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MacDonald was raised on a cattle property in the outback town of [[Blackall, Queensland]].<ref name =abcobit>{{Cite news |date=2024-10-03 |title=Former children's TV host Fiona MacDonald dies aged 67 after motor neurone disease diagnosis |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-03/fiona-macdonald-dies-aged-67-queensland/104428604 |access-date=2024-10-03 |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref> She had two sisters, Kylie and [[Jacki MacDonald]], the latter also a television presenter.<ref name=Guardian>{{cite news |first=Sian |last=Cain |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/oct/03/fiona-macdonald-its-a-knockout-and-wombat-host-dies-aged-67-after-mnd-diagnosis |title=Fiona MacDonald, It's a Knockout and Wombat host, dies aged 67 after MND diagnosis |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=3 October 2024 }}</ref>
MacDonald was raised on a cattle property in the outback town of [[Blackall, Queensland]].<ref name =abcobit>{{Cite news |date=2024-10-03 |title=Former children's TV host Fiona MacDonald dies aged 67 after motor neurone disease diagnosis |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-03/fiona-macdonald-dies-aged-67-queensland/104428604 |access-date=2024-10-03 |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref> She had two sisters, Kylie and [[Jacki MacDonald]], the latter also a television presenter.<ref name=Guardian>{{cite news |first=Sian |last=Cain |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/oct/03/fiona-macdonald-its-a-knockout-and-wombat-host-dies-aged-67-after-mnd-diagnosis |title=Fiona MacDonald, It's a Knockout and Wombat host, dies aged 67 after MND diagnosis |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=3 October 2024 }}</ref>


MacDonald appeared on local television in Queensland before going on to national programs such as children's show ''[[Wombat (TV series)|Wombat]]'' and the local version of British game show ''[[It's a Knockout (Australian game show)|It's a Knockout]]''.<ref name =abcobit/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Beth |title=It's a Knockout |url=https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/its-knockout |access-date=4 August 2018 |website=[[National Film and Sound Archive]]}}</ref> While hosting ''Wombat'', she was featured in the "A Day in the Life" series by ''[[The Australian Women's Weekly]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Maxfield |first=Liane |date=9 June 1982 |others=Peter Ford, photographer |title=A day in the life of Fiona MacDonald |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44022866 |accessdate=6 October 2024 |newspaper=[[The Australian Women's Weekly]] |location=Australia |page=80 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=49 |issue=51}}</ref> After leaving ''It's a Knockout'', MacDonald became a wine expert.<ref name =abcobit/> She also was writer and co- editor of the student newspaper Woroni in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134422407 |title=THE NAKED GUN 2 1/2 THE SMELL OF FEAR |newspaper=[[Woroni]] |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=15 September 1991 |accessdate=7 October 2024 |page=19 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134422461 |title=the underworld oracle Fiona's Despair and Woroni's Chaos: Yep, the Oracle's Back. |newspaper=[[Woroni]] |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=1 May 1991 |accessdate=7 October 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>
MacDonald appeared on local television in Queensland before going on to national programs such as children's show ''[[Wombat (TV series)|Wombat]]'' and the local version of British game show ''[[It's a Knockout (Australian game show)|It's a Knockout]]''.<ref name =abcobit/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Beth |title=It's a Knockout |url=https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/its-knockout |access-date=4 August 2018 |website=[[National Film and Sound Archive]]}}</ref> While hosting ''Wombat'', she was featured in the "A Day in the Life" series by ''[[The Australian Women's Weekly]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Maxfield |first=Liane |date=9 June 1982 |others=Peter Ford, photographer |title=A day in the life of Fiona MacDonald |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44022866 |accessdate=6 October 2024 |newspaper=[[The Australian Women's Weekly]] |location=Australia |page=80 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=49 |issue=51}}</ref> After leaving ''It's a Knockout'', MacDonald became a wine expert.<ref name =abcobit/> She also was writer and co-editor of the student newspaper ''[[Woroni]]'' in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134422407 |title=THE NAKED GUN 2 1/2 THE SMELL OF FEAR |newspaper=[[Woroni]] |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=15 September 1991 |accessdate=7 October 2024 |page=19 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134422461 |title=the underworld oracle Fiona's Despair and Woroni's Chaos: Yep, the Oracle's Back. |newspaper=[[Woroni]] |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=1 May 1991 |accessdate=7 October 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>
{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134421872 |title=Roving Rogues |newspaper=[[Woroni]] |volume=44, |issue=1 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=1 February 1992 |accessdate=7 October 2024 |page=33 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134421872 |title=Roving Rogues |newspaper=[[Woroni]] |volume=44, |issue=1 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=1 February 1992 |accessdate=7 October 2024 |page=33 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>


Revision as of 11:00, 7 October 2024

Fiona McDonald
Bornc. 1956/1957
Blackall, Queensland, Australia
Died3 October 2024 (aged 67)
OccupationTelevision presenter
FamilyJacki MacDonald (sister)

Fiona MacDonald (1956/1957 – 3 October 2024) was an Australian television presenter.

Life and career

MacDonald was raised on a cattle property in the outback town of Blackall, Queensland.[1] She had two sisters, Kylie and Jacki MacDonald, the latter also a television presenter.[2]

MacDonald appeared on local television in Queensland before going on to national programs such as children's show Wombat and the local version of British game show It's a Knockout.[1][3] While hosting Wombat, she was featured in the "A Day in the Life" series by The Australian Women's Weekly.[4] After leaving It's a Knockout, MacDonald became a wine expert.[1] She also was writer and co-editor of the student newspaper Woroni in the 1990s.[5][6][7]

Personal life and death

She married in the 1990s and had two sons.[1][2]

MacDonald was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in November 2021. She undertook a drive around Australia with her sister, Kylie Thynne, in mid-2023 to raise funds for research into the disease,[8] and talked about her experience with it in an October 2023 episode of Australian Story. She died on 3 October 2024, at the age of 67.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Former children's TV host Fiona MacDonald dies aged 67 after motor neurone disease diagnosis". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 October 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Cain, Sian (3 October 2024). "Fiona MacDonald, It's a Knockout and Wombat host, dies aged 67 after MND diagnosis". The Guardian.
  3. ^ Taylor, Beth. "It's a Knockout". National Film and Sound Archive. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  4. ^ Maxfield, Liane (9 June 1982). "A day in the life of Fiona MacDonald". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 49, no. 51. Peter Ford, photographer. Australia. p. 80. Retrieved 6 October 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "THE NAKED GUN 2 1/2 THE SMELL OF FEAR". Woroni. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 15 September 1991. p. 19. Retrieved 7 October 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "the underworld oracle Fiona's Despair and Woroni's Chaos: Yep, the Oracle's Back". Woroni. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 1 May 1991. p. 3. Retrieved 7 October 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Roving Rogues". Woroni. Vol. 44, , no. 1. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 1 February 1992. p. 33. Retrieved 7 October 2024 – via National Library of Australia.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  8. ^ Hornery, Andrew (8 July 2023). "She was an afternoon TV star for a generation of kids. Now she's asking for their help". The Sydney Morning Herald.


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