- Karen Tighe has ended her television career
- Sports reporter fought viral encephalitis in 2020
- A life-threatening condition affected his memory
Renowned Australian sports broadcaster Karen Tighe has announced she is leaving the ABC to focus on her health after battling life-threatening brain inflammation.
The award-winning broadcaster was hospitalized in March 2020 with viral encephalitis, which she said left her short-term memory “absolutely weakened.”
Tighe was left unable to remember her address, date of birth or the names of her husband or son, forcing her to leave her role on ABC Grandstand shortly after.
“I’ve always been a very positive person, but this has been probably the most challenging thing I’ve ever gone through and it’s something that came completely out of the blue,” Tighe said in an interview at the time.
Tighe said he could picture sports teams and people, but frustratingly couldn’t remember the names.
Karen Tighe has announced that she is leaving ABC to focus on her health
The award-winning broadcaster (pictured with her husband and fellow reporter Glenn Mitchell) became dangerously ill with brain inflammation in 2020.
“My short-term memory is absolutely defective and that’s what’s really terrible,” Tighe said.
“I can recognize athletes, our Prime Minister and our Prime Minister, world leaders, and if you wrote their names to me mixed with a bunch of other names, I would find them quickly, but if it’s just me, I just can’t pronounce that one.” name in my head and that’s why I can’t go back to work right now.
“It’s the strangest feeling.”
She joined ABC in 1989 and spent eight years as a researcher, presenter and sports broadcaster.
Between 1991 and 1994, the great presenter was part of Andrew Denton’s sports comedy show Live and Sweaty.
Tighe was also a television sports presenter for the ABC and starred on the weekday news in Perth for six years.
He moved from television to radio in 1997 and worked on the national weekend sports show, Grandstand.
“ABC TV and then Radio Sport have been my work home since March 1989 following the combination of a letter and a short on-camera clip on a VHS that I sent to ABC TV’s then sports director David Salter asking for a job. “Tighe said.
Tighe (pictured with Mitchell) joined ABC in 1989 and quickly became a trailblazer for female sports broadcasters.
“I will always be grateful for all the experiences and opportunities I have had during my time in Sydney and everything that was prepared for me when my marriage took me to Perth in 2001.”
Tighe made history by becoming the first person to win the Sport Australia Media Award twice, in 2000 and then again in 2001.
He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sports Australia Media Awards in 2020.