Gretel Killeen

Gretel Killeen
Born	(1963-02-03) 3 February 1963 Turramurra, Sydney, Australia
Occupation	Television presenter of Big Brother 2001–2007, author, comedian, voice actor
Employer	Network Ten
Known for	Big Brother Australia (2001 – 2008) Sydney New Year's Eve (2006–07) Australia Day (2007) TV Week Logie Awards (2009)
Children	Two

Gretel Killeen (born 3 February 1963) is an Australian journalist and author. She is well known for being the primary host of Big Brother Australia from its inception in 2001 until the 2007 season (including Celebrity Big Brother in 2002). Killeen hosted the 2009 TV Week Logie Awards. Killeen is a regular presenter on morning/talk-shows such as; Studio 10, Sunrise, Today and Mornings.

Career

Television

Midday

From 1989 to 1991, Killeen was a regular on Midday with Ray Martin on the Nine Network. She wrote and featured in the popular weekly sketch A Town Like Dallas.

Coast to Coast

In 1990, Terry Willesee, John Mangos and Killeen hosted Coast to Coast for the Nine Network after the departure of Graham Kennedy from the program. The program in the new format was short-lived.

Big Brother Australia

Killeen was host of the Australian edition of Big Brother, from its first season in 2001. She hosted each series up until its seventh season in 2007.

On 28 October 2007, The Sunday Telegraph reported that, as a part of a revamp of the show, Killeen had decided to leave her hosting role, being replaced as host by Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O from 2Day FM.

Working on Big Brother has been an extraordinary, challenging and rewarding experience. I'm really proud of what we've achieved but I now have the seven-year itch and am busting to get on with a million new things, including my first feature film, which we're shooting in the new year.

— Gretel Killeen

Other television roles

Killeen, along with Daniel MacPherson, co-hosted the Sydney New Year's Eve 2006–07 telecast and also the Australia Day eve celebrations on 25 January 2006. She was also the host of Ten's coverage of the Australia Day ceremony in 2007. She also played nurse Angela Mercie in two episodes of the YouTube web series The Horizon in 2013.

In 2015, Killeen co-hosted the 15-part ABC TV series How Not to Behave with Matt Okine.

Literary works

As an author of a number of books, most for children, Killeen has penned:

The Night my Bum Dropped (2009), ISBN 978-0-670-07295-8 How To Live With a Sausage in a Bonnet (1991), ISBN 0-09-182583-0 Baby on Board: A Beginner's Guide to Pregnancy (1991), ISBN 1-86330-106-2 Every Girl's Geek Guide (1992), ISBN 0-09-182697-7 Visible Panty Line (1998), ISBN 0-14-028891-0	Cherry Pie (1999), ISBN 0-09-183749-9 What'll We Get for Grandma? (1999), ISBN 0-09-183869-X You're Joking! (2001), ISBN 1-74051-772-5
Fleur Trotter series
My Life Is a Toilet (1994), ISBN 0-09-182850-3 The 'My Life Is a Toilet' Instruction Book: How To Make the Most of Your Pathetic Existence (1995), ISBN 0-09-183270-5 My Life Is a Wedgie (2000), ISBN 0-09-183955-6	My Life Is a Boob Tube (2002), ISBN 1-74051-758-X My Life Is a Girdle (2003), ISBN 1-74051-899-3
The My Sister series
My Sister's a Yoyo (1997), ISBN 0-09-183479-1 My Sister's an Alien (1998), ISBN 0-09-183902-5 My Sister's a Sea Slug (1999), ISBN 0-09-183954-8	My Sister's a Burp (1999), ISBN 0-09-183962-9 My Sister's a Full Stop (2000), ISBN 0-09-183968-8 My Sister's a Nightmare (2000), ISBN 0-09-184079-1
Hot Buns & Ophelia series
Hot Buns & Ophelia Get a Bloke (2000), ISBN 0-14-029965-3 Hot Buns & Ophelia Get Shipwrecked (2001), ISBN 0-14-029966-1
The Very Naughty Mother series
The Very Naughty Mother Goes Green (2002), ISBN 1-74051-763-6 The Very Naughty Mother Runs Away (2003), ISBN 1-74051-764-4	The Very Naughty Mother Goes Invisible (2003), ISBN 1-74051-906-X The Very Naughty Mother Is a Spy (2004), ISBN 1-74051-907-8

Movie roles

Killeen has a cameo in the Australian film Gettin' Square as Rhonda Halliwell. On 28 October 2007, Killeen mentioned having a role in feature film to be shot in 2008.

Stage roles

Killeen appeared as the Narrator in a stage production of The Rocky Horror Show in Sydney and Melbourne in 2008.

External links

• Gretel Killeen at the Internet Movie Database
• Gretel Killeen at Penguin Books
• GretelKilleen.com.au is her website
• Gretel-Killeen.com is a fan website

Preceded by Show Started	Big Brother Australia Host 2001–2007	Succeeded by Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O
Preceded by Richard Wilkins	Sydney New Year's Eve Host (with Daniel MacPherson) 2006–07	Succeeded by Kim Watkins and Andrew G
Preceded by Various hosts	Host of Logie Awards 2009	Succeeded by Bert Newton