Channel Nine names Bronte Gildea as weekday 6pm sports presenter for Queensland

Channel Nine has appointed Bronte Gildea as the weekday sports presenter for its 6pm news in Queensland, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The paper says Gildea will move from the Gold Coast newsroom to Brisbane to take up the Monday-to-Friday presenting role in the new year.

According to the Herald, Gildea is already a familiar face on Nine through her regular appearances on Wide World of Sport and during NRL and NRLW coverage.

The Herald quotes Gildea expressing enthusiasm for the appointment, saying she is "excited and honoured to be joining the 9News Queensland desk as a more permanent fixture." The article adds that Gildea told viewers that Queenslanders are passionate about their sport and that she shares that enthusiasm.

Nine News Queensland director of news Brendan Hockings is cited in the Herald welcoming the appointment, saying Gildea’s enthusiasm and dedication made her a good fit and expressing confidence she would continue to produce the programme's sports coverage.

The Herald frames the move as a shift from regional reporting on the Gold Coast to a nightly metropolitan bulletin role in Brisbane. Gildea will join the existing 6pm presenting team of Melissa Downes and Joel Dry, the Herald says, while Dominique Loudon will remain the station's weekend sports presenter.

The article presents the change as a staffing update for Nine’s Queensland bulletins rather than a commentary on broader programming strategy. The Herald’s piece also notes a personal detail, reporting that Gildea is the partner of Broncos player Pat Carrigan.

Two Australian media headlines — nineforbrands.com.au and TV Tonight — also flagged Gildea’s appointment, corroborating that Nine announced her as the new Queensland weekday sports presenter.

Channel Nine’s decision moves a regular sports reporter into a permanent weekday presenting role for the state bulletin and consolidates the station’s on-air sports team for both weeknights and weekends. The Herald’s report focuses on the personnel change, the presenters involved, and quoted responses from Gildea and the network’s director of news.