Departing ABC presenter Michael Rowland has moved swiftly to address speculation surrounding his wife's health, mere hours after revealing his decision to step down from the national broadcaster following an impressive thirty-nine-year tenure.
Clarification on Health Concerns
On Monday, Rowland announced he would be concluding his role at the ABC this week, citing a desire to dedicate more time to his wife, Nicola, who has experienced health challenges over the past year. However, in a subsequent Instagram post that afternoon, Rowland clarified the situation, dispelling any notions that his departure was prompted by a critical health crisis.
'Thanks, by the way, for all the lovely messages to my wife, Nicki. Some of the headlines today have suggested she is at death’s door,' Rowland wrote. 'Yes, Nicki has been unwell over the last year or so but is well and truly bouncing back. Proof of life from a wedding in Warrnambool on Saturday!'
A Storied Career at the ABC
Rowland's journey with the ABC began in January 1987 when he joined as an eighteen-year-old cadet journalist. Reflecting on his extensive career, the veteran presenter described his time at the network as a 'great ride', expressing mixed emotions about his departure.
'It's bittersweet. I know this is the right decision for me, my family and my life going forward. But I'll miss the viewers. I still get a wonderful reception when I travel around Australia,' he shared.
His roles have spanned various significant positions, including work in the Canberra press gallery during the 1990s, serving as a correspondent in Washington in the early 2000s, and hosting the ABC News Breakfast program for fifteen years. Rowland remarked, 'I have been very fortunate since joining as a pimply cadet. I've had the chance to do pretty much everything - from the overnight shift monitoring police and fire brigades for radio news leads, to presenting various national TV programs.'
Personal Life and Partnership
Rowland and his wife Nicola, who share two children, first met as political journalists when Rowland was a radio reporter for the ABC. In a 2020 interview with The Australian Women's Weekly, Nicola Webber spoke fondly of their relationship, highlighting Rowland's supportive nature.
'My world before I met him was chaos, delightfully so, but he's the ballast in the ship for me,' she said. 'We balance each other. We make each other laugh. We frustrate each other as well. It sounds such a cliché – but we're a really good team.'
Rowland emphasized that his decision to leave is about timing and family, stating, 'It's just the right time for my family and friends to step back from full-time work and move on to the next stage of life.' He will officially conclude his duties at the ABC on Friday, marking the end of a distinguished era in Australian broadcasting.
