Behind The Scenes
According to her kids Shaun The Sheep is a bigger star than Mum!
She’s one of the busiest women on TV, covering an array of topics, from natural disasters and coveted red carpets to catching conmen. Yet, despite a varied career that spans 25 years, Leila Mckinnon’s kids, Ted, five, and Gwendolen, four, think their mum is far from exciting!
“My kids see me every day so unless they’re watching Shaun The Sheep or Rusty Rivets, they’re not interested in seeing my face on television,” quips the veteran journalist. “They think I’m the most boring person in the world!”
But even if Mum’s a bore, there’s one thing the 45-yearold’s kids can’t get enough of at home and that’s the young family’s voiceover booth.
“It’s a sweet little set-up and looks just like a spraytanning booth,” Leila explains. “The kids love recording themselves in there.”
Since Leila and her clan moved from Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs to the Northern Rivers of NSW, the loving mum says she’s found a great work-life balance. “I can do all my voiceovers from home and I fly wherever I’m needed,” she says.
And in her latest project, Inside Crime, Leila works alongside criminologist Garner Clancey to explore the chilling criminal cases that have grabbed the nation’s attention.
“I’m a big fan of true crime – I think most people are. I enjoyed dissecting what went wrong and what sparked these strange crimes with some of the most unlikely perpetrators,” she says.
‘My kids aren’t interested in seeing me on TV’
“Working with Garner I was able to learn some of the signs of controlling people. I know I’ll raise my kids, especially my daughter, that if anyone starts trying to tell her which friends she can talk to or what clothes she can wear, then that’s one of the first signs of somebody who could go all the way down the track,” she says, adding, “I think it’s good to know these things but you do have to remind yourself to keep it in perspective!”