Chris Bath

Personal life

Bath was born in Auburn in Sydney's western suburbs and raised in South Wentworthville. She attended Holroyd High School. Later, she enrolled at Sydney University where, in 1985, she studied English, psychology, German and legal institutions for two months before leaving. She started working at a restaurant in Surry Hills and became a trainee manager at Kmart, Merrylands – a position which she reportedly left because they would not let her make jokes while announcing red light specials.

In 1997, Bath married composer Denis Carnahan and in late 2000 Bath gave birth to a son. In 2008, after 10 years of marriage Bath and Carnahan separated.

In January 2012, Bath married Seven News sport presenter and reporter Jim Wilson, only weeks after Wilson asked Bath to marry, but some four years into their relationship. The couple was featured in New Idea magazine in late August 2013.

Career

On the advice of the Sydney Morning Herald columnist Peter Bowers, Bath applied to study communications at Mitchell College (now Charles Sturt University) in Bathurst. Not only was she accepted into the course, she also won a scholarship, and majored in politics. During her studies she was a broadcaster with the on-campus community radio station 2MCE-FM. In 1988, halfway through the last year of her three-year course, she was offered a job at Sydney AM radio station 2UE as a cadet reporter and newsreader.

Her second job came a year later, after a friend encouraged her to apply for a job with a regional television station in Albury. She moved to Albury, where she spent the next 20 months working at Prime Television station AMV-4 and spending her weekends in Melbourne. At AMV-4, she started reporting, was the weather presenter for a while, then finished off as the full-time newsreader.

In 1991, at 23, she joined Newcastle's NBN Television, where she stayed for the next five years as a reporter and host to the evening local news broadcast. Originally she thought she was going there as just a reporter, but the newsreader resigned and they offered the vacant position to her. She resigned from NBN Newcastle in late 1995 after being offered a job by Seven in Sydney. NBN took Bath to the Supreme Court to delay her appearance on Seven. The court granted an injunction against her appearing on Seven before 1 February 1996.

Seven Network

Before becoming presenter for Seven's Morning News, Bath has previously had numerous presenting roles with the network over the years.

In 1996 until early 1997, she co-hosted the 6am news bulletin with Peter Ford (which later became Sunrise). In 1997, she became host of the network's Sunday morning political interview show, Face to Face, and presenter of Seven's Late News. (The Late News was subsequently axed in August 2003.)

For three weeks in mid-1997, Bath was working 18-hour days, filling in as host of 11AM, presenting the afternoon news updates, recording the news bulletin shown on Ansett flights and presenting the 11pm Late News bulletin.

In 1998, Bath was a reporter for Witness, the network's flagship current affairs program, until it was axed later that year. Seven then asked Bath to co-host its new current affairs show, Dateline, with Stan Grant. She declined and was given the role of presenting the Sydney 6pm news over summer.

In 1999, she returned to the Seven Late News, as well as reading afternoon news bulletins on Sydney radio station 2WS from May. In July, she did a now infamous interview with Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph which did not sit well with management. Among other things, she said she'd "refused to work on" Today Tonight and was the "only presenter" at Seven writing her own updates. Outside the news, she appeared as a guest panellist on Geoffrey Robertson's Hypotheticals in October, and on 31 December she hosted the network's New Year's Eve coverage.

In 2000, Bath was part of Seven's host team for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, including a spot on Olympic Sunrise. In August, she carried the Olympic Torch in Newcastle. Bath was then given the honour of co-hosting the prelude to the Opening Ceremony live on stage at the Olympic Stadium, while seven months pregnant with her first child.

After having son Darcy in late 2000, she returned to political interviewing in 2001 as presenter of Sunday Sunrise and stayed for three years, as well as presenting Sydney's weekend 6pm news bulletin until 2004 (including an extended bulletin live from Bali on 12 October 2003). In 2001, she also co-hosted part of the networks Federal Election coverage on 10 November.

Network 10

In late 2015 and 2016, Bath made regular appearances on Network Ten shows Studio 10 and The Project. In 2017, Bath was the regular co-host of The Sunday Project alongside Hamish Macdonald. She was replaced by Lisa Wilkinson in January 2018.

In December 2018, it was announced that Bath would join Network 10 to present 10 News Weekend, replacing Natarsha Belling.

In October 2025, Network 10 announced it would not renew Bath’s contract as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative. She will remain with the network until December.

Bath hosted an extended edition of 10 News Weekends on 14 December 2025, providing live coverage of the Bondi Beach shooting. This bulletin was Bath’s last at the Network.

ABC

Bath worked for ABC Radio from November 2016 until the end of 2019. She hosted Evenings on ABC Radio Sydney across New South Wales and the ACT from 2017, replacing Christine Anu.

In November 2017, Bath narrated the six-part documentary series Keeping Australia Safe. for ABC TV. She has also been a fill in presenter on ABC News NSW.

She resigned from ABC Radio at the end of 2019.

In November 2024, ABC announced that Bath will return to ABC Radio Sydney to replace Richard Glover to host Drive from January 2025.

In November 2025, Bath announced that she would step down as host of the Drive program at the end of the year. She said that she wanted to pursue passion projects and move to a slower-paced format. From 2026, Bath will host a new Sunday morning show, while journalist Thomas Oriti will succeed her as Drive host.

Community

Outside the Seven Network, Bath's standing in the industry was acknowledged in 2004 when she was asked to judge entries for the TV current affairs reporting and camera category of the Walkley Awards for journalism.

Bath is a master of ceremonies, having performed the role at a number of events including the Jeans for Genes Day Art Auction in Sydney on 20 July 2006 and 12 July 2007. Bath enjoys motivational speaking, and in 2003 she took a large role in the "Step to the future" youth leadership forum for school students in Sydney. On 24 July 2007, Chris spoke at the "Empowerment through Inspiration" Summit in Queensland where she will address her experiences and challenges in becoming a leader, building a team and networking. She is also Celebrity Ambassador for the Petrea King Quest for Life Foundation.

Other works

Other than Seven News, Bath has appeared on a number of television programs and a film including:

The Man Who Sued God (2001) as Newsreader

All Saints

Episode 4.01 "The Heat is On" (13 February 2001) as Newsreader

Episode 4.32 "Wild Justice" (4 September 2001) as Newsreader

Episode 5.01 "Opening Night" (5 February 2002) as Newsreader

Episode 5.02 "The Show Must Go On" (12 February 2002) as News Reporter

Episode 8.27 "Frozen Moments" (16 August 2005) as Newsreader

Episode 9.32 "Happy Returns" (26 September 2006) as Newsreader

Episode 10.12 "Choices of the Heart" (8 May 2007) as Newsreader

Episode 11.02 "The Simple Things" (19 February 2008) as Newsreader

Season 3 of Dancing with the Stars (September–November 2005) as herself. She was runner-up in the program which was won by Ada Nicodemou.

headLand episode 1.27 (4 January 2006) as Newsreader

True Stories Episode 2.02 "Sophie's Story" (16 July 2006) as Host

You've Got the Job 13 episodes (November 2006) as Host