Veteran Channel Seven presenter Rob Brough has said he stepped away from screens last August to support his daughter, who is fighting aggressive brain cancer, dismissing suggestions his absence was the result of being axed.
Brough, 70, spoke about the reasons for his extended leave in an interview on ABC Sunshine Coast radio on Tuesday, saying he had chosen to prioritise family as treatments had run out of options. "About four years ago our daughter Jess was diagnosed with breast cancer. That was pretty confronting," he said. "We got to a tough stage where things weren't working and not a lot of options were available. It was just an easy choice for me to leave work and spend as much time as I could around her and her family."
Brough said he has been helping raise his daughter's three children, Indigo, Milla and Madden, during her illness. He described the role of supporting his grandchildren as "a beautiful thing," and said family needs prompted his decision to take leave from presenting duties on Seven's regional bulletins for the Sunshine Coast and surrounding Queensland markets.
His chair on the regional bulletins, which service areas including Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and Toowoomba, has been filled in his absence by Nathan Spurling and Joanne Desmond, who co-anchor the bulletins. Brough began his media career in radio in the 1970s before moving into television with the ABC and Channel Nine. He rose to wider national recognition as host of Seven's Family Feud in 1990, a role he held until 1995, later returning to regional presenting in Queensland.
Brough's revelation comes after weeks of online speculation about his status at the network. Following his departure from the bulletin last year, a Reddit thread suggested he might have been the subject of a forced retirement or a falling out with staff, and some fans expressed concern that his absence would prompt them to stop watching. Brough's comments to ABC Sunshine Coast address those rumours by confirming his leave was motivated by family health matters.
The presenter has experienced family tragedy before: almost three decades ago his three-year-old son, Sam, died. Brough has previously spoken publicly about the lasting impact of that loss.
Channel Seven underwent a series of staff cuts across its Queensland newsrooms during 2024, which fuelled further conjecture about Brough's future at the network. In his interview, he did not comment on internal staffing decisions at Seven, focusing instead on his daughter's care and his role in supporting her and the family through a difficult period.
Representatives for Channel Seven had not issued a comment on Brough's status by the time of the interview. Brough did not provide a timeline for a potential return to on-air duties, saying his priorities remain with his daughter and grandchildren.
As Brough recovers from the sudden drop from public view, viewers and colleagues have reacted with support and sympathy on social media, while the network's temporary presenting arrangements continue to serve its regional bulletins.