Michael Usher (born 1970) is an Australian reporter for 60 Minutes.
He has previously presented Nightline and was the news presenter on Sunday alongside Ellen Fanning and Stephanie Brantz.
Usher graduated from All Saints' College in Perth in 1987. He went on to study media in 1989 at West Australian Academy of Performing Arts and graduated with an Associate Diploma in Media Studies.
Michael's television career began in 1990 at the Golden West Television Network, Bunbury, as a final year cadet journalist. He was then posted to Kalgoorlie before beginning the following year at STW-9, Perth. In 1993, Usher moved to Sydney and to TCN-9 news. Three years later he was appointed the role of Nine Network Olympics reporter, leading the Network's coverage of the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. He also went to Lausanne to cover the corruption scandal that engulfed the International Olympic Committee.
Usher was the Nine Network's correspondent in New York when the Twin Towers were attacked in September 2001, and less than two years later was in Iraq, travelling north from Kuwait to reach Baghdad the day after the Coalition seized the city.
In 2001, Michael moved to the Nine Network's US bureau, where he worked for three years as National Nine News US correspondent, based in Los Angeles. Usher returned to Australia to fill in as host of Today, then at the beginning of 2004, together with wife Anna Lee and young son, he moved to the UK, to cover the London bureau.[1]
In 2006, Usher returned to Australia and began presenting Nightline, replacing Ellen Fanning.[2]
In 2007 Usher became news presenter for the Sunday program. Following the axing of Nightline in July 2008 and Sunday in August 2008, Usher was appointed presenter of the short-lived Nine News Sunday AM. For the rest of 2008, Usher filled-in on various Nine News bulletins as well as reporting for 60 Minutes, filling in for Tara Brown who was on maternity leave at the time.
Between November 2008 and January 2009, Michael presented the weekend bulletin of Nine News Sydney. This was after the resignation of Mike Munro and before the appointment of former weeknight presenter Mark Ferguson as the permanent weekend presenter. Also from 2009, Usher finished his role as presenter of the Sunday Morning News, as the bulletin was replaced with Weekend Today.
In March 2009, Usher was appointed as a permanent reporter for Nine's 60 Minutes program. He hosted the first leaders debate between Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott prior to the 2010 Australian Federal Election.[3]
In December 2010, Michael presented A Current Affair whilst usual fill in presenter Leila McKinnon had a holiday. Usher also co-hosted the 2010 New Year's Eve Fireworks with Alicia Gorey.
In December 2011, Usher filled in for Karl Stefanovic on Today whilst Stefanovic was on holidays.
| Preceded by program started |
Nine News: Sunday AM Presenter August 2008 - January 2009 |
Succeeded by program ceased |
| Preceded by Ellen Fanning (as Sunday host) |
Sunday News Presenter September 2007 - August 2008 |
Succeeded by program ceased |
| Preceded by Ellen Fanning |
Nightline Presenter 2006 - July 2008 |
Succeeded by Wendy Kingston as Nine's Late News |