Next Sunday with Liz Hayes
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Jock and Me: 7NEWS Spotlight major TV event
Veteran journalist Liz Hayes joins 7NEWS Spotlight
âCould I have been a better wife? Did I love him enough? Did I do enough?â
In a major 7NEWS Spotlight exclusive, award-winning broadcast journalist Liz Hayes sits down with Lauren Zonfrillo, the widow of beloved TV chef and MasterChef Australia judge, Jock Zonfrillo.
Airing on Seven and 7plus this Sunday at 8:00pm, it is the first time the mother of two has spoken publicly since her husband was found dead in a Melbourne hotel room in May 2023. His cause of death has never been released.
In what will be one of the most emotional television events of the year, Lauren shares never-before-seen family videos and her journey through grief, the challenges of telling her young children about their fatherâs death, and her path to finding hope and inspiration.
Widely respected for her decades of experience and journalistic expertise, the exclusive sit-down marks Liz Hayesâ first special project for 7NEWS Spotlight after joining the program as a guest correspondent.
Liz Hayes said: âJockâs unexpected and very public death was devastating and traumatising and in the glare of intense media speculation, and Lauren also had to grapple with why her husband had died.
âShe bravely opens the door to her very private and personal pain and the trauma endured by her two little children.â
Liz was on Sunrise this morning, which I find odd for two reasons:
1.It spoils any interest factor in Lizâs return for people to tune in, which I canât imagine Spotlight producers would be to happy with.
2. It is so far away from airing (7 days), surely it defeats the purpose of cross-promoting it? No one will remember.
Ten should nab Liz for the project. Replace waleed with Liz.
Liz is too good for The Project.
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Some would say shes too good for Spotlight.
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Alternatively it builds some interest.
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I could see Liz Hayes making an appearance promoting a book on The Project but not as a host for it.
It was the day the promo was released. So it made sense from that perspective.
And they got to explain to viewers why she was popping up on a 7 promo.
I assume Spotlight producers were well aware.
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I donât think Spotlight asked for the cross-promotion and if they did, it would be silly if they did it on the Monday. The promo is repeated all week, the interview is once off. It doesnât make sense to do it so far out. I think this was all Sunriseâs doing. In fact they will probably do the exact same segment on Weekend Sunrise.
I disagree. Having Liz on Spotlight is primarily a stunt (and good on them). Having her pop up on Sunrise takes away from any interest in seeing her on Sunday night. So, now the âtune-inâ factor is more on the story than on Liz⌠which I donât think they were going for.
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I think MS users are the only ones with this sort of POV.
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Im not sure Sunrise would get a say in the availability of a Spotlight reporter coming on to promote a story. Liz was on TMS as well. This is fairly typical cross-promotion.
Yes, itâs a little earlier than what weâd usually expect. But perhaps they thought this story and the fact Liz is on 7 for the first time warranted going early.
Liz Hayes was sighted in Sevenâs Eveleigh building this week putting some spit and polish on her almost exclusive (she was pipped by a print publication) interview with Jock Zonfrilloâs widow Lauren Fried.
While the Spotlight team and Sevenâs promo department are eagerly anticipating a bumper ratings event, one who can barely contain their excitement, or so we hear, is Sunrise host Natalie Barr.
According to our spies on the ground, Barr has been telling other female talent they should not feel threatened by veteran Hayesâ power and should get behind her appointment to back in the networkâs news and current affairs division.
Hayesâ arrival came as a surprise to (Ashlee) Mullany who we hear took executive producer Gemma Williams aside to ask why she wasnât informed of Hayesâs recruitment prior to a press release being distributed.
We put the question to Seven about Mullanyâs Spotlight dream and was told she has investigations in the works for the show having wound up her gig as Sevenâs Europe & Middle East correspondent in February.
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Preview of tonightâs interview with Lauren Zonfrillo
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The ending of tonightâs episode is ridiculous. Not giving the answer everyone wants defeats the purpose of sitting through the interview.
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Cause of death not revealed?
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Nope. Shes making a point of deliberately not revealing.
Then why bother with the whole thing?
Almost disrespectful to Jock really.
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Why did Michael Usher open the show and refer to Liz Hays as âguest reporterâ? Isnât she working for Seven now? Or is she Freelance?
Cause she is a guest reporter, signed on for one ep.
Curious on this, why do you think that?
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