Mel McLaughlin

Mel McLaughlin
Mel McLaughlin (left) and Lara Pitt (2011)
Born
Melanie Louise McLaughlin

(1979-09-03) September 3, 1979 (age 44)
NationalityAustralian
OccupationSport presenter
Years active2003−present
Employer(s)Seven Network
Optus Sport
Known forSeven News
Big Bash League
SpouseLuke Panic (2012–2014)
PartnerAshley Westwood

Melanie Louise McLaughlin (born 3 September 1979)[2] is an Australian sport presenter for the Seven Network. McLaughlin previously worked for Fox Sports where she hosted association football shows including Kick Off, Indian Super League and Fox Sports FC, while also being a regular on Fox Sports News.[3][4]

Career[edit]

McLaughlin started her media career with Radio 2 in 2005 before moving to Sky News in Sydney, as a reporter and presenter.[5]

In 2007, she joined Fox Sports where she hosted multiple soccer shows including Kick Off, Indian Super League and Fox Sports FC. She was a regular on Fox Sports News.[3][4]

In 2013, she joined Network Ten to host the network's coverage of the Big Bash League. She also hosted Ten's coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics, 2014 Commonwealth Games and Australian F1 Grand Prix. McLaughlin was also host of the short-lived The Thursday Night Sport Show alongside Sam Mac and Mark Howard, and a fill-in sports presenter on Ten Eyewitness News Sydney.[6][7][1]

In January 2016, cricketer Chris Gayle propositioned McLaughlin during a live interview during a Big Bash game. He was sanctioned with a A$10,000 fine for inappropriate conduct.[8][9][10][11]

In April 2016, McLaughlin moved to the Seven Network. She was appointed weeknight sport presenter on Seven News Sydney replacing Jim Wilson. She hosted Seven's coverage of the 2016 Summer Olympics, 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2018 Commonwealth Games, as well as the network's coverage of the Australian Swimming Championships and 2017 Rugby League World Cup.[12] She has also filled in as sports presenter on Sunrise and on Seven Morning News.[13]

In 2018, she was appointed host of Seven’s Test Cricket and Big Bash League Coverage alongside James Brayshaw.

Personal life[edit]

McLaughlin was born in September 1979 in Sydney to an Anglo-Indian mother and an English father who had migrated to Australia in 1978.[5]

She was raised in Quakers Hill, New South Wales where she attended St Andrew's Primary School and St John Paul II Catholic College.[14]

McLaughlin was married to Australian actor Luke Panic from 2012 to 2014.[15] She is currently in a relationship with British former footballer Ashley Westwood. McLaughlin is an ambassador for the Lung Foundation Australia, having lost a sister to lung cancer.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Schipp, Debbie (20 July 2014). "The new woman in Thorpie's life: Mel McLaughlin by Ian's side for public re-entry into world of sport". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  2. ^ "Mel McLaughlin". The Sunday Times. 27 October 2019. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b Fox Sports kicks off A-League Fox Sports Australia
  4. ^ a b Fox Sports football commentator Mel McLaughlin previews round 16 of the 2012-2013 A-League season Archived 23 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine Herald Sun
  5. ^ a b c Dunk, Tiffany. ""Every day is hard": Sports presenter Mel McLaughlin speaks about the pain of losing her sister". Now To Love. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  6. ^ Channel Ten's gain is A-League pain as Mel McLaughlin makes switch Archived 9 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine The Roar
  7. ^ Mel McLaughlin enjoys challenge of covering Glasgow for Ten Archived 6 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine Northern Star
  8. ^ Bungard, Matt; Morton, Adam (5 January 2016). "Chris Gayle comments cause uncomfortable Big Bash interview with Mel McLaughlin". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  9. ^ Donoughue, Paul (5 January 2016). "Chris Gayle: Melbourne Renegades cricketer sparks controversy with 'disrespectful' comments to reporter Mel McLaughlin". ABC News. Australia. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  10. ^ "Gayle sanctioned for TV comments" (Press release). Cricket Australia. 5 January 2016. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  11. ^ "Chris Gayle furore: Mel McLaughlin shocked by inappropriate comments during Big Bash broadcast". ABC News. Australia. 5 January 2016. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  12. ^ Knox, David (26 February 2016). "Mel McLaughlin joining Seven". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  13. ^ "SUNRISE STAND-IN MEL MCLAUGHLIN GOES HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH NATALIE BARR OVER KIDS SPORT". The Daily Telegraph. 12 September 2017. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  14. ^ "Mel's journey from Quakers Hill to Rio". dailytelegraph.com.au. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  15. ^ March 1, Phil Rothfield; Telegraph, 2014-11:00PMThe Sunday (1 March 2014). "Buzz: Foul-mouthed Hill in sin bin". heraldsun. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links[edit]