Three-time Walkley Award finalist Amanda Paterson began her career as one of Australia's youngest television current affairs reporters at the age of 19.
While studying journalism at the University of Southern Queensland, Amanda was recruited by the Nine Network's Extra program in Brisbane. In 1995, she won a Queensland Media Award for her live coverage of lifesaving rescues along the Gold Coast.
In 1988, Amanda joined Channel Seven as a reporter for Today Tonight. It was there she produced and presented a national Breast Cancer documentary, and within six months becoming the youngest host of Today Tonight Queensland.
Amanda rejoined Channel Nine with A Current Affair in Melbourne. In 2001, she returned to her home state and the Queensland bureau of ACA where her three-story investigation into medical negligence at Nambour Hospital on the Sunshine Coast saw Amanda nominated for her first prestigious Walkley Award for journalism excellence.
Since then, Amanda has continued to have a major impact as an investigative reporter. In 2003, she broke the national scandal of Australian Swimming's Head Coach, Greg Hodge, and his improper relationship with a young athlete. Her expose forced Australian Swimming’s shock sacking of Hodge in the lead up to the Athens Olympics.
Her skills as an interviewer and a presenter were again showcased when Amanda was chosen to co-host the Nine Network's live morning program, Today, during 2003 and 2004. Later that year, after negotiating exclusive, unprecedented access, she was seconded by current affairs flagship, 60 Minutes, to tell the amazing survival story of three children lost in the shark and crocodile infested waters of the Torres Strait.
Also in 2004, took out two Queensland Media Awards, including investigation of the year, for her story uncovering the private life of business tycoon Keith Lloyd exposing him as a sexual predator of young girls. Her report forced Premier Peter Beattie to demand a full Parliamentary Inquiry, and a review of investigation methods used by Queensland Police. Amanda received further critical acclaim from her peers when the amazing investigation was nominated for another two prestigious Walkley Awards.
Amanda's tenacity went on to re-open an eight year old NSW murder in 2005. Homicide detectives were forced to examine the cold-case after original suspect, Gareth Bunce confessed to Amanda on national television. As a result, Bunce is currently behind bars in Sydney awaiting trial for the killing after police were able to find all the evidence they needed to make the arrest from transcripts of Amanda’s ACA interview.
Earlier this year Amanda overcame her biggest fear — Sharks. Together with Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin and a crack-team of deep-sea divers, Amanda took ACA's cameras 30 metres below wild Wolf Rock off the coast of Queensland to film and swim with the endangered Grey Nurse Sharks. She's also trekked Cape York Peninsula with Irwin wrestling and tagging saltwater crocs to film ACA's controversial debates on trophy hunting.
Amanda has travelled the globe on international assignments for the Nine Network, reporting live at the Academy Awards in Hollywood and covering everything from the Michael Jackson trial in the US to chasing runaway conmen from South America to New Zealand.
