Latest news with #KatrinaBlowers
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Seven star opens up about shock split with fiancé of three years: 'There were things I couldn't come back from'
A 7News Queensland presenter has opened up about the 'toughest year' of her life, which saw her relationship break down just weeks after her mother's death. Chief reporter Katrina Blowers was left 'blindsided' and 'nearly broken' last year when she split from fiancé Adam Yates after a three-year relationship. What made the separation harder was the death of her mother, Elizabeth Barnes, to motor neurone disease just weeks earlier, reported The Courier Mail on Friday. 'It has definitely been the toughest year of my life. It nearly broke me, I'm not going to sugar-coat that,' she told the publication. 'I had to come to terms with the loss of my mother, but also the loss of a future that I had to recalibrate.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Katrina went on to say facing a relationship breakdown while mourning the loss of her mother 'affected her mental health' in the most 'challenging' way. The reporter said she was shocked by the split, as she was in the midst of planning her wedding to the former Surfing Queensland CEO, whom she met in 2021. Katrina said Adam stuck by her side during hospital visits to see her mother, but their romance crumbled following the funeral, less than a year after their engagement. 'There were things I couldn't come back from, and I chose to end the engagement. I was completely shocked; it was really tough,' she said of the break-up. Now, Katrina has only the remnants of nuptials which never came to fruition, including a wedding dress which she has decided to donate to charity. Adam popped the question to Katrina in 2023 in an elaborate surprise proposal while on holiday in the Maldives to celebrate his 40th birthday. The Brisbane-based news anchor was left stunned when Adam got down on one knee beside a pool covered in 'one million' rose petals shipped in from India. Staff are said to have spent 'the whole day individually peeling the petals off the roses to fill the pool'. Adam also proposed with 'the exact ring' Katrina had dreamed of—an oval-shaped diamond on a thin gold band. 'I'm usually pretty alert to clues and things, but he really got me going. It really surprised me,' Katrina said at the time. 'I was just blown away. It's made me feel, honestly, so, so special and the level of thought and attention to detail that he went to is incredible.' Katrina was previously married to a man named Tom, with whom she shares children Zahra, 17, and Jed, 14. The pair divorced in 2019 after a 20-year relationship—13 of which were spent in marriage.
Daily Mail
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Shock disruption boots 7News Brisbane off the air live as Sydney takes over mid-bulletin
Seven viewers in Queensland were left stunned on Monday night when their nightly bulletin was booted off the air and replaced with Sydney news. A power failure caused 7News Brisbane to drop off, with Sydney stars Mark Ferguson and Angela Cox taking over for Queensland's Max Futcher and Katrina Blowers. The switch followed an ad break just after 6.37pm as the Brisbane team rushed to get their anchors back on TV in time for the weather, reported TV Blackbox. 'There was a power failure on station and the team worked incredibly hard to get back on air in time for the Sunshine State's critical weather forecast,' a Seven spokesperson said. The Sydney team covered the news bulletin right up until the weather, with sports presenter Mel McLaughlin finally acknowledging the Queensland audience when she introduced the sports headlines. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Welcome back, and welcome to our Brisbane viewers joining us due to a technical issue,' she said. Futcher and Blowers returned to local screens in time for a feel-good feature about a giant slip and slide in a Colombian village. Tony Auden then wrapped up the show with Queensland's weather forecast. While Queensland sports presenter Steve Titmus was at the desk during the cross to weather, he was unable to present the sports headlines due to the disruption. Futcher signed off for the night by telling the Queensland audience: 'Hope your night is going smoothly.' The disruption comes after three senior reporters at Channel Seven jumped ship to rival Network Ten. Seven's award-winning former foreign correspondent Amelia Brace, 7News Sydney reporter Bill Hogan and Spotlight producer-reporter Denham Hitchcock all resigned from the network last week, The Australian's Media Diary reported. They are reportedly set to join a new investigative show set up by Channel Ten's news boss Martin White. A power failure caused 7News Brisbane to drop off, with Sydney stars Mark Ferguson and Angela Cox taking over for Queensland's Max Futcher and Katrina Blowers. Both pictured Brace and Hitchcock exited Seven's studio in Sydney within hours of quitting and started their new jobs at Ten on Monday morning while Hogan will begin with the network in three weeks' time. Ten has reportedly offered Brace a $50,000 increase on the $220,000 a year she was being paid. In a message to colleagues on Friday, she said: 'It feels off to not have an official "last day" to say goodbye, but it's best for me to just fade away for now. 'Stand up for yourselves, and each other… and think of me every time you have to find a f***ing case study.' Meanwhile, Hitchcock departs only three months after having returned to Seven after a couple of years living on a catamaran with his young family. 'I'm back. It's time to wash some of the salt out—and get back to what I do best,' he said in an Instagram post. 'Back in 2019 the network asked me to start what would eventually become the Spotlight program with one producer and one cameraman—and as the limited shows proved successful—the team quickly grew and it would turn into the network's flagship program. 'I stepped away for a few years to go sailing with the family—and have returned to find a new EP, a new team, new reporters, a fresh energy, an abundance of stories, and some genuine excitement about the year ahead.' He ended the message by asking followers and fans to send 'research ideas'. The departures confirm industry whispers Ten will launch a 'news magazine show' to take on the likes of Nine's 60 Minutes, Seven's Spotlight, and the ABC's Four Corners. The Australian reported last month a 'crack team' of producers, referred to as the 'investigations unit' was being assembled to helm the new program. It was claimed Channel Ten reporter Dan Sutton would be the show's executive producer, with potential reporters currently being screen tested. A Network Ten spokesperson confirmed the establishment of the investigation unit to Daily Mail Australia.
