Veteran broadcaster and former senator Derryn Hinch has died, aged 82.
Hinch, one of Australia’s most recognisable and controversial media figures, built a decades-long career spanning radio, television and politics, earning the nickname the “Human Headline” for his outspoken style and relentless campaigning.
His former colleague and personal assistant Annette Philpott confirmed his death, attributing it to “old age”.
“He’s had really tough times of late. He’s been in and out of hospital. I’m assuming his heart just gave out,” Philpott told the Daily Mail.
The New Zealand-born journalist first rose to prominence as a hard-hitting current affairs host, becoming a household name through programs including Hinch and his long-running talkback radio shows.
In the 1980s and 1990s he broadcast on 3AW and across other times in the 2000s and 2010s.
Known for his no-holds-barred approach, Hinch often pushed legal and ethical boundaries in pursuit of what he described as justice, particularly in cases involving crime and victims’ rights.
In 2016, he successfully transitioned into politics, founding Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party and winning a seat in the Australian Senate.
During his time in parliament, he championed causes including stricter bail laws, a public sex offender register and support for victims of crime.
His career was not without controversy. Hinch was twice jailed for contempt of court.
In 1985, he defied a suppression order by naming an alleged sex offender who was still running a youth camp, cementing his reputation as a polarising but influential figure willing to challenge authority.
In 2011, he was convicted of breaching two such orders by revealing the identities of sex offenders, resulting in a five-month sentence of home detention. Even then, he continued broadcasting his radio program from his house.
One of his most high-profile controversies came the following year, when he was found guilty of contempt of court after disclosing details about the criminal history of Adrian Bayley, the man who raped and murdered Irish woman Jill Meagher in Melbourne.
Hinch had written on his “Human Headline” blog that Bayley was on parole at the time of the 2012 killing, information that was subject to a suppression order.
He was fined $100,000 and given 90 days to pay or face jail. On the eve of the deadline, Hinch refused to pay on principle and was subsequently imprisoned, serving 50 days behind bars before his release.
Despite setbacks, including health battles that led to a liver transplant in 2011, Hinch remained active in public life for decades, continuing to comment on politics and social issues well into his later years.
Derryn Hinch recorded a message for his funeral
In an April, 2026 interview with former 3AW news presenter Tony Tardio for Tardio Unleashed, Hinch reflected on his health, his life and the legacy he hoped to leave behind.
“I’m 82 and not in great shape,” he said. “But I’m still getting around, still thinking, still seeing friends. Maybe I’ve got one more year, maybe 10 — who knows? You just have to enjoy it and be grateful you’re still here.”
Looking back on his decades in the public eye, Hinch said he had few regrets.
“I’ve had a hell of a life,” he said. “For more than 80 years I’ve had a front-row seat to the world, and I wouldn’t change much about it.”
He also made clear he did not fear death, revealing he had already planned part of his own farewell.
“I’m Derryn Hinch. That’s life. Goodbye,” he said of the message he recorded to be played at his funeral.
When asked how he hoped to be remembered, Hinch’s answer was typically direct.
“There are only two words I want on my tombstone — and it’s not ‘That’s Life’,” he said. “It’s: He tried.”
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