Amanda Keller is also the name of the woman described as Mohamed Atta's girlfriend during the time he spent in Florida.

Amanda Rose Keller (born 1962) is an Australian journalist, radio presenter, and media personality.

Education

Keller studied media and communications at Charles Sturt University (then called Mitchell College of Advanced Education) as a contemporary of Andrew Denton (among others).^[1] During her studies she was a broadcaster with on-campus community radio station 2MCE-FM.

Career

Her first professional media job was in 1983 as a researcher for the popular children's television show, Simon Townsend's Wonder World! She later was a researcher and producer for Good Morning Australia when Gordon Elliott and Kerri-Anne Kennerly were hosts. By 1985 she was a researcher and producer for Ray Martin's Midday show where she first began to appear regularly on camera, reporting, among other things, on Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's wedding.^[2]

In 1987, she left Midday to appear in the pilot for Richard Neville's counter-culture programme Extra Dimensions, which was produced by the same team that made Beyond 2000. When Extra Dimensions folded after the first season, Keller was signed to Beyond 2000, the internationally popular science programme, where she won numerous media awards including the United Nations Media Peace Award in 1989, and the Michael Daley Award for Science Journalism.

In 1994, she joined her college friend Andrew Denton as a regular guest on his show Denton, where she combined her scientific knowledge with her love of popular culture and kitsch - subsequently publishing a book, Amanda's Handy Home Hints. When the series finished in 1995, she joined Denton at Sydney radio station 2MMM where they co-presented the premier breakfast show. At the same time, she hosted her own contemporary culture show on cable television called The Hub.

She is currently presenting morning radio on WSFM 101.7, with Brendan "Jonsey" Jones.^[3] As an established media personality, Keller has also made numerous appearances on various popular culture shows such as Good News Week, Rove Live, The Glasshouse, 20 to 1, and Spicks and Specks. In 2006, Keller appeared in Series Five of Dancing with the Stars where she progressed to the 5th round before being eliminated.^[4]

She is the patron of The Sydney Kids Committee - a volunteer organisation which raises funds for The Sydney Children?s Hospital, Randwick.

References

External links

• Interview in "The Age" newspaper
• Amanda's collection of kitsch