Indira Naidoo
Encyclopedia
Indira Naidoo is an Australia
n author, journalist
and television presenter.
, Zimbabwe
and Australia, where she attended Launceston Church Grammar School
in Tasmania
before matriculating as School Dux from Naracoorte
High School in South Australia
.
(now the University of South Australia) and joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
in Adelaide
in 1990 as a news cadet. After several years as a political and industrial reporter, she went on to anchor ABC Weekend news and the 7.30 Report
. Naidoo then moved to the ABC's National Late Edition News in Sydney
where she developed a cult following as the ABC's youngest national news host. She has also written extensively for several food and travel magazines including Australian Gourmet Traveller, The Sydney Morning Herald's 'Good Living' and the Sunday Herald's 'Sunday Life' Magazine.
, the coups in Fiji and the Balkans war in Kosovo
.
, an Australian independent consumer watchdog
. She established the Shonky Awards for the worst consumer products - a highly-anticipated annual media event. She has appeared on shows such as A Current Affair and The 7.30 Report
in this capacity.
Through her TV company FitzGerald Productions, she has been a consumer communications consultant to the United Nations trade arm in Geneva - the International Trade Centre
- and various environmental and community organisations.
In 2009, Naidoo was one of 261 candidates selected to be trained in Melbourne by Former US Vice President Al Gore to conduct regular presentations about the impacts of anthropogenic climate change.
Her first book The Edible Balcony about urban food farming was published by Penguin in October 2011.
, a late-night comedy variety show hosted by Roy & HG in which she starred as policewoman Barbara in a regular comedy sketch- a police spoof Sam Stain alongside Ian Turpie
and actor Harold Hopkins. This was followed by appearences on The McFeast Show, Good News Week
, The Fat
, and Steve Abbott's variety series, In Siberia Tonight
. In September 2006 she appeared on Tony Martin
's Get This
radio show on Triple M
.
She has co-presented the Asia Pacific Screen Awards
with Australian actor Jack Thompson
broadcaster Peter Thompson and Shanghai International TV's Chen Lai for the past 4 years. The awards were broadcast on CNN
from 2006–2009 and on the Australia Television Network in 2010.
In September 2009, she was a contestant on the premiere episode of Celebrity MasterChef Australia
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n author, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and television presenter.
Education
Naidoo was educated in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
and Australia, where she attended Launceston Church Grammar School
Launceston Church Grammar School
Launceston Church Grammar School is a co-educational private school in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia for years kindergarten through to Year 12....
in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
before matriculating as School Dux from Naracoorte
Naracoorte, South Australia
Naracoorte is a town in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, approximately 336 kilometres south east of Adelaide and 100 kilometres north of Mount Gambier on the Riddoch Highway .-History:...
High School in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
Journalism
Naidoo completed a journalism degree at the South Australian College of Advanced EducationUniversity of South Australia
The University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...
(now the University of South Australia) and joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in 1990 as a news cadet. After several years as a political and industrial reporter, she went on to anchor ABC Weekend news and the 7.30 Report
The 7.30 Report
The 7.30 Report is an Australian nightly television current affairs program, that was shown on ABC1 and ABC News 24 at , Mondays–Thursdays...
. Naidoo then moved to the ABC's National Late Edition News in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
where she developed a cult following as the ABC's youngest national news host. She has also written extensively for several food and travel magazines including Australian Gourmet Traveller, The Sydney Morning Herald's 'Good Living' and the Sunday Herald's 'Sunday Life' Magazine.
TV news presenter
In 1997, Naidoo was headhunted to present SBS News' inaugural Late News, which she hosted for three years, during which she covered the independence struggle in East TimorEast Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, the coups in Fiji and the Balkans war in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
.
Consumer advocacy and environmental activism
In 2006, Naidoo became the spokeswoman for CHOICEChoice magazine
CHOICE Magazine is a publication of the Australian Consumers' Association, a non-profit organisation founded in 1959 to research and advocate on behalf of Australian consumers. The organisation trades as CHOICE and is similar to Consumer Reports in the United States...
, an Australian independent consumer watchdog
Consumer watchdog
A consumer watchdog is an individual or organization that supports consumer rights; the term may refer to:* Consumer organization* Watchdog journalism* Consumer Watchdog , a private consumer rights advocacy group in Botswana...
. She established the Shonky Awards for the worst consumer products - a highly-anticipated annual media event. She has appeared on shows such as A Current Affair and The 7.30 Report
The 7.30 Report
The 7.30 Report is an Australian nightly television current affairs program, that was shown on ABC1 and ABC News 24 at , Mondays–Thursdays...
in this capacity.
Through her TV company FitzGerald Productions, she has been a consumer communications consultant to the United Nations trade arm in Geneva - the International Trade Centre
International Trade Centre
The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations.The following statement about the ITC is taken verbatim from its website, and reflects the ITC's official view of its own functions:...
- and various environmental and community organisations.
In 2009, Naidoo was one of 261 candidates selected to be trained in Melbourne by Former US Vice President Al Gore to conduct regular presentations about the impacts of anthropogenic climate change.
Her first book The Edible Balcony about urban food farming was published by Penguin in October 2011.
Other TV appearances
Naidoo gained national prominence in 1997 for her less serious appearances on the ABC's Club BuggeryClub Buggery
Club Buggery is the title of an Australian television series of the 1990s. It was created and performed by Australian comedy duo Roy and HG and broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation network in 1996 and 1997.-Development:The series was an offshoot the duo's long-running,...
, a late-night comedy variety show hosted by Roy & HG in which she starred as policewoman Barbara in a regular comedy sketch- a police spoof Sam Stain alongside Ian Turpie
Ian Turpie
Ian "Turps" Turpie is an Australian television celebrity, best known for hosting the long-running game show The Price Is Right before being replaced by Larry Emdur.-Early life:...
and actor Harold Hopkins. This was followed by appearences on The McFeast Show, Good News Week
Good News Week
Good News Week is an Australian satirical panel game show hosted by Paul McDermott that initially aired from 19 April 1996 to 27 May 2000, and resumed on 11 February 2008 to 9 May 2011. The show aired first on ABC TV before it was bought by Network Ten in 1999...
, The Fat
The Fat
The Fat was an Australian sports based talk show television series, broadcast and produced by ABC TV.The series began on 6 March 2000, and ended on 18 November 2003....
, and Steve Abbott's variety series, In Siberia Tonight
In Siberia Tonight
In Siberia Tonight was an Australian comedy talk show which aired on SBS from 2005 to 2006. The program was hosted by comedian Steve Abbott and was themed around his Russian heritage. The program commonly featured The Kransky Sisters, Indira Naidoo, Steves' mum Evelyn Abbott and Marcello Maio.-...
. In September 2006 she appeared on Tony Martin
Tony Martin (comedian)
Tony Francis Martin is a comedian and writer from Te Kuiti, New Zealand who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia.- Career :...
's Get This
Get This
Get This was an Australian radio comedy show which aired on Triple M and was hosted by Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee, with contributions from panel operator, the late Richard Marsland...
radio show on Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
.
She has co-presented the Asia Pacific Screen Awards
Asia Pacific Screen Awards
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Events Queensland, to honour and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of Asia-Pacific to a global audience and to realise the objectives of UNESCO to...
with Australian actor Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson (actor)
Jack Thompson, AM is an Australian actor and one of the major figures of Australian cinema. He was educated at University of Queensland, before embarking on his acting career. In 2002, he was made an honorary member of the Australian Cinematographers Society...
broadcaster Peter Thompson and Shanghai International TV's Chen Lai for the past 4 years. The awards were broadcast on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
from 2006–2009 and on the Australia Television Network in 2010.
In September 2009, she was a contestant on the premiere episode of Celebrity MasterChef Australia
Celebrity MasterChef Australia
Celebrity MasterChef Australia is an Australian competitive cooking game show. It is spin-off of MasterChef Australia, itself an adaptation of the British show MasterChef, and features celebrity contestants...
.