Rachel Williams, a familiar face who presented weekend news on Seven Tasmania for a decade, will return to screens tonight after nearly six years away from television.
The veteran journalist, who started her media career in 2000, left her weekend news presenter role in 2020 to focus on her young family and pursue new challenges.
“My eldest, Hamish, he was six months when I first started, so they grew up watching Mum read the weekend news every weekend,” she said.
“I’d been doing the weekend news every weekend for 10 years… and it just got to a point where I was starting to miss out on some of their sporting events and travel around the state on weekends.”
Her departure became memorable when a power failure forced her to return the following night to deliver her farewell message.
“I was very humbled by the support when I left. It was quite overwhelming actually,” she said.
“So hopefully they’ll all be happy to see me return.”
Since leaving television, Rachel has built her own media business and bought the North Eastern Advertiser newspaper when it was threatened with closure two and a half years ago, becoming its editor.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the support of the north-east community,” she said.
“They are nothing but an amazing, supportive, strong community that has your back and I love giving back to them each week.”
The north-east community has shown excitement about their newspaper editor’s television return, though Williams said her newspaper remains her priority.
“I have absolutely assured them that reading the weekend news every now and then will not impact in any way, shape, or form on my production of the paper each week,” she said.
Williams will work casually on weekends where needed, joining the team alongside Kim Millar, Michael Maney and Nick Kelly at Seven Tasmania.
“I’m a bit nervous, I must admit,” she said. “I love being able to deliver the news. I’m hoping I can still use the teleprompter.”
She said her sons will tune in from home for her news reading return this weekend.
