Sunrise reporter Peter Ford reveals ‘surprising’ phone call from Derryn Hinch about his death

A former colleague of late Australian journalist Derryn Hinch has opened up about a phone call he received from the media personality before his death. Sunrise entertainment reporter Peter Ford revealed Hinch had called him to say he would be first to hear when the beloved broadcaster died. Hinch, an often controversial figure known as the Human Headline, died on Friday at the age of 82. He was best known for his work on the airwaves, hosting various radio shows in Melbourne and Sydney over four decades. He hosted radio shows on 3AW for much of the 1980s and ‘90s, with further stints in the 2000s and ‘10s, before turning his attention to politics, serving in the Australian Senate between 2016 and 2019. The New Zealand-born broadcaster, who also dabbled in acting, died in his sleep after years of health struggles. “I was a young kid when I first met him. He had come to Melbourne and he said he was going to shake up Melbourne — and he did that,” Ford said on Saturday. “We weren’t personal friends, more social acquaintances I would say, which is why it was so surprising when about 12 months ago he contacted me and said ‘I want to give you something’.” Ford said he asked Hinch what he meant, to which the media legend replied that he had a “scoop” to give his former colleague. “He said ‘I’ve given a list to my PA and you’re to be the first media person to be told that I’ve died’,” he said. “I know this is kind of weird, but this is what he said to me.” Ford revealed that a year later, at about noon on Friday, he received a call informing him Hinch had passed away. “I got a call from his PA to say ‘Derryn is gone, he wants you to break the story’,” he said. “I don’t say this to be boastful, I say this because it shows how Derryn’s mind worked — he was always looking for a story, how it should be structured and how it should be placed — and he gave me that rather odd honour of breaking the news yesterday.” Ford said during the call last year he had asked Hinch “why me?”. “He said that anytime someone dies, everyone suddenly makes them into a saint and says how wonderful they were, and you don’t do that — he hated it when people did that,” he said. Ford said while Hinch did have a “mixed report card”, and was known to have offended and annoyed people, he will be remembered for working to bring child sex offenders to justice. “Whatever mistakes were made or whatever lines were crossed, I think his work on fighting child sex offenders is what everyone will (think about) and that’s impressive.” Ford said Hinch should be getting a state funeral for his contributions to Australian media and politics, but believes he may be ineligible due to his past criminal convictions for defying suppression orders to expose the criminal histories of sex offenders. Hinch famously said he wanted his funeral to be held at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre, and for his coffin to be taken away to a recording of him saying “I’m Derryn Hinch, that’s life”.