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Sonia Kruger

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Sonia Kruger
Kruger (right) with Daniel MacPherson at the 2011 Logie Awards in Melbourne
Born
Sonia Melissa Kruger

(1965-08-28) 28 August 1965 (age 59)
Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
NationalityAustralian
EducationUniversity of Technology
Occupations
  • Television presenter
  • actress
  • media personality
Years active1988–present
EmployerSeven Network
Known forThe Voice Australia
Notable work
PartnerCraig McPherson
Children1

Sonia Melissa Kruger (born 28 August 1965[citation needed]) is an Australian Gold Logie award-winning television presenter, actress and media personality, who has been a prominent figure in the media for over 20 years. Kruger is currently the host of Big Brother Australia and a presenter on The Voice Australia. She is best known for co-hosting the popular Australian version of Dancing with the Stars and for the role of Tina Sparkle in the 1992 film Strictly Ballroom, Kruger has also been a co-host of breakfast program Today Extra.

During her time at the Seven Network, Kruger has reported for numerous other events, including the network's coverage of the Olympics, the Melbourne Cup and the Australian Open. In 2023, she was awarded the Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television.[1]

She has attracted criticism for her comments on immigrants and Muslims.[2][3][4][5]

Early life

[edit]

Born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Kruger attended Beenleigh State High School, completing Year 12 in 1982.[citation needed] She has also completed an Arts Degree at the University of Technology, Sydney and taught dance at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney.[6]

Career

[edit]

In 1992, Kruger came to prominence in her acting debut as Tina Sparkle in the AFI Award-winning film Strictly Ballroom. She was also a ballroom adviser for the film.[citation needed] This remains her only acting role to date.

Following her film debut she hosted the children's variety show Wonder World! on the Nine Network.[citation needed]

Kruger has been an entertainment reporter for Seven Network shows Today Tonight, Sunrise and 11AM.[7] She previously hosted the morning program on the Sydney-based radio station Mix 106.5 with Dancing with the Stars judges Todd McKenney and Andy Grace.[8]

In 2004, Kruger joined the Seven Network reality dance competition series Dancing with the Stars, the Australian version of the UK BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing. She co-hosted the series with both Daryl Somers[9] and Daniel MacPherson[10] over the course of the eleven seasons in which she appeared. In September 2008, Kruger was confirmed to host the Seven Network makeover reality show 10 Years Younger in 10 Days.[11] Despite high ratings for its series premiere,[12] Seven Network did not renew the series for a second season.

In November 2011, Kruger announced she was leaving both Dancing with the Stars and the Seven Network to pursue other opportunities.[13]

Kruger then signed a development deal with the Nine Network in November 2011.[14] She was confirmed to host her own daytime talk show, Mornings, with singer and actor David Campbell.[15] The series was designed to replace Kerri-Anne, which ended that same month.[16] The series premiered on 6 February 2012[17] and continued into 2016 rebranded as Today Extra.

Kruger was announced to host the Nine Network's reboot of the competition reality series Big Brother Australia.[18] Kruger replaced Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O, who hosted the series on Network Ten in its eighth season, after which the show was cancelled in 2008.[19] Big Brother 9 premiered on 13 August 2012 to 1.6 million viewers, the franchise's highest ratings since the series' third season.[20]

On 22 February 2015, it was announced that Kruger would be joining the fourth series of The Voice Australia as a co-host with Darren McMullen.[21]

In November 2017, Kruger was announced as a co-host of Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight alongside David Campbell. She replaced Lisa Wilkinson who had resigned from the Nine Network. Kruger was replaced by Allison Langdon after defecting to the Seven Network.[citation needed]

In August 2018, Kruger was announced as a presenter on the Nine Network new travel series, Helloworld, which aired on 7 October 2018.[22] But she, Lauren Phillips, Denis Walter and Steven Jacobs were replaced by Giaan Rooney as a presenter, on the Seven Network.[citation needed]

In November 2019, Kruger announced her resignation from the Nine Network. She hosted Today Extra for the last time on Friday, 15 November.[23] Seven Network CEO James Warburton confirmed her joining the network and announced that her roles would include hosting their upcoming reality show Mega Mini Golf.[24]

In February 2020, the Seven Network announced that Kruger would host a revival of Big Brother, but due to filming commitments would no longer be hosting the upcoming series Holey Moley.[25][26] However, in October 2020, Kruger was confirmed as the host of the show.[27][28]

In 2021, Kruger again hosted The Voice after Seven picked up the rights to the franchise following the Nine Network's failure to renew its contract with the show.[29] Kruger is the current co-host of Channel Seven's Dancing with the Stars, starring alongside her original co-host Daryl Somers.[citation needed]

Kruger was nominated for the Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter at the Logie Awards in 2022, 2023, and 2024. She was first nominated for the Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 2022, and won the award in 2023, before a further nomination in 2024. [30] Kruger won the "Most Overexposed Performer" award at the TV Tonight Awards for four consecutive years from 2021 to 2024.[31][32][33][34]

Personal life

[edit]

Kruger was married for six years (2002 to 2008) to James Davies, a British-born banker.[35]

After the marriage ended in September 2008, she began seeing her current partner, Craig McPherson, executive producer of Today Tonight.[36] She and McPherson had been trying for a child for years, through both IVF and natural methods.[37] She became pregnant several times, but they ended in miscarriages.[38] In August 2014, she announced she was pregnant, having conceived via in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) using a donor egg.[37] In 2015, Kruger gave birth to a daughter.[39]

Controversies

[edit]

In 2008, during an episode of Dancing with the Stars, Kruger made a comment about a "sweat shop of illegal immigrants" working on her wardrobe for the Melbourne Cup carnival before referring to Chong Lim, the show's Malaysian-born musical director, with the words "How's the family, Chong? All right?" Channel Seven later issued an apology for her statement.[40][41]

On 18 July 2016, during an appearance on the morning show Today, Kruger called for a complete ban on Muslims entering Australia, in agreement with an opinion piece by commentator Andrew Bolt. Kruger defended her comments, saying: "I believe it's vital in a democratic society to be able to discuss these issues without being labelled racist."[41][42] The firebombing of a Perth radio station initially linked by media reports to the presenters disagreeing with Kruger's views was later determined by police to be coincidental and to have "nothing to do with the Islam discussion".[43]

A racial vilification complaint against Kruger was made to the Civil and Administrative Tribunal over her statement about Muslim immigration. The Nine Network applied to have the complaint dismissed without a hearing, but this was refused. The complaint was made by Sam Ekermawi, who was described by The Daily Telegraph as a "serial offence-taker". The tribunal heard that Ekermawi had been involved in thirty-two hearings before courts and tribunals. The matter proceeded for directions in June 2018.[44] The Tribunal found that she had vilified Muslims in her comments, but that this was not racial vilification because Muslims are not a race.[45]

Accolades

[edit]
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2021 TV Tonight Awards: Worst of 2020 Most Overexposed Personality Sonia Kruger Won [46]
2022 TV Tonight Awards: Worst of 2021 Most Overexposed Performer Won [47]
2023 TV Tonight Awards: Worst of 2022 Most Overexposed Performer Won [48]
2024 TV Tonight Awards: Worst of 2023 Most Overexposed Won [49]
2022 Logie Awards Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television Sonia Kruger for Big Brother, Holey Moley, Dancing with The Stars: All Stars, The Voice and The Voice: Generations Nominated [50]
2022 Logie Awards Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter Nominated [51]
2023 Logie Awards Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television Sonia Kruger for Big Brother, Dancing with The Stars, and The Voice Won [52]
2023 Logie Awards Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter Nominated [53]
2024 Logie Awards Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television Nominated [54]
2024 Logie Awards Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter Nominated [55]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Silva, Angelica (31 July 2023). "Sonia Kruger wins gold and tributes flow for Jock Zonfrillo: The biggest 2023 Logie Awards moments". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  2. ^ Faruqi, Osman (31 July 2023). "Sonia Kruger's Logie win wasn't a shock, but it was still depressing to watch". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  3. ^ Mascarenhas, Carla (31 July 2023). "Sonia Kruger's Logie win sparks backlash after divisive 2016 comments". news.com.au. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  4. ^ Rida, Adam (1 August 2023). "'I will never forget what Sonia Kruger said about Muslims'". Mamamia. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Senate: Hansard (Wednesday, 9 August 2023)" (PDF). Australian Government. 9 August 2023. p. 36. Retrieved 10 August 2023. Senator Faruqi: ...Take Sonia Kruger, who has gone on to win a TV popularity contest. How disheartening that is. This is the same person who vilified people like me on national TV, when she went on a rant calling for an end to Muslim immigration. Given many chances, Sonia Kruger has never even come close to an apology for her hateful anti-Muslim remarks. Now she has won a Gold Logie. And it's not only that: Sonia Kruger continues to be platformed by major media outlets across Australia. How disappointing.
  6. ^ O'dwyer, Erin (24 August 2014). "Sonia Kruger on learning lessons the hard way". The Newcastle Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Sonia Kruger". IMDb. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  8. ^ "Kyle's career lives on (including additional news)". Smh.com.au. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  9. ^ "Daryl Somers quits Dancing". Smh.com.au. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  10. ^ "DANIEL MACPHERSON TO HOST DANCING WITH THE STARS" (PDF). Sevenwestmedia.com.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  11. ^ "Twosomes needed for nip/tuck". www.dailytelegraph.com.au. 21 September 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  12. ^ "Week 17". Tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  13. ^ "Sonia Kruger leaving Dancing with the Stars to host Big Brother". NewsComAu. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  14. ^ "Sonia Kruger to host Big Brother". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  15. ^ [1] Archived 17 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "Kerri-Anne Kennerley farewells viewers". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 November 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  17. ^ "MORNINGS with Sonia and David". today. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  18. ^ "Sonia Kruger to host Big Brother?". Tvtonight.com.au. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  19. ^ "Ten Network drops Australian Big Brother after Pamela Anderson fails to save show - Television & radio - theguardian.com". the Guardian. 14 July 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  20. ^ "Big Brother and Underbelly prove a hit with viewers". NewsComAu. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  21. ^ Knox, David (22 February 2015). "Sonia Kruger to co-host The Voice". TV Tonight. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  22. ^ "IT'S SHOWTIME! Helloworld The TV Show: Coming soon to Channel Nine". karryon.com.au. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  23. ^ Lallo, Michael (14 November 2019). "Sonia Kruger resigns on-air from Nine Network". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  24. ^ Knox, David (24 November 2019). "SEVEN confirms TV Blackbox exclusive re Sonia Kruger's new roles". TV Black Box. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  25. ^ Fowler, Bella (5 February 2020). "Sonia Kruger will host Big Brother on Channel 7 in 2020". News.com.au. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  26. ^ "Big Brother 2020 host revealed". 7NEWS.com.au. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  27. ^ Perry, Kevin (9 September 2020). "HOLEY MOLEY MOVES TO SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND WITH PRODUCTION COMMENCING THIS OCTOBER". TV Black Box. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  28. ^ Perry, Kevin (1 October 2020). "SONIA KRUGER AND MATT SHIRVINGTON JOIN CAST OF HOLEY MOLEY ON SEVEN". TV Black Box. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  29. ^ "The Voice Australia to return in 2021 on Channel 7". Seven News. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  30. ^ Mitchell, Thomas (24 June 2024). "Who will win the Gold Logie and why will it be a three-horse race". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  31. ^ "TV Tonight Awards: Worst of 2020 | TV Tonight". 12 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  32. ^ "TV Tonight Awards: Worst of 2021 | TV Tonight". 11 January 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  33. ^ "TV Tonight Awards: Worst of 2022 | TV Tonight". 10 January 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  34. ^ "TV Tonight Awards: Worst of 2023 | TV Tonight". 10 January 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  35. ^ "Sonia Kruger: the Truth Behind My Marriage Split". New Idea. 24 February 2009. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  36. ^ "Mornings host Sonia Kruger loved up with Today Tonight Producer Craig McPherson". news.com.au. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  37. ^ a b "'I couldn't let myself feel happy'". www.couriermail.com.au. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  38. ^ "Sonia Kruger: I'm struggling with IVF at 47". The Australian Women's Weekly. 26 September 2012. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  39. ^ "Sonia Kruger gives birth to baby daughter". The Daily Telegraph. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  40. ^ McWhirter, Erin (8 November 2008). "Sonia puts her foot in her mouth again". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010.
  41. ^ a b Gavin Fernando (2016) "Television personality Sonia Kruger calls for Australia to ban Muslims" News.com.au, 18 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  42. ^ Rizvi, Jamila (18 July 2016). "Five facts to fight Sonia Kruger's fear of Muslims". News.com.au. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  43. ^ Foster, Brendan (29 July 2016). "Man charged over fires at WAtoday and Radio 6PR". Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  44. ^ Daily Telegraph, 2018-5-30, p.7
  45. ^ "Sonia Kruger vilified Muslim people in Australia but her comments were not 'racist'". ABC News. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  46. ^ "TV Tonight Awards: Worst of 2020 | TV Tonight". 12 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  47. ^ "TV Tonight Awards: Worst of 2021 | TV Tonight". 11 January 2022.
  48. ^ "TV Tonight Awards: Worst of 2022 | TV Tonight". 10 January 2023.
  49. ^ "TV Tonight Awards: Worst of 2023 | TV Tonight". 10 January 2024.
  50. ^ "Here are the winners of the Logie Awards 2022". ABC News. 19 June 2022.
  51. ^ "Here are the winners of the Logie Awards 2022". ABC News. 19 June 2022.
  52. ^ "Sonia Kruger wins the Gold Logie, Tony Armstrong and Amy Shark also win big". ABC News. 28 July 2023.
  53. ^ "Sonia Kruger wins the Gold Logie, Tony Armstrong and Amy Shark also win big". ABC News. 28 July 2023.
  54. ^ "Logie Awards 2024: Nominations | TV Tonight". 23 June 2024.
  55. ^ "Logie Awards 2024: Nominations | TV Tonight". 23 June 2024.
[edit]
Media offices
Preceded by
Originator
 Today Extra
Co-host with David Campbell
February 2012 – November 2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by The Voice Australia
Host
2015–2019
2021–present 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Big Brother Australia
Host
2020–present
2012–2014 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Originator
 Dancing with the Stars
Co-host
2004–2011 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Carols by Candlelight
Co-host
2017–2018 		Succeeded by
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