Fiona MacDonald (television presenter)
Australian television presenter (1956/1957–2024)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fiona Frances MacDonald (27 May 1957 – 3 October 2024)[1] was an Australian television presenter. She was the star of the Australian children's series Wombat in 1983, and later the host of the game show, It's a Knockout.
27 May 1957
Fiona MacDonald | |
|---|---|
| Born | Fiona Frances MacDonald 27 May 1957 Blackall, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 3 October 2024 (aged 67) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation | Television presenter |
| Family | Jacki MacDonald (sister) |
Life and career
MacDonald was raised on a cattle property in the outback town of Blackall, Queensland.[2] She had two sisters, Kylie and Jacki MacDonald, the latter also a television presenter.[3]
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.[2][4] While hosting Wombat, she was featured in the "A Day in the Life" series by The Australian Women's Weekly.[5] After leaving It's a Knockout, MacDonald became a wine expert.[2] She also was writer and co-editor of the student newspaper Woroni in the 1990s.[6][7][8]
Personal life and death
She married in the 1990s and had two sons.[2][3]
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,[9] 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.[2][3] MacDonald wrote a post announcing her death that her sister Kylie uploaded on her behalf.[10]