Loretta Ryan
Born1965 (age 58–59)
Brisbane, Queensland
Occupation(s)radio presenter, journalist
Years active1983 to present
Known forpresenting radio programs on Brisbane radio
Notable work4BH Breakfast, 4BC Breakfast, ABC Radio Brisbane Breakfast

Loretta Ryan (born 1965) is an Australian radio presenter and is best known for co-hosting breakfast programs on 4BH, 4BC and ABC Radio Brisbane.[1][2][3] She has co-hosted Breakfast on ABC Radio Brisbane with Craig Zonca since 2018.[3]

Career

After finishing school, Ryan worked at David Jones before commencing work as an advertising schedules clerk at Radio Ten in 1983.[4]

Ryan eventually moved into production, becoming a producer for Billy J. Smith, before securing a cadetship in the newsroom, which led to Ryan's first on-air role.[3] Ryan remained at the station during the station's various rebrands, including Stereo Ten, Brisbane's 1008, Light and Easy 1008, and back to its original callsign 4IP in 1989.[4]

When the station changed its format to becoming a racing station 4TAB, Ryan left and went to Triple M Brisbane, where she stayed for 16 years where she read the news, ultimately becoming the station's news director, and hosted the drive program Blood, Sweat and Beers in the late 1990s.[3][4]

She then moved to 4BH to co-host the breakfast show in 2006 before moving to 4BC to host the afternoon program.[5][4]

At 4BC, she eventually became the co-host of the station's breakfast program with Ian Skippen in 2014.[4][2]

Ryan, Skippen and many other on-air personalities were sacked from 4BC in 2015 when the station decided to network the majority of its content from its sister station in Sydney, 2GB rather than have local presenters following the merger of Fairfax Media and the Macquarie Radio Network.[6][7]

After being sacked from 4BC, Ryan initially joined ABC Radio Brisbane in 2015 as a producer before becoming the presenter of the regional drive program in 2016 and then Weekends presenter in 2018.[8][9] [10]

In late 2018, Ryan was named as the co-host of Breakfast, replacing Rebecca Levingston, who moved to Mornings after one year of co-hosting the new two-presenter Breakfast format.[9]

Ryan has also appeared on television. In 2007, she was a guest host on Extra while regular host Jillian Whiting was on maternity leave.[11] Ryan also appeared as an extra on Paradise Beach.[12]

Personal life

Ryan is Catholic and attends mass regularly.[13] She attended St Pius' Primary School at Banyo before attending St Rita's College at Clayfield.[13] Ryan has admitted to feeling defensive when the Catholic Church is being attacked in the media which she says can be "very upsetting" and described some critics as "vicious".[13]

In a 2020 interview, Ryan stated: "I'm proud to say that I'm Catholic and I've got my religion. I've gone to the Catholic schools, as I've said before, and so it's my life; it's natural for me to pray, it's natural for me to go to Church and also to treat people nicely – everything that you learn about in religion. For me that's what religion is about and I know, for myself, it's knowing (that) someone's there if I'm struggling with something or I'm worried about something, upset. I know that I can say a prayer and, I don't know, I just get some comfort out of that."[13]

Ryan was engaged in her late 20's, but the marriage didn't take place.[14] In 2018, Ryan said she had been single for ten years.[14] She said she is hurt when people accuse her of being "too picky" as the reason for being single.[14] She said she credits not being "married with three kids" as to why she has progressed so far with her radio career.[14]

In November 2021, Ryan was targeted by scammers on Facebook who were creating fake accounts under Ryan's name to scam personal details from listeners.[15] After one fake profile was reported to Facebook and subsequently removed, a similar fake account was created using Ryan's photos, sharing content from ABC Radio Brisbane's Facebook page and offering a fake prize.[15] Ryan described the situation as "scary" and said she felt sorry for the listeners who were being duped.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Moyd Kay joins Loretta Ryan for Breakfast at 4BH". radioinfo. 27 May 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 Bochenski, Natalie (4 December 2013). "Ian Skippen and Loretta Ryan are new breakfast team in Fairfax Radio 4BC's revamped line-up". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Kerr, Judith (24 May 2019). "ABC Radio's dynamic duo Craig Zonca and Loretta Ryan serve up breakfast with a splash of news". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Seeney, Belinda (16 March 2018). "ABC's Loretta Ryan teaches us a lesson in resilience". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  5. ↑ Bochenski, Natalie (10 April 2015). "4BC presenters Ian Skippen, Loretta Ryan, Patrick Condren, Walter Williams sacked". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 21 November 2022. Loretta Ryan was a long time newsreader on Triple M before switching to 4BH (now Magic 882) in 2006.
  6. ↑ "High-profile 4BC presenters sacked following Fairfax and Macquarie merger deal". ABC News. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2022. ...high-profile presenters Ian Skippen, Loretta Ryan and Patrick Condren have been cut following a merger deal
  7. ↑ "Alan Jones, Ray Hadley flagship 2GB programs to air on Brisbane station 4BC after job cuts". ABC News. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  8. ↑ "Loretta Ryan". ABC. Retrieved 21 November 2022. ...and was the 2016 Regional Drive presenter.
  9. 1 2 Moore, Tony (5 December 2018). "ABC Radio Brisbane juggles breakfast hosts as audience share declines". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 21 November 2022. Experienced Brisbane radio news reporter and news director Loretta Ryan is the biggest winner of the ABC's reshuffle for 2019... Ryan joined the ABC in 2015
  10. ↑ Branco, Jorge (6 December 2017). "Major changes to ABC Radio Brisbane for 2018". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 21 November 2022. ...Loretta Ryan is set to take over on weekends
  11. ↑ "Another Brisbane radio personality on Extra". radioinfo. 30 July 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  12. ↑ "Loretta Ryan: accomplished MC and radio favourite". Saxton. Retrieved 21 November 2022. Previously, Loretta featured as an extra on the television series Paradise Beach and appeared in television commercials...
  13. 1 2 3 4 Lynch, Donna (24 April 2020). "A raconteur with strong faith, Loretta Ryan talks faith, media and a candle at St Stephen's Cathedral". The Catholic Leader. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Lang, Kylie (11 August 2018). "Move over marriage, single life is just as satisfying: LORETTA RYAN, 53, RADIO PRESENTER, NUNDAH". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 21 November 2022. ...if I'd been married with three kids, I certainly wouldn't be where I am in my career – this is my 36th year in radio, which I love. I was engaged in my late 20s but always considered myself lucky to get out of that one...
  15. 1 2 3 "ABC's Loretta Ryan warns listeners about fake Facebook profiles claiming to be her". radioinfo. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
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