Lisa Wilkinson's pride as her son walks down the aisle with fellow journalist at intimate Sydney wedding

Daily Mail​

27-04-2025

could not wipe the smile of pride off her face as her eldest child married this weekend.
The television star's son, Jake, 30, married Sydney Morning Herald journalist Mary Ward in Sydney in a low-key wedding shared to social media by his younger sister.
In posts on Instagram made by journalist Billi, 26, Lisa beamed as she cuddled up to her daughter at the family event.
'The bestest weekend for the eldest brother' Billi wrote in her caption alongside the series of photos and short video.
Other images showed Jake and his blushing bride posing outside their wedding venue before heading into a relaxed reception.
A clip depicted the pair dancing into their reception holding hands as a small group of family and friends applauded.
Jake's father Peter FitzSimons also beamed in photos shared by Billi, the family appearing in excellent spirits despite recent hardships.
Lisa frocked up for the occasion in a bold red gown with a floral design and a retro feel.
Billi also looked glamorous in a bright orange, sleeveless column dress with a ruffled feature at the front.
She attended with her new boyfriend, finance whiz kid and former bartender Jared Ellison.
Groom Jake was smart in a classic tuxedo while his bride Mary opted for a high fashion wedding gown with a pointed bodice and fairytale sleeve puffs.
Mary is a seasoned journalist who has worked for the Sydney Morning Herald, HuffPost, MSN Australia, Good Food, The Daily Beast and The Age.
Jake is also active in the media as Editor of Commander's Herald, as well as a historical researcher with Woosel.
Lisa and broadcaster Peter, who married in 1992, share three adult children, sons Jake and Louis, 28 and daughter Billi.
The TV host previously expressed her joy in 'defying the people who said they wouldn't last' after she and Peter walked down the aisle in 1992 nine months after they first met.
'When Pete and I met way back at Xmas in 1991, there were many - including my sweet, protective mum - who said we wouldn't last,' she said in an Instagram post.
'[We] are still defying those who thought we wouldn't make it.'
Last year, it was revealed that Lisa's daughter is following in her parents' footsteps in the media, being appointed 'editor-in-chief' of social media news site The Daily Aus.
Billi FitzSimons announced the promotion after having previously been an editor.
'I'm looking forward to growing our diverse content offerings, including podcasting, polling, video and newsletters,' she wrote.
'We have big plans this year, and I can't wait for you to see what we have in store.'
The Daily Aus is a social media-based news aggregator with over 500,000 followers on Instagram.
It targets Gen Z and Millennials with easy-to-digest news stories and explainer articles.
'RAHHH!', her father Peter FitzSimons - the former rugby international turned writer - posted in response to the news.
Journalism runs in the family - Wilkinson started editing women's magazine Dolly at the age of 21, where she reportedly tripled the circulation.
After this impressive feat, she was personally approached by billionaire news magnate Kerry Packer to head up women's lifestyle magazine, Cleo.
Wilkinson went on to forge a successful career in television journalism, hosting the Today show and later becoming a panellist on The Project.
However, her career has stalled amidst the ongoing fallout of her controversial interview with former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, and has not been seen on TV in some time.
While not be on the same scale as her mother, FitzSimons has had to deal with her fair share of turbulence since first landing the role as editor of The Daily Aus before her 25th birthday.
In June 2022, the website photoshopped the German flag on the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, rather than the Aboriginal flag, which also contains red, yellow and black.
Just a day later FitzSimons posted a job listing looking for a fact checker who has 'meticulous attention to detail'.
The youngster has been listed as one of Australia's 'nepo babies' given she is the offspring of journalistic royalty.
Her mother got FitzSimons her first job as a writer on news website Mamamia when she was still at university by calling in a favour with her old protégé Mia Freedman.
FitzSimons worked for Mamamia throughout university before landing a job as a political writer at the Daily Aus straight after graduating.
She gained a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications), Government and International Relations, Digital Cultures from the University of Sydney in 2019.
But not everything has been handed to FitzSimons.
Her father previously revealed how she used to toil part-time at Domino's for four years from the age of 14 to earn money while at school.
It comes after news that Lisa wants to make a return to TV screens following months of inaction and tedious weeks spent in a courtroom, sources say.
The Channel 10 star and former darling of breakfast TV is keen to get back to delivering more 'blockbuster interviews' in the New Year, friends told the Weekend Australian.
Wilkinson quit The Project in November, 2022 and she hasn't appeared on TV in a regular role since.
Lisa also recently shared a cryptic post to social media revealing she was ready for 'new beginnings'.
After two years of gardening leave to the tune of $1.7million a year, her time at Channel Ten ended with a whimper over the Christmas holidays.
Her multi-year contract lapsed on New Year's Eve and wasn't renewed.
Lisa joined the network in 2018 after an infamous pay dispute at Nine when she discovered her Today co-host Karl Stefanovic was earning significantly more than her.
Everything was going well when she signed a new deal with Ten in 2021.
But just a year later, she stepped down as host of The Project—her sole on-air role—citing the toll of 'relentless, targeted' media coverage.
In the two years since vanishing from our screens, she continued to collect a monthly paycheck from Ten, commercial TV's forgotten child, despite industry-wide cutbacks.
Lisa has since since been slowly building back her public image, as the embattled TV star made quiet appearances at red carpet events in recent months, and last year showed up at a trendy influencer shindig.
She surprised guests at the launch of wellness brand Vegamour's new GRO+ Advanced Hair Serum at Bondi Icebergs, the Daily Telegraph reported.
It was the latest in a string of appearances in an effort for Lisa to 'ease back into the Sydney social scene' the publication claimed.