Firebrand broadcaster Derryn Hinch who hosted Hinch on both Seven and 10, and Midday on Nine, has died.
Firebrand broadcaster Derryn Hinch who hosted Hinch on both Seven and 10, and Midday on Nine, has died, aged 82.
He passed away this morning at home, Peter Ford has reported on 3AW, following ongoing illnesses.
“It is one of those moments when you think that was an extraordinary life and career,” he said.
“It’s an amazing story of somebody who — a young guy in rural New Zealand who had dreams of getting into journalism and slowly but surely boy did he do that.
“Apart from having a really good journalist’s mind for a story, he knew how to write a story, how to present a story … he knew a good yarn when he heard it.
“Now that wasn’t to say, of course, that he wasn’t provocative, he stirred the pot a lot, he upset people a lot, and he saw that almost as being validation of doing his job well.”
Affectionately known as “The Human Headline” his career spanned newspapers, radio and television plus politics.
He was jailed twice, fined, and spent five months under house arrest for his campaigns against suppression orders for sex offenders. In 2011, he received a liver transplant after being diagnosed with terminal cancer and given twelve months to live. But he prevailed to launch Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party in 2016 and was elected as a federal senator for Victoria.
Hinch hosted Beauty & the Beast on the Seven Network between 1982 and 1983.
From 1988 to 1991, he hosted his own current affairs show Hinch on Seven titled which later moved to Network 10 where it ran from 1992 to 1994.
In 1994 he joined Nine and hosted Midday for a year.
He told TV Tonight in 2015, “I’ve been through more stations than the Southern Aurora. I’ve closed more newspapers than Rupert Murdoch.
“Seven sacked me and within about a week I was picked up by 10. In fact Seven had never paid Peter Sullivan to write my theme song, so we just re-recorded the same song. We offered to buy the set from Ron Casey at Channel Seven and he said ‘Get nicked.’
“But I remembered the name of the guy who designed it so we went to him and rebuilt an identical set at 10 and literally crossed over. I did 2 more years at TEN, so 6 all up.”
He was equally known for his unabashed opinions and his catchphrases — “That’s life” and “Shame, shame, shame” — which were most famously parodied by Steve Vizard on Fast Forward.
He also hosted Hinch Live on SKY News and frequently appeared on Sunrise and PMLive. There was even a Dancing with the Stars turn and he famously featured in John Farnham’s You’re the Voice clip. Derryn was also a Wordle devotee, reguarly posting results on social media in between concerning health updates.
Ray Martin, provided what could be considered the last word on Hinch’s six decades in the media while inducting him into the Australian Media Hall of Fame in 2018.
“Senator Derryn Hinch has been a colourful, megaphone-campaigning, ground-breaking journalist. He has always pursued the story as ambitiously and doggedly as the headline. He has long been amongst the very best tabloid reporters in Australia, a special skill that should be recognised and rewarded. He has also consistently been on the ‘decent’ side of most public debates.
“Derryn Nigel Hinch truly deserves the accolades. He is a legend of Australian journalism.”
Derryn Hinch lived a life rich in colour and free from fear.
As an interviewer, investigator and presenter he was much more than ‘the Human Headline’ he had a sense of the deeper story and the courage to cover it, come what may.
He held to those same instincts as a Senator…
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 10, 2026
RIP Derryn Hinch. Had the pleasure of being the publicist for Hinch on Channel 7 in the late 1980s. 🙏 https://t.co/WGrX0V0Fnk
— Colin Vickery (@Colvick) July 10, 2026
Derryn Hinch a wonderful supporter of local journalists, he would always answer the phone. Also fantastic company at functions and opening nights. As a Senator he got things done. I remember a big supporter of marriage equality. RIP pic.twitter.com/dW0gyalCF7
— Luke Dennehy (@LukeDennehy) July 10, 2026
Bugger. He was a good man. A bit mad at times, but he cared and wanted to make things better. I liked him a lot, and I’m very sorry to see him go. https://t.co/FcVHdwwMmQ
— Mike Carlton (@MikeCarlton01) July 10, 2026
Vale.
Derryn Hinch dies aged 82 https://t.co/S9UZPDjgd6
— Peter FitzSimons (@Peter_Fitz) July 10, 2026
Wordlers. Did not think toddy yesterday would be accepted.3.
— Derryn Hinch (@HumanHeadline) July 6, 2026
This post updates.