Queensland’s #1 news service has announced award-winning journalist Sarah Greenhalgh will join Max Futcher (pictured above) as co-anchor of 7NEWS Brisbane’s flagship 6.00pm weekday bulletin from Monday, 21 October.
Greenhalgh replaces Sharyn Ghidella who was sacked by Seven earlier this year. Ghidella has subsequently moved to 10 Brisbane as the nightly anchor.
Born and bred in the River City, Greenhalgh makes her return home after five years travelling the world as a foreign correspondent and investigative reporter for the Seven Network.
Most recently a reporter on Seven’s public affairs program 7NEWS Spotlight, Greenhalgh has received nominations at the Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism, the Kennedy Awards and the Queensland Clarion Awards, and was nominated for a TV Week Logie Award for her coverage of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes in 2023.
Greenhalgh’s career has so far taken her to more than 20 countries, and after a decade with Seven, she said she is excited to be heading back to the Mount Coot-tha Seven studios to embark on a new chapter.
“Max has been an incredibly supportive colleague and mate of mine for the past 11 years now, so to be sharing the news desk with him while also returning home to my original 7NEWS family is a huge thrill,” Greenhalgh said.
“Sharing people’s stories remains my greatest passion, so in addition to delivering the news to Queenslanders each night, I look forward to continuing investigations with the 7NEWS Spotlight team as well.”
Max Futcher said: “I’ve known Sarah for many years now and have so much respect for her and what she has achieved throughout her career. I can’t wait for our viewers to get to know Sarah too, as we share the news that matters to them each weeknight.”
Sharyn Ghidella – former 7NEWS Brisbane anchor, now at 10 Brisbane
Seven Network director of news and current affairs and Seven West Media editor-in-chief, Anthony De Ceglie, said: “Sarah is an extremely accomplished journalist who has had a remarkable career rise that all started as a reporter in regional Queensland.
“We’re incredibly excited for this next chapter in her career, where she won’t just be the co-anchor for our must-watch 6.00pm bulletin alongside Max but will also be a leader across the newsroom championing journalism and investigations.”
Greenhalgh began her media career flying high above the skies of Brisbane as a traffic helicopter reporter, followed by stints in regional newsrooms in Mackay and Cairns before returning to Brisbane in 2013, where she covered everything from natural disasters to crime.
In 2019, she became Seven’s London-based Europe correspondent during a pivotal period of world events which saw her recognised for her extraordinary reporting from the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic; during several postings to the war in Ukraine; the death and funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; and her compassionate coverage of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes in 2023.
Viewers will still see Greenhalgh on 7NEWS Spotlight.
Greenhalgh joins broadcaster Futcher who has more than 30 years’ experience in media and has also travelled around the world to report on global news events.
Futcher’s career has taken him to four Olympic Games and seen him report on everything from Nelson Mandela’s death and funeral to earthquakes in Italy and floods across Queensland.
He won a UN Media Peace Award in 2006 for his reporting on violent upheaval in East Timor and a Clarion Award for his coverage of the Bali 9 executions in 2015.
7News promotion for Katrina Blowers
As part of the reinvigoration of the Brisbane newsroom, local journalist and presenter Katrina Blowers has also been promoted to Queensland chief reporter. In this high-profile new state and national role, Blowers will take on the most important stories and investigations impacting audiences in Queensland and right across the nation.
De Ceglie said the role was recognition that Blowers sits among the most elite journalists in the country.
“Katrina is one of the fiercest and most respected news reporters in the country and in this new role she will take the lead on uncovering and delivering north-east Australia’s biggest stories to our national audiences,” he said.
Blowers will continue to share 4.00pm weekday presenting duties with Samantha Heathwood, who also remains anchor of the 6.00pm weekend bulletin for 7NEWS.
Futcher and Greenhalgh will present their first bulletin together on Monday, 21 October, alongside 7NEWS sports presenter Shane Webcke and meteorologist Tony Auden.
See also: Sharyn Ghidella returns to 10 as presenter of Queensland’s 10 News First