Family comes first for Queensland newsreader Rob Brough after months off

Rob Brough has been a familiar and beloved figure in regional Queensland for more than three decades.

But the nightly 7News presenter, and his signature wink, have been noticeably absent from television screens for many months.

The 70-year-old has opened up to ABC Sunshine Coast about the personal family battle that has forced him to step away from his career to put family first.

Brough said it was an "instant choice" to leave work last year when his daughter's cancer diagnosis worsened.

"About four years ago our daughter Jess was diagnosed with breast cancer," he said.

"That was pretty confronting.

The former Family Feud presenter and father-of-three said the family was rocked again when Jess then developed a secondary cancer in her brain.

"We got to a tough stage where things weren't working and not a lot of options were available," he said.

"It was just an easy choice for me to leave work and spend as much time as I could around her and her family."

Days spent caring for grandchildren

Brough said his days were now largely spent helping care for Jess' three children on the Sunshine Coast, who he delivers to and from school each day.

"Family is everything and we live together. That's a beautiful thing because bringing up your children and then being a part of your grandchildren's upbringing is as good as it gets," he said.

The family has already experienced its fair share of heartache after the sudden death of Brough's three-year-old son Sam some 30 years ago.

It prompted Brough to embark on a 1,200-kilometre ride in Sam's honour in 2014 to raise money for the Children's Health Foundation and the Humpty Dumpty Foundation.

"What I learnt from losing Sam was that you never know what people are going through and we must be careful not to be too judgemental," Brough said when launching the ride.

"I can remember walking through the shops at Christmas the year we lost Sammy and watching people buying toys for their children and wanting to scream that I'd lost my little mate.

"I guess we pass people every day and we have no idea what's going on in their lives."

Love of footy creates family memories

Outside of his family, rugby league is Brough's second greatest love.

He held back tears as he described having Jess work alongside him this year as he coached his granddaughter's under-11s Kawana Dolphins girls team.

"Jess was helping me out managing that team, but things got tough and she had to pull out of that role," he said.

"Broughy", as he's affectionately known, coached the Maroochydore Swans open women's team to a grand final win at the weekend.

His youngest son Tyson Brough is also a successful National Rugby League referee.

"I've never been away from rugby league," Brough said.

"When I finished playing I was commentating when I was working on radio, then on television with the ABC and [channel] Nine and doing State of Origin, and then coaching football for 25 years.

"It's been a massive part of our life."

'Telling stories that mattered'

Brough said he was grateful to the people who reached out to him during his absence from news reading.

"I've never seen television as being anything more than what it is — a job that I've enjoyed doing," he said.

"You appreciate that you've spent a big chunk of your life talking to people, and they've embraced you to a degree. They've turned the TV on and watched what you've been doing.

"I've just been very, very lucky to have had such an enjoyable career in broadcasting, and to those people who've asked and genuinely been interested in what's unfolded, thank you."

Brough's long-time former colleague and now Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said he was sorely missed by Queensland communities.

"I think he just has a presence, and he loved being the stable anchor. That's what he was, he was telling people stories that mattered," Cr Natoli said.

"He was also a bit of a rogue, a bit of a joker or prankster at times.

"And of course everyone knew the wink. People would look forward to that wink at the end of the bulletin."

Click here to read article