ABC appoints Isabella Higgins as new host of AM radio program

Isabella Higgins has been appointed as the new presenter of ABC’s flagship radio show AM; The veteran journalist said the role “almost felt beyond my dreams.”

Higgins, a proud Torres Strait Islander woman, steps into the role after more than a decade at the ABC.

“This is a show with a legacy of world-class journalism,” he says.

Higgins joined the broadcaster in 2014 and has worked in metropolitan and regional newsrooms since then.

He has held a number of senior roles, including national Indigenous Affairs correspondent, European correspondent and most recently national social affairs correspondent.

Higgins replaces Sabra Lane, who announced in December that she would step down after nine years presenting the audio current affairs program AM.

“I still remember the joy of publishing my first story on AM as a young reporter and can’t believe I will be taking on the role of presenter,” says Higgins.

“Sabra Lane and all its past landlords leave huge gaps to fill.”

After years of reporting in the field, Higgins says he is excited to return to the studio and channel his passion for making both world and community news accessible to Australians.

“If being a Europe correspondent has taught me anything, it’s that there are so many important things that affect the way many people live every day that Australians need to know and understand,” he says.

“I’m excited by the challenge of trying to make this interesting, engaging and high impact for the audience in the studio.”

Making news accessible

Early in his career, Higgins’ reporting on suicide rates in Indigenous communities was nominated for several awards and earned him the Walkey Foundation Young Journalist Award.

“I come from a big family in Queensland who are not big news consumers,” says Higgins.

“So I’m always trying to think about how to make sure the news is relevant, accessible and meaningful.”

This family is about to get bigger as Higgins announced that she is expecting her first child.

“This is the year I accepted that I was going to have a terrible sleep schedule,” she says.

“But I am so grateful that I was given this opportunity in the same year that I experienced another exciting milestone in my life.”

ABC News Director Justin Stevens says Higgins is well positioned to host the AM show.

“I would also like to express my gratitude to Sabra Lane for her incredible work on the show for almost a decade. We look forward to her taking on a new role at ABC once she returns from her well-deserved long service leave.”