Chris Dawson found guilty: Meet Sky News reporter Gabriella Power behind twin gaffe

Sky News Australia reporter Gabriella Power was left red-faced on Tuesday after she confused convicted murderer Chris Dawson with his identical twin outside the NSW Supreme Court.

The incident went viral, with many people questioning how a reporter who had covered the trial so extensively could have made such a gaffe.

She has since gone to ground on social media, setting her Instagram profile to private as members of the public and fellow journalists join the Twitter pile-on.

Here, Daily Mail Australia takes a look inside the glamorous life of Gabriella, from her plum reporting role to her surprising connection to Nine’s Richard Wilkins.  

Gabriella joined Sky News as a presenter and anchor in 2017, and has since led coverage of a range of major international and national news stories. 

She spent three years in Melbourne where she covered the 2018 Victorian election, the Covid-19 lockdowns, the sentencing of Cardinal George Pell – whose convictions were later quashed – and the Black Summer bushfires.

Her tough questioning during the daily Covid press conferences drew praise on Twitter at the time, but also criticism from Daniel Andrews’ supporters. 

She also covered the Tokyo Olympics for Sky News and Fox Sports in 2021 where she interviewed athletes and reported from the opening and closing ceremonies. 

Before joining Sky News, Gabriella worked at 2GB radio including on Ben Fordham’s show. 

Now based in Sydney, Gabriella hosts Sky News programs Tech Perspectives and Digital Disruptors, focusing on the latest in Australian technology news.

Gabriella has previously made headlines for her personal life because her mother Nicola Dale is dating Channel Nine entertainment editor Richard Wilkins.

Nicola, a flight attendant, began dating the TV veteran early last year after they were introduced by Gabriella’s colleague Ben Fordham. 

Speaking to Stellar in October about her mother’s romance, Gabriella said: ‘Ben was messaging me because he was at the same party where they met. I was getting calls and FaceTimes and text messages, so I felt in the loop the whole time.

‘When Richard had to leave the party because he had work early in the morning, Ben called and asked for my mum’s number [to give to Richard].

‘So I don’t know if Richard got the number before then, or whether it was me passing on her number. I feel like I might have played a helping hand.’

Thanks to her mum’s new squeeze, Gabriella now counts herself as a close friend of Richard’s socialite son Christian Wilkins. 

Gabriella and Nicola share a close bond, having previously launched their own mother-daughter blog called The Power Life.

Inspired by the queen of positivity Oprah Winfrey, the blog was created to empower women going through tough times.

‘[Oprah] is an inspiration of strength and perseverance and is a prime example of what it means to live fearlessly and do anything you can dream of,’ Gabriella told The Daily Telegraph in February 2018.

Richard Wilkins isn’t the only celebrity with whom Gabriella has rubbed shoulders.

In a recent interview with Let’s Connect Women, the presenter revealed she once danced with none other than Prince Harry at a nightclub in London.   

‘I still pinch myself about it. I was in London visiting a friend, and we went out to a birthday party and our table was right next to Prince Harry’s!’ she said. 

‘He was a lot of fun, dancing a lot, and had a big group of friends with him.’ 

It comes after Gabriella suffered a blunder outside the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday after she mistook Paul Dawson for his twin brother Chris. 

Chris Dawson, 74, was found guilty of murdering his first wife Lynette 40 years ago – all so he could continue his sordid affair with his teenage babysitter.

‘Chris, you’re going to Silverwater. Do you have anything to say?’ she asked Paul, who was quickly advised by his older brother Peter to ‘breathe’. 

‘I’m Paul, you idiot,’ Paul told the press pack.

It is believed Gabriella wasn’t in the court when Dawson was taken into custody, and may have been under the impression he was still on bail before sentencing.