Sorry I meant about the story, with her family (the husband and daughter who have been very prominent in the media)
Another milestone for 60 Minutes Australia!.
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That’s Tara Brown isn’t it?
Oop - sorry
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60 MINUTES RETURNS OR 2025
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, AT 8.40PM ON CHANNEL 9 & 9NOW
EVIL SPIRIT
Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles knew each other their entire lives. They grew up as the very best of best friends. Last November, the two 19-year-old women from Melbourne did what hundreds of thousands of young people the world over do every year. They went backpacking through Asia. But in communist Laos, they struck trouble. Adventure turned to tragedy when Bianca and Holly inadvertently consumed alcohol tainted with deadly methanol. Days later they lost their lives. And so did four other travellers who drank from the same batch of bad spirits: three young women from Denmark and England, and an American man. In the 2025 season premiere of 60 MINUTES the heartbroken parents of the Australian, Danish and English victims tell Tara Brown of their determination to do all they can to expose the dangers methanol-laced alcohol poses to travellers around the world. They also reveal their frustration with authorities in Laos who have been less than transparent in sharing information about how this tragedy happened, and who is responsible.
Reporter: Tara Brown
Producers: Serge Negus, Sheree Gibson
SNEAK PEEK
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Interested to see how this does tonight, especially younger viewers, it’s got a massive lead-in and has had quite the promotion, including during the Australian Open and final.
The story became significant, both nationally and even internationally, however naturally was particularly impactful to Victoria namely Melbourne’s Bayside where the families resided around Beaumaris/Sandringham.
Some might say it’s unnecessary as always with these types of sit-down exclusives, others might say it’s too soon, while there’ll be those fully invested in watching wanting to know every detail including anything new that’s come to light.
Personally I’m more keen to see what’s been happening overseas, such as the local Police investigation and what governments such as our own are going to try and do for young, vulnerable, Australian travellers going forward. Yes, there’s risk takers and they’re warned, but what happened was truly devastating.
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LIZ HAYES ANNOUNCES NEW CHAPTER
One of the iconic figures of Australian journalism, Liz Hayes, has today announced she will be pursuing new opportunities outside of the 9Network in 2025. It caps off a remarkable 44-year tenure with Nine, spanning 9News, Today, 60 Minutes and Under Investigation with Liz Hayes.
Liz will remain part of the Nine family, and viewers can expect to see her on their screens for special stories and events broadcast on the 9Network.
Liz’s expansive and award-winning media career allows for an incredibly diverse and impressive portfolio of stories. She is a master storyteller who boasts an innate ability to connect with people. However, her impact extends beyond storytelling, with Liz firmly cemented as one of Australia’s most accomplished women in media.
Liz joined 9News in 1981 as a reporter and then went on to present the morning bulletin. In 1986 she became co-host of Today with Steve Liebmann, a role she held for 10 years.
She joined 60 Minutes in 1996 and has covered everything from US presidential elections to the heart-wrenching Syrian refugee crisis, as well as natural disasters across the globe.
Renowned as one of the greatest interviewers on Australian television, she has sat down with Prime Ministers and politicians, influential business people, Hollywood actors, music legends, and world-class athletes. But ultimately, Liz’s greatest impact has been shining a light on the stories of everyday people who find themselves in extraordinary situations.
Over the past four-and-a-half decades, Liz’s contribution to journalism has been recognised with a Logie Award for producing and presenting acclaimed documentary The Greatest Gift and the 2024 Media Diversity Australia Award for Under Investigation with Liz Hayes. The award celebrates journalists making an outstanding contribution through their reporting on diverse people or issues in Australia, and was the first time any commercial television network has been recognised in this category.
Liz Hayes said: "When I arrived at Nine I had little more than a notebook and a typewriter, but like my new and far more experienced colleagues, I carried with me an enormous passion for telling stories. I was blessed. I had found my tribe. Even Nine’s owner at the time, Kerry Packer, seemed to carry the same passionate story telling gene.
“Of course since then much has changed. The media world has evolved as have I. What hasn’t changed is the need for good stories to be told, and I will continue to tell them.
“I leave Nine grateful for the decades of experience, the wonderful friendships that have endured and deeply appreciative to the many people who trusted me to tell their stories.”
Nine Director of Television, Michael Healy said: “Liz Hayes is an Australian television legend and has dedicated most of her career to Nine, she will leave an undeniable legacy.
“Her many accomplishments speak volumes about the type of journalist she is - tenacious, a truth seeker, and above all, a storyteller. I’d like to recognise Liz for the impact she has had on Australian journalism and thank her for all she has done for Nine over the past 44 years.
“We know Liz’s next chapter will be just as successful as her last, and she has our full support.”
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What does this even mean lol.
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Standard spin used by PR departments after a beloved member of the team is sacked. I would be highly surprised if she ever appears on 9 again.
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44 years is a pretty decent innings anywhere, even if she hasn’t really done anything the last year or so.
Be interesting to see if she pops up anywhere else soon.
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From the sound of it, it seems like she’s being put on reserve.
Quite interesting they have opted to drop her as opposed to utilise her more!
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I guess she is interested in doing the odd story, etc on a freelance basis
Haha yeah I was just joking with my comment 
It’s a pretty glowing release (as it should be) but the writing has been on the wall for sometime with this one and it’s been creatively written to avoid the fact they’ve avoided addressing this for long enough.
Maybe there’s some stuff that’s already been filmed that she’ll feature in. Guess we’ll see
Probably some stories already in the pipeline that they are going to go ahead with
Like most major/veteran network stars, wouldn’t her contract most likely have clauses prohibiting her from going elsewhere for some time too?
Most likely, could be that the additional stuff if for the remainder of her contract, or they came to a mutual agreement
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Annette Sharp’s article about this today says that Liz has been in a long-running ‘standoff’ with the executive producer of 60 Minutes over her frustration with what Hayes believes are declining production standards of the show.
Liz was reportedly concerned that the program’s new producers lacked experience, and also questioned the program’s lighter content and Nine’s programmers pushing the start-time out to accomodate MAFS.
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