Chris Uhlmann

Christopher Uhlmann
Born	(1960-06-24) June 24, 1960
Nationality	Australian
Occupation(s)	Journalist, television host, radio producer, author
Years active	1990s–present
Known for	Political editor for ABC News and Nine News; co-host of 7.30; presenter of AM; author of political thrillers
Notable work	The Marmalade Files, The Mandarin Code, The Shadow Game

Christopher Gerald Uhlmann (born 24 June 1960) is a prominent Australian journalist and television host.

Career

Before embarking on a journalism career, Uhlmann initially studied in a seminary and worked as a security guard. He later entered the field of journalism with The Canberra Times. In 1998, he joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) as a radio producer.

From 1999 until 2004, Uhlmann co-hosted Local Radio Breakfast on ABC Radio Canberra. In 2005, he took on the role of producer for Jon Faine's Mornings program on ABC Radio Melbourne and was promoted in 2006 to chief political correspondent for ABC Radio’s current affairs division.

Uhlmann transitioned to television in 2008, taking on the position of political editor for The 7.30 Report, ABC News, and the ABC News channel. In December 2010, he was named co-host of the ABC’s current affairs program 7.30. Following a format change in 2012, he returned to his role as political editor while Leigh Sales assumed hosting duties.

In 2013, Uhlmann stepped down from 7.30 to focus on producing a documentary centered on the Rudd and Gillard administrations. He was appointed in February 2014 as the 14th presenter of ABC Radio’s flagship news show AM, succeeding Tony Eastley.

Uhlmann was appointed ABC News political editor in January 2015, leaving the AM program, where Michael Brissenden took over his position. His succinct July 2017 analysis of Donald Trump’s performance at the G20 summit gained international attention and significantly raised his profile within U.S. media outlets.

In August 2017, Uhlmann departed ABC to join Nine News as political editor, replacing Laurie Oakes. During the Liberal Party leadership spill in 2018, he openly criticized Sky News, 2GB, and News Corp Australia for their opposition to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, which attracted widespread discussion on social media platforms.

Uhlmann retired from his role at Nine News in October 2022, with Charles Croucher succeeding him as political editor. In April 2024, he began contributing politically to Sky News and also took on a columnist role with The Australian newspaper.

Awards

• 2008: Walkley Award for Broadcast Interviewing

Politics

In the ACT general election of 1998, Uhlmann ran unsuccessfully for the Molonglo electorate representing the Osborne Independent Group—a conservative faction opposing abortion and euthanasia legislation. The group was named after Paul Osborne; however, Uhlmann later disagreed with Osborne regarding abortion restrictions in the Australian Capital Territory. Interestingly, six years prior to this election, Uhlmann had supported the establishment of an abortion clinic within the territory.

Books

Alongside Steve Lewis, Uhlmann co-wrote a trilogy of political thrillers set against Canberra’s backdrop: The Marmalade Files (2012), The Mandarin Code (2014), and The Shadow Game (2016). These novels feature political journalist Harry Dunkley investigating conspiracies involving China, the United States, and Australian intelligence agencies. The first two novels were adapted into the Australian television series Secret City in 2016, with the main character reimagined as Harriet.

Personal life

Uhlmann is married to Gai Brodtmann, who served as an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives representing the Division of Canberra from 2010 to 2019. Brodtmann also holds a position on the council of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

External links

• Articles featured in The Australian