Basia Bonkowski

Basia Bonkowski was an Australian television presenter and journalist who was best known for her flagship show on SBS, Rock Around the World and Continental Drift. She was born in Adelaide to Polish immigrants, and was a TV presenter and journalist on SBS in the 1980s (and then TEN and Seven Network). She was widely known and loved for her presence, innate style and a sense of cool that money doesn't buy. She interviewed hundreds of entertainment, film and music stars with her dignified, considered and cut-through approach. She also had a short, vibrant, red hairstyle and an edgy, cool wardrobe that made her stand out from other TV hosts. She was so popular that the Aussie rock band, Painters and Dockers, wrote a song about her, aptly named 'Basia'. She married director Kimble Rendall in 1984 and adopted two children, William and Camille. She also worked as a TV producer and writer for various networks. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2021 and died at the age of 65 in Sydney. Her death was widely mourned by her fans, colleagues, friends, and family.