Who is Bridget Brennan? Meet the new host of ABC News Breakfast - and how her controversial Australia Day act sparked fury READ MORE: Lisa Millar quits ABC News Breakfast By Stephen Bisset For Daily Mail Australia Published: 00:27 BST, 15 August 2024 | Updated: 01:34 BST, 15 August 2024 e-mail 21 shares View comments Incoming co-host of ABC News Breakfast Bridget Brennan has revealed her new role was an 'important moment' for Indigenous people. Brennan was announced as the replacement for Lisa Millar on Thursday, who last month revealed she would be stepping down from the job. However her time at the ABC hasn't been without controversy, with Brennan just this year being accused of breaching impartiality standards in an Australia Day news repor t .
Announcing the news alongside Millar and fellow co-host Michael Rowland, Brennan, a Dja Dja Wurrung and Yorta Yorta woman, said her new role was an important step for Indigenous representation. 'I didn't grow up watching Aboriginal women on the news, so it's really an important moment for my mob as well,' she said. Brennan joined the ABC as a cadet journalist in 2010 and from 2011 to 2013 was based in Darwin working as a radio and television reporter.
After a stint in Hong Kong with CNN , she returned to the ABC in 2014 as a reporter for national radio current affairs shows AM, The World Today and PM. The journalist won the Andrew Ollie scholarship in 2016, becoming the ABC's national Indigenous Affairs correspondent. She was appointed as the ABC's Indigenous Affairs editor in 2020 and in 2023, the ABC announced Brennan as news presenter and co-host, one day per week on ABC News Breakfast.
Bridget Brennan (pictured) will be the new co-host of ABC News Breakfast after Lisa Millar announced, in July, she will be stepping down Brennan drew some criticism in January this year after she signed off on a live cross on Australia Day telling viewers Australia 'always was, always will be Aboriginal land.' She used the phrase to end her report on a Wugulora Ceremony being held at Barangaroo in Sydney. News Breakfast host Michael Rowland wrapped up his conversation with Brennan with a general reflection on the ceremony she had covered.
'It's really, really positive that more Australians are engaging with their local Aboriginal communities and Torres Strait Islander communities and getting to know the names of the nations they live on,' Brennan replied. 'For First Nations people, for my people, this is a very important day to remember our ancestors and those who fought for many decades to improve the living standards for our people and remember that it always was and always will be Aboriginal land.' The sign-off was greeted with anger by a number of X users.
Brennan joined the ABC as a cadet journalist in 2010 and from 2011 to 2013 was based in Darwin working as a radio and television reporter Read More Cruel trolls target Lisa Millar after she announced she would be quitting ABC News Breakfast 'Always was, always will be their ABC. Defund!' wrote one furious punter. 'Should this not read Former ABC.
..?' another person said.
'She can be a political activist, she can't do it on the ABC payroll,' added another. On her X account Brennan also retweeted posts calling for Australia Day to be commemorated as a tragic event and calling Europeans 'invaders'. 'Today, we mourn our ancestors, those that came before us,' read a post from Ngarra Murray, who is a member of the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria.
'We mourn the dead with the honesty & integrity they deserve. The post continued: 'We pay respect to the warriors of the frontier wars & resistance fighters who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting our country, and people from the invaders.' 'For me, today is Survival Day.
A time to acknowledge we are still here and always will be,' read another tweet reposted by Brennan. She was appointed as the ABC's Indigenous Affairs editor in 2020 and in 2023 the ABC announced Brennan as news presenter and co-host, one day per week on ABC News Breakfast Brennan was announced as ABC News Breakfast's new co-host on Thursday morning. Brennan, who has been with the ABC since 2010, will take over as co-presenter alongside Michael Rowland .
Sharing the news with viewers, Brennan said she was 'honoured and excited' to start the new role. 'It's been a dream come true to work with Michael and Lisa who I've been watching for years and to sit alongside you, learn from you both and become deep and wonderful friends has been a privilege,' she said. Brennan started working at ABC as a cadet journalist and has previously worked as the broadcaster's Indigenous Affairs Editor and National Indigenous Affairs correspondent.
The announcement comes weeks after Millar, 55, revealed that she will finish up with the show on August 23. 'What a blast the past five years has been, whether it was interviewing prime ministers and global thought leaders or getting karaoke encouragement from my childhood idol Gladys Knight,' Millar said on-air in July. 'In 35 years of journalism I've never done anything so exciting, unpredictable, and fun.
It's only worked because of the awesome team in front of the cameras and behind the scenes who kept me laughing.' Brennan, who has been with the ABC since 2010, will take over as co-presenter alongside Michael Rowland (pictured left) She will remain with the ABC, focusing on her other projects: As narrator of the Logie-nominated series Muster Dogs, as guest presenter of Back Roads and as co-host of the podcast The Newsreader. 'I'm going to be having more adventures with Back Roads and Muster Dogs.
Muster Dogs keeps getting bigger and bigger. So much to do, and exciting new projects. That means it's goodbye,' Millar said.
Millar has been with the ABC since 1993. Her departure from ABC News Breakfast comes after she unleashed on 'disgusting' online trolls who'd criticised her appearance back in March, while also slamming media coverage of the abuse she'd copped. The announcement comes weeks after Millar, 55, revealed that she will finish up with the show on August 23 Brennan started working at ABC as a cadet journalist and has previously worked as the broadcaster's Indigenous Affairs Editor and National Indigenous Affairs correspondent Gladys Knight Michael Rowland Share or comment on this article: Who is Bridget Brennan? Meet the new host of ABC News Breakfast - and how her controversial Australia Day act sparked fury e-mail 21 shares Add comment.
