Richard Morecroft
Encyclopedia
Richard Morecroft is an Australian television presenter and former host of the ABC News
Sydney bulletin. He is currently host of the quiz-show Letters and Numbers
.
in the Midlands of England. His father Peter and mother Phyll moved the family to Adelaide in 1966 for the benefit of his brother Andrew's respiratory problems and set up a dentist's practice there.
with thoughts of becoming an actor or teacher. He became involved in the university radio station and auditioned for the ABC before completing his degree. He was hired as a radio announcer and later transferred to work in television, hosting the 7pm Adelaide bulletin for a couple of years before being approached to replace James Dibble
who had presented the bulletin since it began in 1956. He moved to Sydney in 1982 and took over the 7pm Sydney bulletin in July 1983, as well as presenting Behind the News
and co-hosting The Nation with Geraldine Doogue, with Max Walsh and Richard Carlton reporting. Also during his time with the ABC, Morecroft participated in the production of Raising Archie with the ABC's Natural History Unit about a flying fox which he raised and used to keep under the news desk while at work. Morecroft presented the bulletin until 2001 and also hosted election-night coverage and educational programs.
He left the ABC in 2001, was replaced by Tony Eastley
, and moved to a property near Jervis Bay
with his partner Alison Mackay to a tree change and other professional opportunities.
Morecroft returned to the ABC to host Richard Morecroft Goes Wild in 2002, drawing on his passion for environmental issues.
In 2010, it was announced that he would host Letters and Numbers
, an Australian version of the French game show Des chiffres et des lettres
on which the British game show Countdown
is based, on SBS
. The first program aired on 2 August 2010. Morecroft was joined by crossword writer David Astle
and mathematician Lily Serna
.
. He is a trustee of the World Wide Fund for Nature
and is a patron of WIRES.
ABC News (Australia)
ABC News is a national news service produced by the News and Current Affairs division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation - the division is responsible for all newsgathering and production of news output for ABC television, radio and online services...
Sydney bulletin. He is currently host of the quiz-show Letters and Numbers
Letters and Numbers
Letters and Numbers is an Australian game show, currently airing weeknights at 6pm on SBS One. It is hosted by Richard Morecroft, and co-hosted by David Astle and Lily Serna. It is based on the French format Des chiffres et des lettres, and the UK version of the show, Countdown...
.
Early life
Morecroft was born in Market HarboroughMarket Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
in the Midlands of England. His father Peter and mother Phyll moved the family to Adelaide in 1966 for the benefit of his brother Andrew's respiratory problems and set up a dentist's practice there.
Broadcasting career
He studied English and Drama at the University of AdelaideUniversity of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
with thoughts of becoming an actor or teacher. He became involved in the university radio station and auditioned for the ABC before completing his degree. He was hired as a radio announcer and later transferred to work in television, hosting the 7pm Adelaide bulletin for a couple of years before being approached to replace James Dibble
James Dibble
James Edward Dibble AM MBE was an Australian television presenter, best known as the presenter of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Sydney news, reading the first news bulletin in 1956, and remaining with the ABC for 27 years up until his retirement in 1983.-Career:Dibble joined the ABC...
who had presented the bulletin since it began in 1956. He moved to Sydney in 1982 and took over the 7pm Sydney bulletin in July 1983, as well as presenting Behind the News
Behind the News
Behind the News is a long-running news-program broadcast on Australia's ABC1 made in Adelaide and aimed at school-aged children...
and co-hosting The Nation with Geraldine Doogue, with Max Walsh and Richard Carlton reporting. Also during his time with the ABC, Morecroft participated in the production of Raising Archie with the ABC's Natural History Unit about a flying fox which he raised and used to keep under the news desk while at work. Morecroft presented the bulletin until 2001 and also hosted election-night coverage and educational programs.
He left the ABC in 2001, was replaced by Tony Eastley
Tony Eastley
-Journalism career:Eastley began his journalism career in the 1970s with The Examiner newspaper in Launceston, Tasmania before joining the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1979.With ABC-TV he spent stints in Singapore and Hong Kong as a foreign correspondent....
, and moved to a property near Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay is a large bay bounded by the state of New South Wales, the Jervis Bay Territory, and a detached enclave of the Australian Capital Territory. HMAS Creswell is located between Jervis Bay Village and Greenpatch in the Jervis Bay Territory.-History:...
with his partner Alison Mackay to a tree change and other professional opportunities.
Morecroft returned to the ABC to host Richard Morecroft Goes Wild in 2002, drawing on his passion for environmental issues.
In 2010, it was announced that he would host Letters and Numbers
Letters and Numbers
Letters and Numbers is an Australian game show, currently airing weeknights at 6pm on SBS One. It is hosted by Richard Morecroft, and co-hosted by David Astle and Lily Serna. It is based on the French format Des chiffres et des lettres, and the UK version of the show, Countdown...
, an Australian version of the French game show Des chiffres et des lettres
Des chiffres et des lettres
Des chiffres et des lettres is a French television programme. It was created by Armand Jammot and tests the numeracy skills and vocabulary of two contestants...
on which the British game show Countdown
Countdown (game show)
Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...
is based, on SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
. The first program aired on 2 August 2010. Morecroft was joined by crossword writer David Astle
David Astle
David Astle is a Melbourne-based writer of non-fiction, fiction and plays. He also cohosts the SBS show, Letters and Numbers, as the dictionary expert, in company with Richard Morecroft and Lily Serna....
and mathematician Lily Serna
Lily Serna
Lily Serna is an Australian mathematician, best known for co-presenting the SBS game show Letters and Numbers.-Career:Serna attended Cheltenham Girls' High School and graduated from the University of Technology, Sydney with a Bachelor of Mathematics and Finance and a Bachelor of International...
.
Environmental activities
Morecroft is a governor of the Taronga Foundation and a director of the Zoological Parks Board of New South WalesZoological Parks Board of New South Wales
The Taronga Conservation Society is a Government of New South Wales agency responsible for Taronga Zoo and the Western Plains Zoo in New South Wales, Australia. The board is a part of the Australian Regional Association of Zoological Parks. It sponsors a number of research centers, such as the...
. He is a trustee of the World Wide Fund for Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
and is a patron of WIRES.