Kelly ODonnell Biography- 5 Interesting Facts You Must Know

Publish date: 2024-05-18

Kelly O’Donnell is a broadcast journalist whose face needs no extensive introduction for the newsy folks who follow the daily news reports from the NBC network. Since joining the media in 1994, she has faithfully worked for various media companies as a correspondent, news presenter and presenter.

Kelly O’Donnell has demonstrated a high level of professionalism in her craft over a long period of time, which has made her a force to be reckoned with in the field of journalism. No wonder she won an Emmy and was inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame. Here are 5 interesting facts you need to know about this veteran broadcast journalist.

Kelly O’Donnell Biography

The renowned journalist was born on the 17th day of May 1965 in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States of America to a businessman father, Josh O’Donnell, and a dancer, Kristien O’Donnell. She is of Irish-American descent and is not her parents’ only child as she has an older sister named Jenny who is also a journalist.

Regarding her educational pursuits, the young Kelly O’Donnell attended Villa Angela St. Joseph High School before entering Northwestern University. At university, Kelly studied a combined course in journalism and politics; In 1987 she graduated with a degree in education. That’s not all there is to this pink-haired woman. Below are five interesting facts.

5 interesting facts you need to know about Kelly O’Donnell

1. Career

In the 1990s, shortly after Kelly O’Donnell graduated, she landed her first job as a reporter and host at WJW TV, a television station in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. The beautiful news anchor worked with Martin Savidge when WJW was still a CBS station in Cleveland. She learned the basics of journalism at WJW TV and became a regular panellist on the Chris Matthews show until the show was abruptly canceled.

In 1994, the television personality joined NBC as a news anchor who diligently served as a backup host for the Weekend Today program as well as the weekend edition of Nightly News. Kelly O’Donnell’s professional reporting/contributions have been captured on popular primetime news magazine – Dateline NBC.

Kelly O’Donnell was elevated to White House correspondent for NBC during the 2nd term of former President George W. Bush. In addition, she has covered the Bush administration, Congress and several presidential campaigns. During the 2018 presidential campaign ushered in by President Barrack Obama, Kelly O’Donnell became a correspondent on Capitol Hill.

She covered major events such as the Iraq war, the deadly September 11 attacks, the Space Shuttle Columbia, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the OJ Simpson trial. O’Donnell lent her beautiful voice during the travels and death of Pope John Paul II. In sports, she has covered the Summer and Winter Olympics. She is the White House and Capitol Hill correspondent for NBC News NBC Nightly News , Meet the Press Today , as well as MSNBC.

2. Your assets

With an annual salary believed to be in the range of $200,000 with other income earned through other activities such as hosting red carpet events, anchoring award functions and presenting; Their financial value (net value) amounts to approximately 8 million US dollars. She bought a well furnished and luxurious home in Ohio around 2016.

3. Family life – husband

Kelly O’Donnell is married to John David Ake, an award-winning photojournalist. There is a lack of information about the date, year and place they tied the wedding knot. The couple is not yet ready to welcome a child of their own.

Mr. John David Ake is the director of photography for the Associated Press (AP). He has worked for prestigious outfits such as Agence France-Presse, Reuters and United Press International based in Denver, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington and New York.

4. Awards and Recognition

Kelly was inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame in 2011 for her contributions to the peerage of journalism. Three years later, in 2004 to be exact, she was inducted into the Ohio Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The renowned journalist has received an Emmy Award, National Headliner Award, Los Angeles Press Club Award and New Hampshire Primary Award for political reporting. What an achievement!

5. Kelly O’Donnell’s pregnancy rumors, her height and measurements

The Ohio-born journalist stands at a height of 5 feet 10 inches. Interestingly, her sudden weight gain sparked a widespread pregnancy rumor in 2018.

The presswoman refused to give credence to the newspaper’s rumor and as such, it died faster than it began. Her weight is reported as 78 kg while the other body measurements for chest, waist and hips are reported as 39, 28 and 38 inches.

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