Liz Hayes: Biography, Age, Husband, 60 Minutes, Parents
June 25, 2024Liz Hayes (born 23 May 1956) is an Australian reporter, journalist, and television presenter. She is best known for her in-depth storytelling on the current affairs program 60 Minutes.
Hayes has spent over 40 years in the broadcast industry. She has interviewed the heads of state, convicted murderers, and predatory con men. She had a brief stint at New Idea and TV Week before becoming a reporter for Channel Ten.
Liz Hayes | |
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| Quick Facts | |
| Name: | Elizabeth Hayes (née Ryan) |
| Born: | 23 May 1956 (age 68 years old) |
| Place of birth: | Taree, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality: | Australian |
| Occupation: | Journalist, reporter, television presenter |
| Employer: | Nine Network |
| Years active: | 1981–date |
| Spouse: | Brian Hayes (div) John Singleton (m. 1991–1992) Stephen Coogan (m. 1994-1997) Ben Crane |
Early life
Liz Hayes was born on 23 May 1956 in Taree, New South Wales, Australia to Bryan and Patricia Ryan. She spent her childhood on her family dairy farm on Oxley Island in Taree. Her birth name is Elizabeth Ryan.
Liz Hayes’ maternal family has a rich Irish Catholic heritage, and her grandfather was a train driver.
Career
Hayes joined the broadcast industry as a cadet for Manning River Times newspaper. She became assistant editor before moving to Sydney.
Since joining 60 Minutes in 1996, Hayes has traveled the globe, reporting on countless stories for the program. She covered the 2010 flood crisis in Pakistan and the 2011 earthquake. She also noted the Japan tsunami and the United States presidential election.
Hayes’ first job in Sydney was a short-lived one, lasting only a matter of weeks at New Idea and TV Week. She switched to television and spent the next two years reporting on the road for Channel Ten’s Eyewitness News.
Liz was ‘poached’ by Nine News to join their reporting team in 1991 and quickly made a name for herself, presenting the 11:30 Morning News.
She co-hosted the national breakfast program, Today. She covered a wide range of topics, from sports and politics to show business and economics.
Liz produced and presented the documentary The Great Gift in 1986. The film earned her a prestigious Logie Award.
Hayes’ extensive experience has seen her helm special event telecasts for Channel Nine. She hosted the Winter Olympics and the momentous announcement of Sydney’s successful Olympic Games bid.
The reporter has broadcasted live from outside Australia – New Guinea, Los Angeles, Wimbledon, New York, and Dublin. Hayes reached a remarkable career milestone, celebrating three decades with the Nine Network in 2011.
Liz Hayes has written a memoir titled I’m Liz Hayes, published on 1 November 2023.
Personal life
Hayes went through three divorces, each attracting significant media attention.
At 21 years old, Liz Hayes married her first husband, Brian Hayes, a builder from Taree, in the 70s, but they parted ways in the mid-1980s. In February 1991, she tied the knot with advertising entrepreneur John Singleton.
After her second marriage ended, Hayes tied the knot again in 1994 with Stephen Coogan, a Sydney-based physician. The union was short-lived, ending in separation in 1997.
Hayes has spoken out against assumptions that she chose her career over starting a family, calling the notion ‘unkind’ in a 2014 interview.
After previous marriages, Liz Hayes has found her perfect match in Ben Crane, a former soundman for 60 Minutes. They have been together since the 2000s and have been inseparable ever since. She has chosen to keep the surname of her first husband, Bryan Hayes, as her professional name.
Liz Hayes suffered a double loss in recent years, with her mother, Patricia, passing away in 2018 after a battle with dementia, and her father, Bryan, passing away in 2019 due to a tragic hospital error.
