Following an impressive 44 years with Channel Nine, veteran journalist Liz Hayes has revealed she will be leaving the network to embark on a “new exciting chapter”.
Hayes made the announcement on Wednesday, February 5, reflecting on her time with Nine and expressing her gratitude for the experiences she gained there.
“When I arrived at Nine I had little more than a notebook and a typewriter, but like my new and far more experienced colleagues, I carried with me an enormous passion for telling stories,” she said in a statement.
“I was blessed. I had found my tribe. Even Nine’s owner at the time, Kerry Packer, seemed to carry the same passionate story telling gene.
“Of course since then much has changed. The media world has evolved as have I. What hasn’t changed is the need for good stories to be told, and I will continue to tell them.
“I leave Nine grateful for the decades of experience, the wonderful friendships that have endured and deeply appreciative to the many people who trusted me to tell their stories.”
In a video message posted to Instagram, Hayes teased that although she was leaving Nine there was more to come in her career and that she wasn’t “going anywhere”.
“I’m still passionate about telling stories and I plan to tell many more,” she said.
“So this is not goodbye this is the beginning of what I see as a great, new exciting chapter in my life. See you soon.”
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Hayes began her career with Nine in 1981 as a reporter with 9News, before eventually presenting the morning bulletin.
In 1986 she became co-host of Today with Steve Liebmann, a role she held for 10 years.
In 1996, she joined the acclaimed 60 Minutes where she covered stories ranging from US presidential elections to the Syrian refugee crisis, as well as natural disasters worldwide.
Recognised as one of the greatest interviewers on Australian television, Hayes has sat down with Prime Ministers and politicians, influential business figures, Hollywood stars, music icons, and world-class athletes.
In recognition of her remarkable career, Hayes received a Logie Award for producing and presenting the acclaimed documentary The Greatest Gift and the 2024 Media Diversity Australia Award for Under Investigation with Liz Hayes.