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Actor, Cameo & Crew Profiles > Crew Profiles > Reg Grundy

Reg Grundy was born on 4th August 1923 in Sydney, Australia. He served as a Sergeant in the Australian Army during the Second World War and, following his discharge in 1946, he began his media career as a sports commentator for Sydney radio statio 2SM.

Ten years later, whilst still working in radio, he hosted Wheel Of Fortune, which moved to a television slot on the Nine Network in 1959. He remained as host until 1962. In 1960, Reg moved into television production, founding the Reg Grundy Organisation, which initially produced game shows for both the Australian and overseas markets. In 1973, they began producing drama series, going on to make some of the most successful shows in Australian history, including The Restless Years, Prisoner (the first Australian drama to be sold to America), The Young Doctors and Sons and Daughters. In 1985, Grundy produced Neighbours for the Seven Network. After a year, it moved to Channel Ten, and it went on to become the longest-running drama series on Australian television.

In 1995, Reg sold The Grundy Organisation to Pearson PLC, later FremantleMedia. In 2015, Reg Grundy was listed by the Australian Financial Review as the 59th richest individual in Australia. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1983, and a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2008.

Reg was married twice, having a daughter Kim with his first wife, Lola Powell. In 1971, he married his second wife, actress and author, Joy Chambers, who would go on to become well-known to Neighbours fans in her recurring role as Rosemary Daniels. The couple moved to Bermuda in 1982. A very private man, he only gave one television interview in his life, in 2010, to Tracy Grimshaw of A Current Affair.

Reg Grundy died at his in Bermuda on 6th May 2016, aged 92, and surrounded by family. Tributes immediately flooded in from Australian actors and media personalities following the announcement of his death, with former Neighbours actor Jason Donovan describing him as "one of the true pioneers of Australian television", and actress Jackie Woodburne calling him "a ground breaker... and above all just a lovely man."

Profile by Steve

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