Edwina Bartholomew ranked Australia’s most popular TV host of all time – Edwina Bartholomew has emerged as Australia’s favourite TV host, surpassing household names like Karl Stefanovic and Natalie Barr with a perfect ‘popularity’ score of 100. Karl Stefanovic was second with a ‘popularity’ score of 96, followed by Sarah Harris at 87.
Specialist SEO agency StudioHawk, analysed average monthly search volumes and Instagram followers of over 100 prominent Australian TV hosts. The ranking was determined using a ‘popularity score’ formula that weighted Instagram followers at 50% and search volumes at 50%.
Joshua Poole, Head of Marketing at StudioHawk, said:
“Australia’s TV hosts have achieved a celebrity-like status with their names regularly featured in news headlines. Whether viewers adore them or switch channels, this new study provides a unique insight into the nation’s most popular TV personalities.
“Edwina Batholomew is the clear leader, with the Network Seven journalist known for her high-profile hosting role on Sunrise. Bartholomew is the second most searched-for female TV host with a strong social media following helping her achieve the highest ‘popularity score’, beating commercial TV giants like Karl Stefanovic.”
Australia’s Favourite TV Host, Ranked
| Rank | Name | Avg. Monthly Search Volume | Instagram Followers | ‘Popularity’ Score |
| 1 | Edwina Bartholomew | 400 | 230,000 | 100 |
| 2 | Karl Stefanovic | 250 | 281,700 | 96 |
| 3 | Sarah Harris | 160 | 286,900 | 87 |
| 4 | Natalie Barr | 410 | 117,000 | 74 |
| 5 | Ryan Daniels | 620 | 1,800 | 70 |
| 6 | Sarah Abo | 320 | 46,900 | 47 |
| 7 | Rove McManus | 50 | 166,800 | 46 |
| 8 | Tara Rushton | 270 | 49,600 | 43 |
| 9 | Jane Bunn | 230 | 50,400 | 39 |
| 10 | Rebecca Maddern | 130 | 95,800 | 38 |
(To view the full dataset, click here)
Australia’s Favourite Regional TV Host, Ranked
| City | Name | Avg. Monthly Search Volume | Instagram Followers | ‘Popularity’ Score |
| Adelaide | Kate Collins | 100 | 10,000 | 73 |
| Brisbane | Liz Cantor | 40 | 20,800 | 100 |
| Melbourne | Rebecca Maddern | 130 | 95800 | 88 |
| Perth | Matthew Pavlich | 20 | 44,600 | 71 |
| Sydney | Tara Rushton | 100 | 72500 | 81 |
Methodology
StudioHawk collated a seed list of over 100 Australian TV hosts. Instagram follower count (where applicable) was recorded and the average monthly Google search volume in Australia, over 12 months, for each TV host’s name. The highest and lowest values for both were normalised to make the data comparable. A final popularity score was then calculated, giving 50% weight to Instagram followers and 50% to search volume. For TV host popularity (type), the scoring was normalised per regional category. The data was collected in January 2025 and is accurate but subject to change.
Media Release – Studio Hawk
TV Central ABC content HERE
Link to Studio Hawk HERE
Edwina Bartholomew ranked Australia’s most popular TV host of all time
