Patricia Karvelas’ replacement for ABC Radio National Breakfast

Sally Sara has been announced as Patricia Karvelas’ replacement on ABC Radio National Breakfast.

‘We’ll be covering what’s going on right across the country, and also given the kind of stories that are unfolding internationally as well, obviously, that international news would be hugely important as well,’ Sara said on Friday morning. 

Sara has reported from more than 40 countries as an ABC foreign correspondent, including across Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa and India and worked for Foreign Correspondent and Landline. 

She has extensive experience in audio journalism and has been presenter of The World Today since 2020.

‘I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to join the team. I can’t wait,’ Sara said. 

‘I will work hard to engage the audience with stories from across the country and around the world.’

Karvelas announced she was quitting the ABC Radio National Breakfast show in October.

‘After a decade, it’s time to change it up, and I’m ready to lean into a new cross-platform role,’ she said.

ABC star Patricia Karvelas announced she was leaving the Radio National Breakfast show in October 

Karvelas has struggled to attract listeners, with her RN Breakfast program ranking last in Sydney in the most recent GfK survey, which showed a 2 percent audience share — a decline of 0.5 percentage points from the previous survey.

ABC chairman Kim Williams said in June that he was concerned by the declining ratings and flagged changes.

‘I would like to see larger audiences for Radio National,’ Mr Williams said in an interview with Karvelas.

‘I would like to see Radio National lift its ambitions in terms of its role in Australia.’

Before joining the public broadcaster in 2015, Karvelas worked for The Australian newspaper for 13 years and had a brief stint at Sky News Australia.

After being appointed as the Breakfast host, she addressed the perception of left-wing bias at the ABC.

‘Everyone has their own biases, because we all have a ‘lived’ experience — the suburb we live in, the families we’re from, the schools we went to,’ she told The Australian.

‘But all of the professionals I’ve worked with at the ABC question their own biases.’

Karvelas was a strong advocate for the Albanese government’s failed proposal for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

She tweeted a message of support from the Labor 2022 election night party, posing with Labor’s Indigenous Affairs spokeswoman, Linda Burney, and writing: ‘This woman is a legend and looks like she will be the next Indigenous Affairs Minister #UluruStatement.’

ABC Managing Director David Anderson stated at a Senate Estimates hearing on November 29 that this did ‘not’ demonstrate political bias.

In 2023, she slammed trolls who abused her online after she spoke about the struggles she faced as a closeted lesbian at the start of her journalism career.

Sally Sara (pictured) has reported from more than 40 countries as an ABC foreign correspondent, including across Afghanistan, Iraq  Africa and India and worked for Foreign Correspondent and Landline. Sara will take over the Radio National Breakfast program in 2025

‘I was very careful among my colleagues who I perceived not to be supportive, [and] among politicians who I knew were hostile towards gay rights, which were many,’ she said.

‘People would be surprised by that, because I think I’m well-known in the public, as being someone who does stand up and isn’t really afraid of people. 

‘But that’s not what happens when you’re in a social environment where people think gay jokes are funny.’

She is now ‘very out’ and has heard young LGBTQ+ journalists working in Canberra are more accepted than she was 20 years ago.

However, she said there was still some reticence about being too open about her love life when speaking on air.

‘I don’t want people to feel like I’m not their broadcaster. But equally if I’m not my authentic self, I can’t do my job well,’ she said.

‘If you’re your full self, you do a better job.’

Karvelas has two daughters with her wife.