I never want to look back and regret not spending time with my daughter
After nine years as one of Australian television's most familiar sports voices, Erin Molan has stepped away from Channel 9 to recompose her professional life across Sky News, The Daily Telegraph, and radio — a transition that speaks less to ambition than to the quieter, harder work of sustaining a whole life. Her departure, announced in December 2021, reflects a growing cultural conversation about what it costs to perform at the highest levels of media while raising a child alone. In choosing breadth over intensity, Molan offers a study in the kind of courage that rarely makes headlines: the courage to slow down.
- A mounting workload — live Sunday NRL broadcasts, daily radio, and single parenthood — had pushed Molan's schedule to a breaking point that was becoming difficult to conceal.
- The Liberal Party's overture about a federal election run in Eden-Monaro added pressure, forcing a public reckoning with just how stretched her capacity had become.
- Molan's answer was not retreat but redistribution: Sky News primetime appearances, a fortnightly Telegraph column, and a documentary on online safety replace the relentless rhythm of live sports television.
- Industry figures at both Sky News and The Daily Telegraph have framed her arrival as a gain, pointing to her credibility on issues beyond sport and her ability to provoke meaningful public conversation.
- The transition lands as a deliberate act of self-determination — one anchored, above all else, in her commitment to being present for her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter.
Erin Molan has ended her nine-year run at Channel 9, stepping away from live NRL coverage and The Footy Show to take up a set of roles that better fit the shape of her life. The move, confirmed in mid-December 2021, will see her join Sky News Australia as a Primetime Contributor, write a fortnightly column for The Daily Telegraph from January 2022, and continue her work at 2DayFM radio.
The decision followed a period of visible strain. Molan had been managing Sunday night football broadcasts alongside daily radio commitments while raising a young daughter alone after separating from homicide detective Sean Ogilvy. When the Liberal Party floated the idea of her contesting the NSW seat of Eden-Monaro, she declined — not from lack of interest in public life, but from a clear-eyed assessment of what she was and wasn't willing to trade away. "My biggest thing in life is I never want to look back and regret not spending the time with my daughter that she deserves," she said.
At Sky News, she will contribute to the network's opinion and discussion programming and host a documentary on online safety, a cause she has long advocated for publicly. Daily Telegraph editor Ben English praised her instinct for issues that resonate with readers, while Sky News chief executive Paul Whittaker pointed to her standing as a fierce voice on matters of national importance.
For Molan, the shift is as much personal architecture as career strategy. By stepping off the weekly live broadcast treadmill, she has created room — for her column, her radio work, her documentary, and the relationship with her daughter she has named as her highest priority. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, reflecting on her earlier decision to decline the political run, put it simply: "If you're not ready to come in, then that's not the right time for you." By her own measure, this moment is.
Erin Molan has walked away from Channel 9, ending a tenure that made her one of Australian television's most recognizable sports broadcasters. The move, announced in mid-December 2021, marks a significant recalibration of her career—one that trades the intensity of live NRL coverage for a more distributed portfolio across Sky News Australia, The Daily Telegraph, and her existing radio work at 2DayFM.
Molan's departure comes after months of visible strain. She had been juggling Sunday night football broadcasts for Nine with her radio commitments, all while raising a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter as a single parent following her split from homicide detective Sean Ogilvy. In recent weeks, reports had surfaced suggesting the workload was becoming unsustainable. When asked about a separate opportunity—a federal election run in the NSW seat of Eden-Monaro, floated by the Liberal Party—Molan declined, citing the demands on her time and her unwillingness to sacrifice her relationship with her daughter. "My biggest thing in life is I never want to look back and regret not spending the time with my daughter that she deserves," she said at the time.
At Sky News, Molan will serve as a Primetime Contributor, appearing across the network's programming slate. She will also host a new documentary on online safety, a cause she has championed publicly throughout her career. Beginning in January 2022, she will write a fortnightly column for The Daily Telegraph. The newspaper's editor, Ben English, described her as someone "dialled in to the issues that matter to our readers," predicting her "sharp and provocative insights" would spark conversation across Sydney and New South Wales. Sky News chief executive Paul Whittaker framed her arrival as an asset to the network's opinion and discussion programming, noting her reputation as a fierce advocate on matters of national importance.
Molan's nine years at Channel 9 had established her as a fixture in Australian sports media. She co-hosted The Footy Show and the Sunday NRL Footy Show, and anchored sports coverage on Nine News. Her departure represents a notable loss for the network, though her new roles suggest a deliberate broadening of her scope beyond sports journalism into current affairs, documentary work, and opinion writing.
The transition also signals a shift in how Molan is managing her professional life. By moving away from the weekly grind of live Sunday broadcasts, she appears to be creating space for the other demands on her time—her radio work, her column, and, most importantly to her, her role as a mother. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, when asked about her earlier decision to decline the political opportunity, offered his respect for her choice. "If you're not ready to come in, then that's not the right time for you," he said. For Molan, the timing for this career move appears to be precisely right.
Notable Quotes
My biggest thing in life is I never want to look back and regret not spending the time with my daughter that she deserves.— Erin Molan
If you're not ready to come in, then that's not the right time for you and I have always respected those decisions.— Prime Minister Scott Morrison, on Molan's decision to decline the political opportunity
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did she leave Nine, really? Was it just the schedule, or something deeper?
The schedule was real—Sunday NRL broadcasts plus radio plus single parenthood is genuinely a lot. But I think what shifted was her own clarity about what she actually wanted. She'd been asked to run for Parliament, and her answer to that question told her something about her priorities.
So this isn't a step down, moving from Nine to Sky News?
Not at all. Sky News is a rival network, and she's getting more editorial freedom—opinion programming, documentary work, a column. She's trading the weekly treadmill for a more varied role. It's actually a lateral move with more control.
The online safety documentary—is that just a job, or does it connect to something she cares about?
She's been vocal about online safety for years. This isn't a random assignment. It's the kind of work that probably matters to her beyond the paycheck.
What about the radio job? Is she keeping that?
Yes. 2DayFM stays. So she's not stepping back from work entirely—she's reshaping it. Less live sports, more writing and commentary and documentary.
Do you think this works, long-term? Can she actually balance all three things?
That's the real question. She's removed the most time-intensive piece—the Sunday broadcasts—which was the breaking point. Whether Sky News, the Telegraph, and radio actually add up to something sustainable, we'll see.