Kim Watkins | |
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Born | Kim Watkins 22 September 1967 Australia |
Residence | Sydney, Australia |
Occupation | Television presenter |
Years active | 1979 – present |
Employer | Network Ten |
Known for | National Nine Morning News 1992 Olympic Games Australia's Most Wanted 1998 Commonwealth Games 9am with David and Kim (2007–2009) Saving Babies (2007) Sydney New Year's Eve (2007–08); (2008–09) |
Children | Cameron, Ripley (twin daughters) Ziggy (daughter) |
Kim Watkins (born 22 September 1967) was the co-host of Network Ten's morning show 9am with David and Kim which aired until 11 December 2009 and was replaced by The Circle. 9am itself replaced in January 2006 the long running Good Morning Australia hosted by Bert Newton.[1]
Watkins began her career at aged 12 as the co-host of the Nine Network's children's show You Asked For It.[2] In 1989 Watkins began a six year stint at the Seven Network in Brisbane working as a news reporter and a morning show host. While at Seven, she also worked on the 1992 Olympic Games.
In 1995 she joined the Nine Network, working as a reporter on many shows including Good Medicine, Australia's Most Wanted, Money, and giving updates for the Wide World Of Sports telecast of the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.[3] Watkins also worked for Nine's Morning News as a newsreader.
In April 2005, Watkins took the Nine Network to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, following a maternity leave dispute in which Watkins was reported to be "unhappy with the work she was assigned when she returned from maternity leave after giving birth to her third child."[4] Watkins and the Nine Network reached an agreement and she left the Nine Network, signing as a presenter with the Seven Network's Beyond Tomorrow.[5] She then switched networks to co-host Network Ten's new morning show 9am with David and Kim. Some of the stories she recorded for Beyond Tomorrow were screened after she had started working on 9am with David and Kim.[6] In 2007, she hosted Saving Babies.
From 2007–09, Watkins co-hosted the Sydney New Year's Eve telecast with Andrew G.
Watkins was a regular guest on Network Ten's panel show The 7PM Project, and was the permanent fill-in for newsreader Carrie Bickmore.
Kim is also an avid amateur motor racing driver and has driven in a number of celebrity events including the celebrity race before the 2006 Australian Grand Prix. Starting from second on the grid, behind three times Australian Superbike champion Shawn Giles, Watkins finished in third place behind winner, Giles, and AFL footballer, Alastair Lynch. Watkins said, "I am absolutely ecstatic with third...This is one for all the Mummies out there" .[7]...
Watkins has three children including identical mono-amniotic mono-chorionic twin girls.[8]
Preceded by Good Morning Australia with Bert Newton |
9am with David & Kim Co-host with David Reyne January 2006–11 December 2009 |
Succeeded by The Circle |
Preceded by Gretel Killeen and Daniel MacPherson |
Sydney New Year's Eve Co-host with Andrew Günsberg 2007–08 – 2008–09 |
Succeeded by Leila McKinnon and Cameron Williams |
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