Network 10.
‘Don’t call me at the hairdressers… that wasn’t the cut I was expecting,’ she joked.
‘Seriously, I mean look, there’s good people at Channel 7, I had a good run there … It was good until it ended.’
The 57-year-old was sacked from Seven after 17 years – while getting her hair done for a promo shoot – sending shockwaves through Queensland households.
The axed Channel 7 icon later said she ‘wasn’t shocked’ by the allegations made in the damning Four Corners codumentary.
The newsreader is now the presenter of Queensland’s ‘new-look’ 10 News First and said she was ‘coming home.’
Ghidella announced the move on The Project and said it was a great opportunity, telling the show she began her career with Ten in 1990.
‘In 1990, I started in Ten in Brisbane, hair was pretty big. Shoulder pads were even bigger,’ Ghidella said.
Martin White, head of Broadcast News, Paramount Australia and New Zealand, welcomed Ghidella back to Ten in a post on LinkedIn earlier this month.
‘This is a great day for 10 in Queensland. We’re firm believers in local journalism and giving our audiences the best possible content – which aligns perfectly with Sharyn, Brisbane’s number one newsreader,’ White said.
‘We’re thrilled to welcome her back to 10 and can’t wait to get started.’
Ghidella will replace another beloved Queenslander in Sandra Sully, who has been presenting the Queensland bulletin from Sydney for the past couple of years.
Ghidella, who has worked in journalism for 38 years, announced in a Facebook statement on July 12 that she had been asked to leave the Seven Network.
The mother-of-two had built an extensive media career over the last four decades, with previous stints at Channel 10 before joining Seven as a weekend presenter in 2007.
‘When you work in TV for as long as I have, not a day goes by when you aren’t expecting the proverbial tap on the shoulder … After 38 years, my shoulder tap has finally come,’ she said.
‘It wasn’t quite how I expected it to end at Channel 7.
‘I was actually sitting at the hairdressers for work, when I got the call informing me, that after 17 years with the network, my time was up.
‘And while somewhat saddened by this decision, there is also some sense of relief. As has been widely reported, the past couple of weeks in TV has, sadly, been a miserable affair.’
