A farewell delivered exactly as he had planned
Even in his final days, Derryn Hinch remained true to the instincts that defined his extraordinary career.
The veteran Australian broadcaster, broadcaster and former senator passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday at the age of 82 after years of health challenges. But long before that moment arrived, he had already decided exactly how the news of his passing would be shared—and who would tell Australia first.
That deeply personal decision has now been revealed by Sunrise entertainment reporter Peter Ford, offering a poignant glimpse into the mind of one of Australia’s most recognisable media figures.
An unexpected phone call that stayed with Peter Ford
Ford recalled first meeting Hinch as a young journalist when the outspoken broadcaster arrived in Melbourne promising to shake up the city’s media landscape—a promise he undoubtedly fulfilled.
Although the pair were never especially close friends, Ford said he received a surprising phone call from Hinch around a year ago.
During the conversation, Hinch told him he wanted to give him an exclusive story.
At first, Ford assumed it was another media tip. Instead, Hinch revealed something far more personal.
He had instructed his personal assistant that when the time came, Ford would be the very first journalist informed of his passing.
A promise fulfilled one year later
Around midday on Friday, that promise became reality.
Ford received a call from Hinch’s personal assistant with a simple message: Derryn Hinch had passed away, and he had wanted Ford to break the news.
Reflecting on the experience, Ford said he never viewed it as a privilege to boast about, but rather as a powerful reminder of how Hinch’s mind always worked.
Even while preparing for the inevitable, he was still thinking like a journalist—carefully considering the story, its timing and how it should reach the public.
“Why me?”
Ford admitted he had asked Hinch why he had been chosen.
Hinch’s answer reflected the uncompromising honesty that made him both admired and controversial throughout his career.
He explained that after someone dies, people often rewrite history, remembering only the good while overlooking the more complicated truth.
He believed Ford would tell the story honestly—acknowledging both his achievements and his flaws, without turning him into someone he never claimed to be.
It was an answer that perfectly captured the man many Australians knew as the “Human Headline.”
A career that left a lasting mark
Born in New Zealand, Hinch built a remarkable career spanning more than four decades across radio, television and print journalism.
He became one of Australia’s most recognisable broadcasters through his work on Melbourne and Sydney radio, particularly during his years at 3AW, before later entering politics as an independent senator between 2016 and 2019.
Throughout his career, he remained one of the country’s most outspoken public figures—earning both fierce criticism and passionate support.
A legacy bigger than controversy
While acknowledging Hinch’s career was often divisive, Ford believes one contribution will endure above all others.
His relentless campaign to expose child sex offenders and advocate for victims reshaped public debate and remains one of the defining causes of his life.
That work, Ford said, deserves to be remembered alongside his decades in Australian media.
One final wish that reflected his humour
Even Hinch’s funeral plans carried the unmistakable personality Australians had come to expect.
He famously said he hoped his farewell would be held at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre, with his coffin leaving the venue to a recording of his own iconic sign-off:
“I’m Derryn Hinch… that’s life.”
For a man who spent a lifetime telling Australia’s biggest stories, his own final chapter was written with the same honesty, wit and unmistakable sense of timing that defined his career.
