Ellen Fanning

Ellen Fanning is an award-winning current affairs journalist and an exceptional MC, moderator and facilitator. She appears daily and hosts the ABC TV’s program, The Drum, a panel discussion program that focusses on the news of the day.

With a wealth of experience in communications, politics, social, cultural and business issues, along with her work as a TV presenter and panellist, Ellen is an exceptional MC, moderator, facilitator and keynote speaker.

An impeccable presenter, Ellen works closely with clients prior to events to ensure objectives are achieved. She is able to ad-lib and improvise when necessary to keep events flowing and to ensure prize winners and other presenters feel comfortable when delivering their own speeches stage.

More about Ellen Fanning

At 24, Ellen Fanning broke new ground, becoming the first woman to host one of ABC Radio’s national current affairs programs. Two years at the helm of PM were followed by several years anchoring AM on ABC Radio and serving as occasional host of ABC TV’s 7.30 Report.

Ellen served as the ABC’s Washington correspondent and has been a reporter for the Nine Network’s 60 Minutes and Sunday programs. She was the last presenter of the Nine Network’s prestigious Sunday program and a columnist on legendary The Bulletin magazine.

She is a host of the ABC TV discussion program “The Drum” and regularly helms significant breaking news events for the ABC’s 24 hour television news service.

She has reported from locations as diverse as Transylvania and the North Pole, under the Indian Ocean aboard an Australian Navy submarine and 30,000 feet over Serbia from a US Airforce refuelling jet. She has interviewed every current and former Australian Prime Minister, and has met and interviewed world leaders from France, Britain, Ireland, Israel and the United States.

Ellen Fanning has had extensive experience moderating political, business and community events in Australia. As a facilitator her strength lies in her ability to clarify goals, define roles and reach agreed outcomes across both cultural and language barriers.

Ellen has hosted award ceremonies for government, business groups and industry organisations over many years.

When engaged as the MC for awards events, Ellen briefs herself fully on the awards and endeavours to discover small details about each winner that she can use to inform her comments during the prize giving. She works closely with the organisers on the script for the evening and makes herself available for full rehearsals prior to the event at a time suitable to the organisers.