Fiona MacDonald (television presenter)

Fiona Frances MacDonald (27 May 1957 – 3 October 2024)^[1] was an Australian television presenter.

Fiona MacDonald
Born	Fiona Frances MacDonald (1957-05-27)27 May 1957 Blackall, Queensland, Australia
Died	3 October 2024(2024-10-03) (aged 67) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation	Television presenter
Family	Jacki MacDonald (sister)

Life and career

MacDonald was raised on a cattle property in the outback town of Blackall, Queensland.^[2] She had two sisters, Kylie and Jacki MacDonald, the latter also a television presenter.^[3]

MacDonald appeared on local television in Queensland before going on to national programs such as children's show Wombat and the local version of British game show It's a Knockout.^[2][4] While hosting Wombat, she was featured in the "A Day in the Life" series by The Australian Women's Weekly.^[5] After leaving It's a Knockout, MacDonald became a wine expert.^[2] She also was writer and co-editor of the student newspaper Woroni in the 1990s.^[6][7][8]

Personal life and death

She married in the 1990s and had two sons.^[2][3]

MacDonald was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in November 2021. She undertook a drive around Australia with her sister, Kylie Thynne, in mid-2023 to raise funds for research into the disease,^[9] and talked about her experience with it in an October 2023 episode of Australian Story. She died on 3 October 2024, at the age of 67.^[2][3]