{{Short description|Australian radio presenter}} {{Infobox person |name=Loretta Ryan |birth_date={{Birth year and age|1965}} |birth_place=Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |occupation=radio presenter, journalist |years_active=1983 to present |known_for=presenting radio programs on Brisbane radio |notable_works=''4BH Breakfast'', ''4BC Breakfast'', ''ABC Radio Brisbane Breakfast''}}
'''Loretta Ryan''' (born 1965) is an Australian radio presenter and is best known for co-hosting breakfast programs on 4BH, 4BC and ABC Radio Brisbane.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=27 May 2007|title=Moyd Kay joins Loretta Ryan for Breakfast at 4BH|url=https://radioinfo.com.au/news/moyd-kay-joins-loretta-ryan-breakfast-4bh/|work=radioinfo|location= |access-date=21 November 2022}}</ref><ref name=revamped>{{cite news |last=Bochenski|first=Natalie|date=4 December 2013|title=Ian Skippen and Loretta Ryan are new breakfast team in Fairfax Radio 4BC's revamped line-up |url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/ian-skippen-and-loretta-ryan-are-new-breakfast-team-in-fairfax-radio-4bcs-revamped-lineup-20131204-2ypqt.html|work=Brisbane Times|location= |access-date=21 November 2022}}</ref><ref name=serve>{{cite news|last=Kerr|first=Judith|date=24 May 2019|title=ABC Radio's dynamic duo Craig Zonca and Loretta Ryan serve up breakfast with a splash of news|url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/logan/abc-radios-dynamic-duo-craig-zonca-and-loretta-ryan-serve-up-breakfast-with-a-splash-of-news/news-story/0409b30da012412556fb0488cc134c4b|work=The Courier-Mail|location= |access-date=21 November 2022}}</ref> She has co-hosted ''Breakfast'' on ABC Radio Brisbane with Craig Zonca since 2018.<ref name=serve/>
==Career== After finishing school, Ryan worked at David Jones before commencing work as an advertising schedules clerk at Radio Ten in 1983.<ref name=teaches>{{cite news |last=Seeney|first=Belinda|date=16 March 2018|title=ABC's Loretta Ryan teaches us a lesson in resilience |url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/brisbanenews/abcs-loretta-ryan-teaches-us-a-lesson-in-resilience/news-story/d05d61e06acdd7ed2c106c36faea89cd|work=The Courier-Mail|location= |access-date=21 November 2022}}</ref>
Ryan eventually moved into production, becoming a producer for Billy J. Smith, before securing a cadetship in the newsroom, which led to Ryan's first on-air role.<ref name=serve/> Ryan remained at the station during the station's various rebrands, including Stereo Ten, Brisbane's 1008, Light and Easy 1008, and back to its original callsign 4IP in 1989.<ref name=teaches/>
When the station changed its format to becoming a racing station 4TAB, Ryan left and went to Triple M Brisbane, where she stayed for 16 years where she read the news, ultimately becoming the station's news director, and hosted the drive program ''Blood, Sweat and Beers'' in the late 1990s.<ref name=serve/><ref name=teaches/>
She then moved to 4BH to co-host the breakfast show in 2006 before moving to 4BC to host the afternoon program.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bochenski|first=Natalie|date=10 April 2015|title=4BC presenters Ian Skippen, Loretta Ryan, Patrick Condren, Walter Williams sacked|url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/4bc-presenters-ian-skippen-loretta-ryan-patrick-condren-walter-williams-sacked-20150410-1mi776.html|work=Brisbane Times|location= |access-date=21 November 2022|quote=Loretta Ryan was a long time newsreader on Triple M before switching to 4BH (now Magic 882) in 2006.}}</ref><ref name=teaches/>
At 4BC, she eventually became the co-host of the station's breakfast program with Ian Skippen in 2014.<ref name=teaches/><ref name=revamped/>
Ryan, Skippen and many other on-air personalities were sacked from 4BC in 2015 when the station decided to network the majority of its content from its sister station in Sydney, 2GB rather than have local presenters following the merger of Fairfax Media and the Macquarie Radio Network.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=10 April 2015|title=High-profile 4BC presenters sacked following Fairfax and Macquarie merger deal|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-10/4bc-presenter-ian-skippen-patrick-condren-sacked/6383798|work=ABC News|location= |access-date=21 November 2022|quote=...high-profile presenters Ian Skippen, Loretta Ryan and Patrick Condren have been cut following a merger deal}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated-->|date=14 April 2015|title=Alan Jones, Ray Hadley flagship 2GB programs to air on Brisbane station 4BC after job cuts|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-14/4bc-sackings-alan-jones-and-ray-hadley-to-air-in-brisbane/6391998|work=ABC News|location= |access-date=21 November 2022}}</ref>
After being sacked from 4BC, Ryan initially joined ABC Radio Brisbane in 2015 as a producer before becoming the presenter of the regional drive program in 2016 and then ''Weekends'' presenter in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/radio/people/loretta-ryan/7951566|title=Loretta Ryan|author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=ABC|publisher= |access-date=21 November 2022|quote=...and was the 2016 Regional Drive presenter.}}</ref><ref name=winner>{{cite news|last=Moore|first=Tony|date=5 December 2018|title=ABC Radio Brisbane juggles breakfast hosts as audience share declines |url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/abc-radio-brisbane-juggles-breakfast-hosts-as-audience-share-declines-20181205-p50kbs.html|work=Brisbane Times|location= |access-date=21 November 2022|quote=Experienced Brisbane radio news reporter and news director Loretta Ryan is the biggest winner of the ABC's reshuffle for 2019... Ryan joined the ABC in 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Branco|first=Jorge|date=6 December 2017|title=Major changes to ABC Radio Brisbane for 2018 |url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/major-changes-to-abc-radio-brisbane-for-2018-20171206-p4yxga.html|work=Brisbane Times|location= |access-date=21 November 2022|quote=...Loretta Ryan is set to take over on weekends}}</ref>
In late 2018, Ryan was named as the co-host of ''Breakfast'', replacing Rebecca Levingston, who moved to ''Mornings'' after one year of co-hosting the new two-presenter ''Breakfast'' format.<ref name=winner/><ref>[https://mumbrella.com.au/abc-radio-announces-2019-lineup-with-loretta-ryan-to-join-brisbane-breakfast-555694 ABC Radio announces 2019 lineup with Loretta Ryan to join Brisbane braekfast] ''Mumbrella'' 3 December 2018</ref>
Ryan has also appeared on television. In 2007, she was a guest host on ''Extra'' while regular host Jillian Whiting was on maternity leave.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=30 July 2007|title=Another Brisbane radio personality on Extra|url=https://radioinfo.com.au/news/another-brisbane-radio-personality-extra|work=radioinfo|location= |access-date=21 November 2022}}</ref> Ryan also appeared as an extra on ''Paradise Beach''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.saxton.com.au/speakers/loretta-ryan|title=Loretta Ryan: accomplished MC and radio favourite|author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Saxton|publisher= |access-date=21 November 2022|quote=Previously, Loretta featured as an extra on the television series Paradise Beach and appeared in television commercials...}}</ref>
==Personal life== Ryan is Catholic and attends mass regularly.<ref name=catholic>{{cite news |last=Lynch|first=Donna|date=24 April 2020|title=A raconteur with strong faith, Loretta Ryan talks faith, media and a candle at St Stephen's Cathedral|url=https://catholicleader.com.au/people/a-raconteur-with-strong-faith-loretta-ryan-talks-faith-media-and-a-candle-at-st-stephens-cathedral/|work=The Catholic Leader|location= |access-date=21 November 2022}}</ref> She attended St Pius' Primary School at Banyo before attending St Rita's College at Clayfield.<ref name=catholic/> Ryan has admitted to feeling defensive when the Catholic Church is being attacked in the media which she says can be "very upsetting" and described some critics as "vicious".<ref name=catholic/>
In a 2020 interview, Ryan stated: "I'm proud to say that I'm Catholic and I've got my religion. I've gone to the Catholic schools, as I've said before, and so it's my life; it's natural for me to pray, it's natural for me to go to Church and also to treat people nicely – everything that you learn about in religion. For me that's what religion is about and I know, for myself, it's knowing (that) someone's there if I'm struggling with something or I'm worried about something, upset. I know that I can say a prayer and, I don't know, I just get some comfort out of that."<ref name=catholic/>
Ryan was engaged in her late 20's, but the marriage didn't take place.<ref name=single>{{cite news |last=Lang|first=Kylie|date=11 August 2018|title=Move over marriage, single life is just as satisfying: LORETTA RYAN, 53, RADIO PRESENTER, NUNDAH|url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/insight/move-over-marriage-single-life-is-just-as-satisfying/news-story/6a00b82994762b9d8bdcbb3bcad65d19|work=The Courier-Mail|location= |access-date=21 November 2022|quote=...if I'd been married with three kids, I certainly wouldn't be where I am in my career – this is my 36th year in radio, which I love. I was engaged in my late 20s but always considered myself lucky to get out of that one...}}</ref> In 2018, Ryan said she had been single for ten years.<ref name=single/> She said she is hurt when people accuse her of being "too picky" as the reason for being single.<ref name=single/> She said she credits not being "married with three kids" as to why she has progressed so far with her radio career.<ref name=single/>
In November 2021, Ryan was targeted by scammers on Facebook who were creating fake accounts under Ryan's name to scam personal details from listeners.<ref name=scam>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=30 November 2021|title=ABC's Loretta Ryan warns listeners about fake Facebook profiles claiming to be her|url=https://radioinfo.com.au/news/abcs-loretta-ryan-warns-listeners-about-fake-facebook-profiles-claiming-to-be-her/|work=radioinfo|location= |access-date=21 November 2022}}</ref> After one fake profile was reported to Facebook and subsequently removed, a similar fake account was created using Ryan's photos, sharing content from ABC Radio Brisbane's Facebook page and offering a fake prize.<ref name=scam/> Ryan described the situation as "scary" and said she felt sorry for the listeners who were being duped.<ref name=scam/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Loretta}} Category:Australian Roman Catholics Category:Australian women radio presenters Category:Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio journalists and presenters Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:Journalists from Queensland Category:Mass media people from Brisbane Category:Triple M presenters