Veteran Sunrise star announces sudden retirement
Sunrise reporter Bianca Stone has announced her resignation from Channel 7 after 18 years with the network.
Stone’s decision has taken her colleagues by surprise, as she revealed she was leaving the show this week to consider the next step in her career.
Stone has been a Queensland correspondent for the Aussie breakfast show for the past six years. She said in a statement that she officially resigned from the network four weeks ago after reassessing her career over the Christmas break.
Stone said it came as a shock to the network, but she had been considering leaving for some time.
The long-time Sunrise reporter and mother of three children aged 22, 9 and 8, said she found Sunrise a dream job, but the wake-up calls and pressures of presenting were growing tiresome.
Stone shared that she was still breastfeeding her youngest daughter when she started with Sunrise and has been presenting a live local bulletin Queensland since 2021 to help overcome delays caused by daylight saving, meaning she has a daily alarm of 2am.
The Sunrise reporter revealed, in the beginning, the excitement of the show far outweighed the early starts, but as she grew older and her daughter grew up, her mind changed.
Over the Christmas break, Stone had a chance to catch up on sleep, and her youngest daughter told her, “mum, we really like you when you’re not sleepy and cranky,” which is what led her to consider her next career move.
In 2021, Stone made headlines after a confrontation with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk about COVID vaccines, with some people suggesting she should consider getting into politics.
Stone said that she hadn’t made any decisions about her future yet and was open to opportunities, including returning to Channel 7 in a freelance role.
Her departure from the show has led to speculation about who will fill her role as the new Queensland correspondent.
Seven’s director of morning television, Sarah Stinson, said that Bianca has been such a valued member of the Sunrise family and will leave with nothing but good wishes and our thanks.
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