Sunrise entertainment reporter Peter Ford has revealed that late media personality Derryn Hinch contacted him about a year before his death to grant him an unusual scoop: the exclusive right to break the news of Hinch's passing. Hinch, known as the Human Headline, died on Friday at the age of 82.
The Phone Call That Sealed a Final Scoop
Ford described receiving a surprising call from Hinch approximately 12 months ago. "He said 'I've given a list to my PA and you're to be the first media person to be told that I've died'," Ford recounted on Sunrise on Saturday. "I know this is kind of weird, but this is what he said to me."
Ford, who had known Hinch since his early days in Melbourne, said they were not close friends but social acquaintances. "I was a young kid when I first met him. He had come to Melbourne and he said he was going to shake up Melbourne — and he did that," Ford said.
How Hinch's Plan Unfolded
Ford explained that at about noon on Friday, he received a call from Hinch's personal assistant informing him of the broadcaster's death. "I got a call from his PA to say 'Derryn is gone, he wants you to break the story'," Ford said. "I don't say this to be boastful, I say this because it shows how Derryn's mind worked — he was always looking for a story, how it should be structured and how it should be placed — and he gave me that rather odd honour of breaking the news yesterday."
When Ford asked Hinch why he was chosen, Hinch explained that he disliked how people are often canonized after death. "He said that anytime someone dies, everyone suddenly makes them into a saint and says how wonderful they were, and you don't do that — he hated it when people did that," Ford said.
A Legacy of Controversy and Advocacy
Derryn Hinch, a New Zealand-born broadcaster, spent over four decades dominating Melbourne and Sydney radio, hosting shows on 3AW during the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. He also served as an independent senator in the Australian Parliament from 2016 to 2019. Hinch died in his sleep after years of health struggles.
Ford acknowledged that Hinch had a "mixed report card" and often offended or annoyed people, but emphasized his relentless fight against child sex offenders. "Whatever mistakes were made or whatever lines were crossed, I think his work on fighting child sex offenders is what everyone will (think about) and that's impressive," Ford said.
Ford also noted that Hinch should receive a state funeral for his contributions to Australian media and politics, but believed he might be ineligible due to past criminal convictions for defying suppression orders to expose the criminal histories of sex offenders. Hinch had famously requested his funeral be held at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre, with his coffin removed to a recording of him saying "I'm Derryn Hinch, that's life."
