Mike Gibson (sports journalist)
Mike Gibson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 May 1940 |
| Died | 23 September 2015 (aged 75) |
| Occupation(s) | Sports journalist, columnist, broadcaster, television host |
| Years active | 1970s–2013 |
| Known for | Host of Wide World of Sports, co-host of Good Morning Australia, presenter of The Back Page |
Mike Gibson (27 May 1940 – 23 September 2015), widely known by his nickname "Gibbo," was a prominent Australian sports journalist, columnist, broadcaster, and host on both radio and television.
Media career
Gibson's early career began in print journalism, where he reported on greyhound racing and rugby league. During the 1970s, he transitioned to radio, initially joining the breakfast program at 2SM before moving to 2GB in 1979. In 1981, he took on the role of host for Wide World of Sports and contributed a regular column to The Australian Women's Weekly, having previously written for two Sydney-based newspapers. Starting in 1988, he co-hosted Good Morning Australia alongside Kerri-Anne Kennerley.
As one of the original hosts on the Nine Network's Nine's Wide World of Sports, Gibson worked with former cricket captain Ian Chappell. Additionally, he was the presenter of The Back Page on Fox Sports for sixteen years, sharing the screen with comedian Billy Birmingham, who famously impersonated him in a recurring segment titled "The Wired World of Sports."
In recognition of his contributions, Gibson was honored with the Australian Sports Commission Media Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. He concluded his professional career in 2013.
Posthumously, on 12 December 2021, Gibson was inducted into the Sydney Cricket Ground Media Hall of Honour, joining a distinguished group of media personalities acknowledged since the Hall's establishment in 2014.
Personal life and death
Gibson and his wife Helen separated in 1989. He was father to five children, among them Courtney Gibson, who also pursued a career at the Nine Network.
At 75 years old, Gibson died by suicide at his residence on the Central Coast of New South Wales on 23 September 2015 after enduring a prolonged struggle with depression.