Derryn Hinch, the ‘Human Headline’, has died at age 82.
His career spanned six decades across print, radio and television and a stint in politics.
Born in New Zealand, his career started in newspapers when still a teenager. He came to Australia and then became an American correspondent for Fairfax newspapers. In 1969, he commentated on the Apollo 11 launch for radio station 2GB.
He returned to Sydney in 1976 as editor of The Sun newspaper.
In the late 1970s he began as current affairs commentator for Melbourne radio station 3XY. A year later he was picked up by 3AW for its morning shift. He dominated the ratings for the next eight years. During that time he also served a 12-day prison sentence and was fined for contempt of court after he publicly revealed paedophile Roman Catholic priest Michael Charles Glennon’s prior conviction while a trial was still pending.
In parallel to his radio career, he made moves into television. He was a reporter for Peter Couchman’s Melbourne in 1979 and went on to guest host Willesee ’81 and host Beauty And The Beast in the early 1980s.
In 1987, he was signed up by Christopher Skase to lead the Seven Network‘s new evening current affairs program. Hinch At Seven started in January 1988 and ended up running for four years. Hinch and the program’s tabloid sensibilities were mocked by Fast Forward‘s Steve Vizard as Darren Hutch.
Shortly after being axed by Seven, Hinch was signed up by Network Ten to essentially carry on the same program as Hinch. In 1993, he went to Spain to interview Skase, his former boss who by this stage was in hiding and owing millions following the collapse his business and media empire, for a two-hour prime time special The Skase Mirage.
YouTube: Dan Martin
In 1994, after being dumped by Ten to be replaced by Alan Jones, he hosted Nine’s Midday and presented documentaries including The Diet Dilemma, The Body Beautiful and No Means No.
He created controversy in 2005 when he outed the late Graham Kennedy as gay and alleged that the “King of Australian Television” had died from an AIDS-related illness. Medical records from just prior to his death showed that Kennedy did not have HIV or AIDS, but Hinch stood by his claims.
He later returned to the Seven Network as a public affairs commentator for Sunrise, Sunday Night and Seven News, and hosted Hinch Live on Sky News Australia.
Other television credits included being a contestant on Dancing With The Stars and Millionaire Hot Seat, starring as himself in Neighbours and Underbelly, appearing in an episode of City Homicide, and exploring his family history in Who Do You Think You Are?
He also made a cameo in SBS2‘s The Feed in the sketch Broadcast Battleground, battling rival TV presenters in a fight to the death.
YouTube: SBS The Feed
His life long endeavour for social justice led to him entering politics in 2015, creating Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party, and was elected to the Australian Senate in 2016. Elected at age 73, he became the oldest new member ever elected to the Australian parliament.
He was inducted into the Australian Media Hall of Fame in 2018.
He wrote a number of books, including Death At Newport and memoirs including Human Headlines: My 50 Years In The Media, A Human Deadline: A Story Of Life, Death, Hope And House Arrest and Unfinished Business: Life Of A Senator.
Derryn Hinch was married four times, including to actress Jacki Weaver, and was earlier engaged to actress and animal rights activist Lynda Stoner.
YouTube: ABC News (Australia)
Source: ABC, Sydney Morning Herald, IMDB, Wikipedia. TV Week, 13 October 1979
