Wombat Host Fiona MacDonald Married To Will Ryan Whose Family Owned A Vineyard In Hunter Valley; Together They Had Two Sons
Former television presenter Fiona MacDonald, who passed away recently, was a proud mother of two sons, Harry and Rafe Ryan. She shared her children with her former husband, Will Ryan.
Apart from her two sons, the Australian TV presenter is also survived by her two sisters, Kylie and Jacki.
Highlights
- Fiona Macdonald got married to Will Ryan in the 1990s and welcomed two kids.
- She parted ways with her husband nine years after their marriage.
- Both of her sons have grown up and are leading their lives independently.
The former TV personality was best known for being the presenter on the top-rating children’s program “Wombat.”
The 67-year-old had been battling with motor neuron disease (MND) since November 2021. The Burke’s Backyard presenter passed away on 3 October 2024.
“Farewell, my friends. My sister Kylie is posting this because I have left the building – Hopefully I’m looking down from a cloud. Last night brought an end to a very tough few months,” Fiona wrote.
She also added that her last moments were “very peaceful, her sons and sister Kylie stayed with her to say goodbye.”
Fiona MacDonald Married Into A Family That Owned A Vineyard
In an interview with Women’s Weekly, the late television presenter shared that she got married to a guy named Will Ryan in the 1990s. Will’s family owned a vineyard in the Hunter.
“I married a guy whose family owned a vineyard in the Hunter, and they asked if I would represent them in the market in Sydney.”
“I’d just had Harry and was a wine newbie, but I’d roll up with my pram and show sommeliers the latest vintage of shiraz. It was a very steep learning curve, but great fun.”
Before starting her television career, she worked as a wine industry marketer and public relations professional.
The former Wombat host further revealed that MacDonald and her husband Will ended their relationship just nine years after their marriage.
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By then, she was a mother of two children, Harry and Rafe Ryan. Following the separations, she started focusing on her career.
She took a marketing course and began selling wine through email, which was not common back then. It was very successful.
Later, she got an opportunity to interview for a public relations role with Stephen and Prue Henschke, who are well-known in the wine industry.
Her marriage may not have lasted, but Fiona gained two wonderful sons and a successful career in the wine industry during that time. She never remarried after that.
Furthermore, Fiona MacDonald’s son, Harry Ryan, 27-year-old, is a builder, and Rafe Ryan, 25-year-old, works in hospitality.
In the same interview, the children’s program host said that having her sons was the best thing she had ever done.
Additional Information
- Fiona MacDonald had two sisters, Kylie and Jacki MacDonald. Jacki is also a well-known television presenter. She now works on radio broadcasting.
- After MND diagnosis, Fiona and her sister Kylie Thynne drove around Australia in mid-2023 to raise money for disease research.
- The MacDonald family lived on a large cattle property in Blackall, Queensland. Jacki once revealed that their parents were funny and positive and turned challenges into fun adventures.
- For instance, when their house burned down twice, their parents excited the kids by taking them to town to buy new clothes.
