Virginia Trioli

Virginia Trioli (born 1964) is an Australian journalist, author, radio, and television presenter. She became nationally known when co-hosting News Breakfast on ABC Television for many years, and has published two books. After working for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on both radio and television for 27 years, she left the broadcaster on 26 June 2026.

Trioli has won two Walkley Awards for journalism, as well as a Quill Award.

Early life and education Virginia Trioli was born in 1964 (Some sources say 1965.) Her father migrated to Australia during the 1930s. One of nine children, she grew up the Melbourne suburbs of Nunawading and Donvale. Her paternal grandparents ran a fruit and vegetable shop in Bendigo. In May 1983, Trioli appeared on stage at the university's Guild Theatre in Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky's satirical play, Mystery-Bouffe, presented by the university's Russian Theatre Group. Trioli graduated from La Trobe University with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), after transferring in her honours year, with a fine arts major in cinema.

Career Early career Trioli began her career in journalism as a cadet at The Age in 1990. In her first two years there, she wrote many theatre reviews.

In 1995 she won her first Walkley Award, for Best Business Report, for "The Bet Bardas Lost".

She then worked for The Bulletin magazine for some time. From 2001, became a radio presenter at 774 ABC Melbourne on weekday afternoons, hosting the Drive program.

In 2005, Trioli moved to Sydney to host the morning show on the radio station 702 ABC Sydney, replacing Sally Loane. She was a radio host for a total of eight years. In February 2007, Trioli was announced as the Friday presenter of ABC's Lateline news and current affairs program, replacing Maxine McKew. She resigned from her radio role on 9 November 2007 to concentrate on developing her TV career.

In 2008, Trioli moved back to Melbourne to commence co-hosting News Breakfast on ABC TV and ABC News 24 In January 2009, the ABC announced that Joe O'Brien would host on Monday to Friday, replacing Cassidy. In May 2010, O'Brien left News Breakfast, and was replaced by Michael Rowland. During Trioli's time with the show, it rose to be ranked number two in morning TV programs. On her first Mornings program with ABC Radio Melbourne, Trioli incorrectly declared herself to be the first female presenter of the program when in fact it had been Elizabeth Bond who had hosted the show in the late 1970s. Trioli apologised for the error. Ramona Koval had also hosted Mornings from 1988 to 1992.

In August 2023, Trioli announced that she would resign from ABC Radio Melbourne on 15 September 2023 and move into a TV role with the broadcaster.

In March 2024, the ABC announced Trioli's new show, Creative Types with Virginia Trioli. In the series, which was renewed for two further seasons in 2025 and 2026, she interviews Australians in the creative industries, including film director George Miller, author Trent Dalton, actor Marta Dusseldorp, singer Kate Ceberano, musician Richard Tognetti, performer Tim Minchin, musician Jimmy Barnes, and many others.

Notable interviews During her time at the ABC, she interviewed several prime ministers, including John Howard, and Anthony Albanese, as well as former defence minister Peter Reith. The latter was a combative interview about the Children Overboard affair on the Drive radio program on 7 October 2001, which won her a Walkley Award for Radio Current Affairs Reporting that year.

Trioli is the author of the book Generation F: Sex, Power and the Young Feminist, published in 1996 as a riposte to Helen Garner's 1995 book about two sexual assaults, called The First Stone. Trioli's book was republished in 2019 with a new foreword, relating to ideas highlighted by the MeToo movement.

She published her second book, A Bit on the Side, in 2024, which centres around her experiences with food and cooking. Journalist Jane Rocca described it as "more memoir than cookbook", saying that it employs "food as a means of self-exploration". (a position she left sometime before 2022).

Trioli also acts as a public speaker or MC. On 31 December 2007 she was MC of the New Year's Eve Gala Concert performed by Opera Australia and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House. In November 2012 she hosted the World Public Relations Forum,

In December 2019, she delivered the Human Rights Oration at the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.

Personal life In 2003 Trioli married her former boss at The Age Russell Skelton, who had three children from a prior marriage.

she was living in North Melbourne. for Best Business Report, for "The Bet Bardas Lost" in The Age 1998: Melbourne Press Club – "Best Columnist" in the Quill Awards 2001: Walkley Award for Radio Current Affairs Reporting, for "Minister Overboard" 2019: Distinguished Alumni Award, La Trobe University 2020: Best Radio Current Affairs Report

Books

Footnotes