Ernest William Sigley was an Australian Gold Logie award winning television host, comedian, variety performer, radio presenter and singer.
23 Facts About Ernie Sigley
1.
2.
Sigley started his career in radio, before becoming a presenter of TV programs and was best known for his self-titled program The Ernie Sigley Show and Saturday Night Live as well as original host of game show Wheel of Fortune, after presenting talk shows with his frequent co-presenter Denise Drysdale in the late 80s and early 90s, he returned to presenting radio broadcasts, until retiring in 2009.
3.
Ernie Sigley was born in Footscray, Melbourne, one of seven children of a boilermaker.
4.
Television started in Australia in 1956 and Ernie Sigley made his TV debut in 1957 as host of Teenage Mailbag, later known as The Teenage Show, on Seven Network's HSV-7.
5.
Ernie Sigley is remembered for his 1964 association with the Adelaide leg of the Beatles' tour of Australia.
6.
In 1981, Ernie Sigley returned to 3DB to host the breakfast program.
7.
In 1996, Ernie Sigley joined 3AW to host the afternoon program.
8.
Ernie Sigley hosted the afternoon program for 12 years until his retirement on 7 November 2008.
9.
Ernie Sigley then took on a part-time role at the station where he partnered either Bruce Mansfield or Philip Brady to host Nightline on Friday nights.
10.
Ernie Sigley was part of the original cast of variety TV program Sunnyside Up, In the 1960s and early 1970s, he hosted the prime time Adelaide variety show Adelaide Tonight on NWS-9.
11.
The program was abruptly axed after an off-air outburst by Ernie Sigley, directed at station owner Kerry Packer and producer Peter Faiman, when the network cut short his first show for 1976 to accommodate a network sports awards telecast.
12.
Ernie Sigley was the original host of the Australian version of the popular game show Wheel of Fortune from 1981 to 1984.
13.
Ernie Sigley was involved in an argument with fellow TV star Don Lane at a Logies after party in 1988, when Ernie Sigley allegedly made insulting remarks about Lane's partner.
14.
Ernie Sigley began singing as a choir boy at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, and went on to be a regular on the local town hall circuit in the 1950s.
15.
Ernie Sigley regularly performed around Australia on the club circuit, often with his television partner Denise Drysdale.
16.
Ernie Sigley won the TV Week Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 1975.
17.
Ernie Sigley had previously won eleven local Logies for his work in Adelaide.
18.
Three times married and twice divorced, Ernie Sigley was married to Glenys O'Brien, a former television personality, for 47 years.
19.
Ernie Sigley's son Matthew was a keyboardist for the Australian bands the Earthmen, the Fauves and Drop City.
20.
Ernie Sigley was a supporter of the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League.
21.
Ernie Sigley was a supporter of the South Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League.
22.
Ernie Sigley once owned the Radio Springs Hotel at Lyonville in country Victoria.
23.
Ernie Sigley's family announced in October 2016 that he had Alzheimer's disease.