John Anthony Riddell (born 23 September 1956) is an Australian former television and radio presenter. He is best known for his thirty-year association with the

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...

's television station in Adelaide,

SAS-7 SAS, formerly SAS-7 and before that SAS-10, is a television station in Adelaide, South Australia. It is part of the Seven Network. History SAS-7 was originally known as SAS-10, an affiliate of what became Network Ten. It commenced broadcasting ...

where he anchored ''

Seven News ''7NEWS'' is the television news service of the Seven Network and, as of 2021, the highest-rating in Australia. National bulletins are presented from Seven's high-definition television, high definition studios in Martin Place, Sydney, while f ...

'' bulletins from 1990 to his retirement in late 2019.

Career

Riddell began his media career with a cadetship at

Messenger Newspapers Messenger Newspapers is the publisher of 9 free suburban weekly newspapers together covering the Adelaide metropolitan area. Established by Roger Baynes in Port Adelaide in 1951, ''Messenger'' has since acquired other independent suburban titles ...

in Adelaide. Riddell then moved into radio where he worked at 5DN and then as a foreign correspondent for the

Macquarie Radio Network Nine Radio (formerly Macquarie Media Limited) is an Australian media company, owned by parent company Nine Entertainment Co. and headquartered in North Sydney, New South Wales, the company operates radio stations nationally in the capital cit ...

. While in London covering the assassination of

Lord Louis Mountbatten Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979) was a British naval officer, colonial administrator and close relative of the British royal family. Mountbatten, who was of Germa ...

for Macquarie in 1979, Riddell caused a security scare and was ejected from

Australia House The High Commission of Australia in London is the diplomatic mission of Australia in the United Kingdom. It is located in Australia House, a Grade II listed building. It was Australia's first diplomatic mission and is the longest continuously ...

when he was mistaken for a bomber when he was seen with an unscrewed telephone receiver with its wires connected to a small black cassette recorder as he attempted to send a pre-recorded report back to Australia. He then moved into television, initially working at

TVW-7 TVW is a television station broadcasting in Perth, Western Australia, wholly owned by Seven West Media. It was the first television station in Western Australia, commencing broadcasting on 16 October 1959. It broadcasts a modulated 64-QAM signa ...

in Perth before returning to Adelaide where he started working at

NWS-9 NWS is an Australian television station based in Adelaide, Australia. It is owned-and-operated by the Nine Network. The station callsign, ''NWS'', is an initialism of The NeWs South Australia. History Origins NWS-9 was the first television ...

in 1981. After spending nine years at NWS-9, he moved to SAS-7 where he anchored the weekend Seven News bulletins. When

Graeme Goodings Graeme Goodings (born 21 June 1948) is an Australian television and radio presenter. Early career Goodings's break in media came in 1963 when, after working as a panel operator at Melbourne radio station 3AW, he went on air Christmas Morning t ...

moved to weekends as he recovered from cancer, Riddell moved to the weeknight bulletin in 2005 where he formed an enduring on-air partnership with

Jane Doyle Jane Doyle (born 9 February 1958) is a retired Australian television presenter who was best known for presenting ''Seven News'' in Adelaide between 1989 and 2022, having joined the Seven Network from ABC TV. Early career Doyle began as a sch ...

. While at Seven, Riddell also occasionally hosted the Adelaide edition of ''

Today Tonight ''Today Tonight'' is an Australian current affairs television program produced by the Seven Network. It aired from January 1995 to November 2019 in Adelaide and Perth. Editions in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne were previously produced befo ...

''. He also hosted the documentary series ''

The World Around Us ''The World Around Us'' was an Australian documentary television series that aired on the Seven Network between 1979 until 2006. It regularly showed documentaries which featured the likes of Malcolm Douglas and Sir David Attenborough. Pres ...

'' and the local AFL program '' The Crows Show'', despite being an ambassador for

Port Adelaide Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the ...

. He also anchored Seven's coverage of South Australian state elections. However in a 2019 interview, he admitted that he would have said no to hosting election coverage if he'd been able to. Riddell also continued to work in radio. From late 2007 to early 2012, he was a co-host on the

Mix 102.3 Mix 102.3 (call sign: 5ADD) is a commercial FM radio station in Adelaide, Australia, owned by ARN. Mix 102.3 plays current hits and a variety of 1980s and 1990s music (Hot Adult Contemporary), primarily targeted at the 25-54 age group. Adela ...

breakfast show, alongside Jason "Snowy" Carter and Jodie Oddy. With Carter, Riddell inaugurated an annual charity fundraiser called the West End Mighty River Run to raise money for Novita Children's Services in 2006. Riddell briefly returned in radio in June 2012 filling in for Dale Lewis on

Triple M Adelaide 5MMM (identified on air and in print as Triple M) is a radio station broadcasting in Adelaide, Australia. Its target demographic is the 30-54 age group. Triple M Adelaide is part of Southern Cross Austereo's Triple M Network and broadcasts on ...

's ''Hot Breakfast''. After his 63rd birthday in September 2019, Riddell announced his retirement. His co-anchored his final ''Seven News'' bulletin on 6 December 2019. After his retirement, Jane Doyle continued as the sole anchor of the bulletin until her own retirement in late 2022. Following the South Australian bushfires of late 2019 and early 2020 which affected the Adelaide Hills and

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta Pintingga (literally 'Island of the Dead' in the language of the Kaurna people), is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest ...

, Riddell returned to Seven co-host a special "Book Them Out" edition of '' SA Weekender'' to help support the local communities.

Personal life

After his retirement, Riddell and his wife sold their apartment at Holdfast Shores and relocated to Victor Harbor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Riddell, John Australian television newsreaders and news presenters Seven News presenters 1956 births Living people