7NEWS Gold Coast: Steve Titmus scores dream gig
Scoring a dream role after his daughter’s double gold medal win at the Olympics is the “icing on the cake” for Steve Titmus. HIS REACTION >>>
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- Rod Young: Legendary 7 NEWS newsreader to retire after 45-year career
- Channel 7’s Amanda Abate opens up about adjusting to life as a new mum
Scoring a dream role after his daughter’s double gold medal win at the Olympics is the “icing on the cake” for Steve Titmus.
The media personality will be announced as the new co-anchor for the 7NEWS Gold Coast bulletin at 5.30pm, joining Amanda Abate.
Mr Titmus said his Olympic champion daughter Ariarne was excited and very supportive of his new gig.
“Ariarne knows I have always wanted to get back behind the desk – she thinks that is where I belong,” the veteran journalist said.
“When I told her about it she was thrilled.
“It has been the icing on the cake after the Olympics.”
With more than 30 years of journalism experience, Mr Titmus said he was up for the challenge after spending the past five years as a relief co-presenter on regional news bulletins.
He has been with the network for 21 years, including roles in Adelaide, Tasmania and Brisbane.
Mr Titmus describes himself as a natural story teller with a passion for human interest stories and all things Gold Coast.
The Glitter Strip’s stunning beaches are his go-to spot for family holidays and his other daughter Mia is studying nursing at Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus.
“This particular role is about engaging with an audience and that’s what I really enjoy,” Mr Titmus said.
“I enjoy communicating stories to people that make a difference in their lives
“Whether that be crime or major developments – those are the things I’m really interested in as a journalist.
“The Gold Coast is an enormous cocktail of different lives all blended together and that makes for an exciting and interesting community.”
‘Dream come true’: TV’s golden girl announced as leading lady - July 23
She was once touted as Channel 7’s rising star but from this week on Mrs Abate will instead be known as 7News Gold Coast’s lead newsreader, taking over the reins from veteran presenter Rod Young in the wake of his retirement.
The pair, who co-presented weeknight bulletins since 2018, shared the newsdesk for an emotional final time on Thursday ahead of Mr Young’s departure. Mrs Abate will read solo from tonight after 12 years with the coast bureau.
Though bittersweet, her new role as leading lady is one she’s long dreamt of: “I wanted to be a TV reporter from a very young age; I still remember pretending to read the news as a little girl,” she said, before revealing her initial plans to study teaching at Griffith Uni.
Her passion for journalism was soon realised, however, and a journey to success quickly followed – first working at SeaFM and later making her TV debut at Southern Cross Ten in Canberra.
“Jobs in television were scarce and highly sought after (back then), so I never thought it would become such a big part of my life,” she laughed.
Mrs Abate only welcomed her first child with husband, digital media expert, Brent Beauchamp in early January – but says that she’s more than ready to step into a bigger role.
“I’ve always been career focused so it was quite a shock to the system when you suddenly take that step back as a new mum. It’s almost like I’m returning a little bit to my old self in a sense because (reporting) is such a huge part of my life,” she said.
“I haven’t even really had a chance to stop and think about it other than realising that life’s probably going to get a lot busier – you cannot say no to these opportunities.”
But any whispers on plans to fill Mr Young’s shoes were quickly shutdown: “Behind the scenes, what a lot of people don’t get to see is his funny, cheeky personality so I think it’ll feel a little lonely initially stepping into the studio without him.”
“He could never be replaced, but hopefully I can bring as much professionalism and as much warmth and connection to the desk as him,” she said.
It was that very warmth and authenticity which earned her one of the “most important” and nerve-racking interviews of her career – an exclusive sit-down with Ellidy Pullin, the pregnant widow of Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin and his grieving parents.
She spoke with the trio earlier this month on the race to harvest Mr Pullin’s sperm in the hours following his tragic death last July: “To hear (about her pregnancy), I got goosebumps and I just thought that I would love to sit down and chat to her,” Mrs Abate said.
“Those nerves also stemmed from the fact that I really wanted to do her story justice, it was such an important message that she was sharing.
“I really didn’t expect that they would agree, it almost felt like it was worthy of a much larger platform. It was a worldwide story” – her humility shining through once again.
Though she is open about her struggles with self doubt at times, her departing co-star has “great faith” that Abate was the perfect choice to lead the newsroom.
“Amanda will continue to fly the flag for 7Gold Coast News and will enjoy great success in an exciting future,” Mr Young said.
Originally published as 7NEWS Gold Coast: Steve Titmus scores dream gig
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