Pregnant newsreader Sarah Greenhalg’s stern warning to Channel Seven following Sharyn Ghidella’s shock axing

The pregnant new star of Channel Seven’s Brisbane newsroom, Sarah Greenhalg, is standing firm when it comes to her upcoming maternity leave after being promoted to host of 7NEWS.

Greenhalg was promoted to the role earlier this year after respected journalist and newsreader Sharyn Ghidella was sensationally dumped from her high-profile role after 17 years at the network.

The former foreign correspondent steps into her new role as co-anchor of Seven’s 6pm evening bulletin on Monday.

Greenhalg, 34, is six months pregnant and will be going on maternity leave in a few weeks.

She explained that management has given assurances that there will be no strict deadline for her to return to work after giving birth.

“I’ll be back at a time that suits everyone, including Bub,” she told the Courier Mail.

‘Women have historically faced such difficult times, especially on television, when they have had to come back from maternity leave very quickly because they felt enormous pressure to do so, otherwise they might be seen as less than their male counterparts.’

Greenhalg revealed that she almost gave up on her dream of motherhood for fear of the impact it would have on her career, and was pleasantly surprised when they chose her for the role.

“It’s something that I didn’t think would be possible early in my career,” Greenhalg said.

‘But the fact that Seven has effectively promoted me knowing I’m pregnant too is great, not just for me – I think it’s great for every woman across the industry.’

Greenhalg has some big shoes to fill.

Co-host Max Futcher, who has worked on the 7News Brisbane desk since 2018, supported her promotion and said he was excited to be working with her.

The success of their new partnership will be crucial for Seven’s newsroom after allegations of a ‘soul-crushing’ and ‘toxic workplace culture’ revealed on ABC’s Four Corners saw Seven West Media take a 69 per cent drop in profits to $45 million for the full amount. year.

The sensational dismissal of Ghidella, whose shoes Greenhelg will fill, did not help.

The veteran TV host sent one final message to her former boss in August, days before returning to rival Network 10.

“Don’t call me at the hairdresser… that wasn’t the cut I expected,” she joked.

“Seriously, I mean, look, there are good people at Channel 7, I had a good run there… It was good until it ended.”

The 57-year-old was fired from Seven after 17 years – while getting her hair done for a promo shoot – sending shockwaves through Queensland households.

The axed Channel 7 icon later said she was ‘not shocked’ by the allegations in the damning Four Corners codumentary.

The newsreader is now the presenter of Queensland’s ‘new look’ 10 News First and said she was ‘coming home’.

Ghidella announced the move on The Project and said it was a great opportunity, telling the show that she started her career with Ten in 1990.

‘I started in Ten in Brisbane in 1990, doing hair care quite big. The shoulder pads were even bigger,” Ghidella said.

Martin White, head of Broadcast News, Paramount Australia and New Zealand, welcomed Ghidella back to Ten in a post on LinkedIn earlier this month.

“This is a great day for 10 people in Queensland. We believe strongly in local journalism and want to provide our audience with the best possible content, which is a perfect fit for Sharyn, Brisbane’s number one newsreader,” White said.

“We are thrilled to welcome her back to 10 and can’t wait to get started.”

Ghidella will replace another beloved Queenslander in Sandra Sully, who has presented the Queensland Bulletin from Sydney in recent years.

Ghidella, who has worked in journalism for 38 years, announced in a Facebook statement on July 12 that she had been asked to leave the Seven Network.

The mother-of-two had built an extensive media career over the past four decades, with previous assignments at Channel 10 before joining Seven in 2007 as a weekend presenter.

“When you’ve been in television as long as I have, not a day goes by without you expecting the proverbial pat on the back… After 38 years, my pat on the back has finally arrived,” she said.

“It wasn’t quite how I expected it to end on Channel 7.

‘I was actually at the hairdresser’s for work when I got a call saying my time was up after 17 years with the network.

“And while we are somewhat saddened by this decision, there is also a sense of relief. As has been widely reported, the past few weeks on television have unfortunately been a miserable affair.’