Helen Kapalos (born 17 March 1971) is an Australian journalist and television presenter.
Kapalos is of Greek descent and the Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission; her four-year term commenced on 17 August 2015.[1]
Kapalos began her career in her home town of Newcastle, New South Wales, as a reporter for ABC Radio in 1994, a journalist at 2HD & NEW FM before moving to television with SBS in Sydney. She returned to Newcastle, where she worked both as an award-winning reporter and news presenter for NBN Television News.[2]
In 2002, Kapalos went back to national broadcasting and joined the Nine Network where she worked as both a reporter and news presenter. In 2005, Kapalos became a news presenter on Nightline and later became a reporter on National Nine News and A Current Affair.[2]
In 2006, Kapalos moved to Melbourne and Network Ten, where she took over from Jennifer Hansen as co-anchor of 10 News First Melbourne with Mal Walden.[3] In November 2012, Kapalos' contract was not renewed, after the network decided to switch to a solo-presenter format with Walden.
On 11 February 2013, Kapalos began presenting Today Tonight on the Seven Network in New South Wales and Victoria.[4] She broadcast from the Seven Network's Melbourne studios. Helen resigned at the end of 2013 to pursue her love of longer-form storytelling roles.
In January 2014, she joined the network's current affairs program, Sunday Night as a senior correspondent. She also reports as a senior correspondent on other network news shows when major news stories arise.[5]
Kapalos is the executive producer, writer and director of the independent documentary A Life of its Own, which she conceptualised during her time as a senior correspondent with the Seven Network's current affairs program Sunday Night, when she reported on a series of stories on medical marijuana.
Kapalos has been appointed Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission for a four-year term commencing 17 August 2015.[1]
Kapalos was made the number-one ticket holder of Hawthorn Football Club in 2012, and was the number-one female ticket holder in 2013. She has continued to interview Hawthorn players, including a special in May 2013 with seven of their Indigenous players ahead of the AFL's Indigenous Round.
Kapalos has also written articles for Melbourne newspaper The Age about Hawthorn.