Former senator and veteran broadcaster Derryn Hinch is in hospital after suffering a fall that left him with infected legs.
The news was shared on Hinch’s official Facebook page by his executive assistant, alongside a photo of the 81-year-old propped up in a hospital bed.
“Hinch in hospital with infected legs after a fall. No post for awhile,” the update read.
Hinch’s hospitalisation marks another difficult chapter in the life of a man whose career has been as high-profile as it has been controversial.
Elected to the Senate in 2016 as a representative for Victoria, Hinch served one term before losing his seat in 2019. Before politics, he was one of Australia’s most recognisable media figures, as a journalist, radio host and television personality whose career spanned more than five decades. He was inducted into the Australian Commercial Radio Hall of Fame in 2010.
Known as the self-styled “Human Headline”, Hinch’s crusades for justice often brought him into conflict with the courts. He has served time in prison for breaching suppression orders and contempt of court, after publicly naming or revealing details about convicted offenders, including notorious cases such as that of Jill Meagher’s killer, Adrian Bayley.
For decades, Hinch has battled serious health issues alongside his public life, including liver disease and a transplant. His supporters have expressed concern and well-wishes online as he recovers from his latest setback.
At 81, the outspoken broadcaster remains a divisive yet enduring figure in Australian public life – now facing one of his toughest battles yet from a hospital bed.
Image: Instagram, Facebook