Fran Kelly

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Australian radio presenter

title: "Fran Kelly" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["australian-radio-journalists", "abc-radio-(australia)-journalists-and-presenters", "living-people", "australian-women-radio-journalists", "australian-television-talk-show-hosts", "australian-women-television-journalists", "year-of-birth-missing-(living-people)", "australian-political-journalists", "australian-lgbtq-broadcasters", "australian-lgbtq-journalists"] description: "Australian radio presenter" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran_Kelly" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Australian radio presenter ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

FieldValue
nameFran Kelly
imageFran Kelly at the 2021 National Reconciliation Week panel discussion.png
captionAt a National Reconciliation Week panel discussion in 2021
birth_date
birth_placeAdelaide, South Australia
years_active1988–present
known_forCurrent affairs journalism and political correspondence
occupationAustralian radio presenter
alma_materSt Dominic's Priory College
::

| name = Fran Kelly | image = Fran Kelly at the 2021 National Reconciliation Week panel discussion.png | alt = | caption = At a National Reconciliation Week panel discussion in 2021 | birth_date = | birth_place = Adelaide, South Australia | years_active = 1988–present | other_names = | known_for = Current affairs journalism and political correspondence | occupation = Australian radio presenter | alma_mater = St Dominic's Priory College Fran Kelly is an Australian radio presenter, current affairs journalist and political correspondent who hosted the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio National program Breakfast from March 2005 to early December 2021.

Early life and education

Fran Kelly grew up in Adelaide, South Australia,

She matriculated from St Dominic's Priory College in North Adelaide in 1974 and, after missing out on a cadetship at The Advertiser, a couple of years later went to the University of Adelaide, completing an arts degree and majoring in literature and classics while also being involved in the women's movement, theatre and music.

She then worked as an activities officer, booking bands and organising events, first at Flinders University and then La Trobe University in Melbourne from 1980. In Melbourne she was lead vocalist and played rhythm guitar for an all-female band called Toxic Shock, which released a single, "Intoxicated" in 1981.

Career in journalism

After realising that what she really wanted to do was journalism, in 1988 Kelly moved to Sydney to work on The Drum on Triple J.

Kelly was involved with the documentary series The Howard Years in 2008, for which she interviewed former US president George W. Bush. and hosted the show from August to December 2019.

On 21 October 2021 Kelly announced that she was leaving RN Breakfast, although she would continue to work of the ABC in roles such as covering federal elections, continuing as co-host of the podcast The Party Room, and other future projects. Her last show was on 2 December 2021.

In August 2022, Kelly was announced as the host of a new chat show on ABC TV called Frankly. Her appointment attracted criticism from a number of newspaper columnists who all opined that the job should have been given to someone much younger. This prompted a public debate about the apparent ageist attitudes and discrimination towards older women in the media. ABC chair Ita Buttrose and Kelly's successor at RN Breakfast Patricia Karvelas were also criticised after they both defended Kelly against what they perceived to be ageist attitudes.

Frankly debuted on ABC TV on 7 October 2022 with Shaun Micallef, Richard Harris and Kirsten Banks appearing as Kelly's first guests. The program received generally mixed to positive reviews.

In early 2024, Kelly started presenting a podcast called Yours Queerly. In February 2024, Noongar journalist and TV presenter Narelda Jacobs appeared with Pasifika New Zealander drag artist Kween Kong on the show.

In 2024 it was reported that Kelly would host a new program on ABC's Radio National entitled The Radio National Hour. She hosted the program through to 19 August, but Michael Rowland took over as host on the 20th, posting on his Facebook page that he was "back behind the Radio National Hour mic for a little while Fran Kelly takes an extended break". On 7 November 2025 Rowland announced on Facebook that he was "finishing up my stint filling in for Fran Kelly on the Radio National Hour".

Recognition

In 2008 Kelly received a Same Same 25 award, recognising her as one of the country's most influential gay and lesbian Australians. She was named by the(sydney)magazine as one of Sydney's 100 most influential people of 2011,

Other activities

On Saturday 28 November 2009, Kelly was MC for a fundraising event for Kathy Sport's film project Rock On With Your Frock On, about Australian women's music. Taking place at the Red Rattler Theatre in Marrickville, Sydney, The Stray Dags were the headline act at the event.

Political views and activism

Kelly has described herself as an activist. Kelly is a feminist, and stated in a 2012 interview that she's identified as such since her school years.

In 2007, Kelly launched the Australian Human Rights Commission's "Same-Sex: Same Entitlements" inquiry. She has been involved with One Just World's speaker forums, moderating a "Women of the World" forum for WOMADelaide and speaking on the "Stand Up Against Poverty" forum in 2009.

Personal life

In August 2021, it was reported that Kelly had been with her partner, Marion Frith, for almost 30 years. Kelly is step-parent to Frith's three children from a previous relationship.

Footnotes

References

References

  1. one of six siblings. Her mother's name was Margaret Tribe, and her father was Francis (Frank) Kelly, who was a [[chiropractor]] and World War Two veteran.Related Party
  2. Elliot, Tim. (13 March 2012). "Making radio waves". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
  3. ABC Radio National, [http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/fran-kelly/2913202 "Fran Kelly"].
  4. Moran, Robert. (31 July 2019). "Fran Kelly to host ABC's Insiders until David Speers joins the broadcaster".
  5. Johnson, Natasha. (20 October 2021). "RN Breakfast host Fran Kelly announces she's leaving the program after 17 years". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  6. Knox, David. (10 August 2022). "Fran Kelly to host ABC chat show, Frankly". TV Tonight.
  7. Mitchell, Thomas. (15 August 2022). "Fran Kelly is fine and familiar, but she's not the future of the ABC". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  8. Buckmaster, Luke. (8 October 2022). "Fran Kelly's Frankly shows the ABC is making only the safest of safe choices". The Guardian.
  9. Faruqi, Osman. (7 October 2022). "Ita Buttrose has revealed she doesn't understand the ABC's biggest problem". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  10. Foster, Ally. (22 August 2022). "Reason ABC star Fran Kelly is at the centre of a furious debate". news.com.au.
  11. Kenny, Chris. (22 August 2022). "'Ageist': Fran Kelly criticised for being 'too old' to host talk show". Sky News Australia.
  12. Madigan, Mary. (10 October 2022). "Ita Buttrose calls out the ageist criticism being swung Fran Kelly's way". B & T.
  13. Knox, David. (8 October 2022). "Frankly leaves them wanting more". TV Tonight.
  14. Quinn, Karl. (8 October 2022). "Was Fran Kelly's new ABC chat show really worth staying in for?". The Age.
  15. (25 February 2024). "More from Yours Queerly".
  16. Schafter. (27 February 2024). "Why journalist Narelda Jacobs and drag star Kween Kong have been admiring each other from afar".
  17. (21 November 2024). "Fran Kelly returns to daily broadcasting, Linton Besser to replace Paul Barry as Media Watch host in 2025". ABC News.
  18. (21 March 2025). "The Radio National Hour with Michael Rowland".
  19. (20 August 2025). "The Radio National Hour with Michael Rowland".
  20. (13 November 2025). "The Radio National Hour with Michael Rowland".
  21. (20 August 2025). "Michael Rowland Broadcaster".
  22. Michael Rowland. (7 November 2020). "Finishing up my stint filling in for Fran Kelly on the Radio National Hour...".
  23. Andrew Georgiou, "[http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/gay-lesbian/features/3783/same-same-25-honoured. "Same Same 25 Honoured"] {{Webarchive. link. (5 January 2013 , ''Time Out Sydney''. 18 December 2008.)
  24. (27 March 2014). "Tribute to the (sydney) and (melbourne) magazines – now expired !".
  25. "Happy Punter". (December 2009). "News: Raising funds for the film".
  26. "One Just World – Fran Kelly".
  27. Souter, Fenella. (20 August 2021). "'A shout-out to all the step-parents out there': Fran and Marion on 30 years of love".

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australian-radio-journalistsabc-radio-(australia)-journalists-and-presentersliving-peopleaustralian-women-radio-journalistsaustralian-television-talk-show-hostsaustralian-women-television-journalistsyear-of-birth-missing-(living-people)australian-political-journalistsaustralian-lgbtq-broadcastersaustralian-lgbtq-journalists