Back Roads on ABC announces Lisa Millar as new host – The ABC is excited to announce that Gold Logie award nominee Lisa Millar will take the helm as the new host of the much-loved series, Back Roads.
Lisa has been a guest presenter since 2019. Her role marks a new chapter for the long-running series, which has inspired audiences to take the road less travelled to the small towns and communities that make Australia special.
Lisa succeeds Heather Ewart, the much-respected founding host of Back Roads, who retired from the program earlier this year after travelling thousands of kilometres around the country since launching the series in 2015, and whose final episode airs on Thursday, 31st July.
Lisa Millar said,
“What a privilege it is to take the path less travelled with this treasured show. Heather has nurtured Back Roads since the beginning and will remain in the hearts of so many of the communities she visited.”
Lisa’s first road trip in the new season airs on Thursday, August 7, 8pm on ABC TV and ABC iview.
Lisa straps herself in for an adventure exploring the legendary Snowy River. Most of us know the name, but how much do we really know about this iconic river? Lisa follows the Snowy from the slopes of Mt Kosciuszko in New South Wales right down south to Marlo, where the river empties out into the Bass Strait. In this adventure packed episode Lisa is put to the test, riding wild brumbies and kayaking fast-moving rapids as she explores this wild and mighty waterway.
This season, Lisa and guest presenters Paul West, Myf Warhurst, Kristy O’Brien and Tom Forrest each set off on their own adventures, discovering regional towns and characters – from Harvey in Western Australia to the tranquil Gippsland Lakes in Victoria, and the outback gem, Mataranka in the Northern Territory.
About Lisa:
Gold Logie award nominee Lisa Millar was the co-host of ABC News Breakfast for 5 years and has been a regular guest presenter on the ABC’s popular Back Roads program since 2019. She’s also the voice of the smash hit show, Muster Dogs. Lisa was an ABC foreign correspondent for 12 years in the US and Europe before returning to Australia in 2018.
She grew up in country Queensland and is part of a still expanding family. Her childhood in the small town of Kilkivan features in her best-selling memoir ‘Daring To Fly’. She has lived in Melbourne since 2019 and is a regular tennis player and runner and hopes that her ability in both will eventually catch up with her enthusiasm.
In 2024 Lisa released a companion book to Muster Dogs, ‘From Pups to Pros: How ten dogs stole hearts and changed lives forever’. The book takes you behind the scenes to meet the cast, crew and the star dogs themselves. She looks at how the show began and why it resonated with audiences, as well as the impact on her own life, juggling the Muster Dogs world.
Always free and Always entertaining, stream Back Roads on ABC iview.
Production Credits:
Executive Producers: Brigid Donovan and Louise Turley.
Back Roads on ABC and ABC iview – Thursday 20 March at 8.00pm
TV Central ABC content HERE
Back Roads on ABC announces Lisa Millar as new host
