Basil Anthony Zempilas is an Australian television and radio presenter and sports commentator based in Perth, Western Australia. Zempilas presents sport on Seven News Perth, Monday to Thursday and since January 2014 co-hosts Perth radio station 6PR's breakfast program with Steve Mills. He is also a member of the Seven Network's AFL football commentary team. Zempilas has commentated on the Olympics and several other major sporting events, was formerly with radio station 92.9 in Perth and has previously been a co-host of Weekend Sunrise.
Early life
Zempilas attended Floreat ParkPrimary School and Hale School in Perth. He graduated from Perth's Murdoch University in 1992 with a degree in Media Studies and Mass Communications, and took up a cadetship as a sports reporter with Seven News in Perth. Zempilas played for the West Perth Football Club playing as a ruckman and forward, but retired due to injury. Zempilas played 24 games in the WAFL between 1990 and 1994, kicking 25 goals including kicking 5 in a semi final in 1993.
Media career
Zempilas began at the Seven Network in 1994, and was awarded "Best News Story" at the annual Western Australia Football Commission media awards for his coverage of the Melbourne Football Club being thrown out of a West Coast Eagles closed training session. In 1996, he was named the "Best Television Personality" at the same awards. In 1996 Zempilas was promoted to weekend sports anchor on Seven News, a position he held until the end of 2001, when Seven lost the rights to broadcast AFL. In 1997 he commenced hosting a locally produced football show, Basil's Footy Show. He hosted the 1998 World Aquatics Championships in Perth and co-hosted the local television program Perth at Five with Yvette Mooney. Zempilas has been involved with the Seven Network's coverage of the Olympic Games since the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where he co-hosted Tonight at the Games with Bruce Abernethy for the Western Australia and South Australia markets. At the 2002 Winter Olympics, Zempilas called Steven Bradbury's win in the 1000m speed skating; Australia's first Winter Olympic Gold medal. Zempilas provided rowing and basketball commentary at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and represented Seven News at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships. In 2006 he began presenting the AFL segment on the Seven Network program Sportsworld with David Schwarz. He called the speed skating event at the 2006 Winter Olympics with Bradbury and also commentated on Rowing, Canoe/Kyak and Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Zempilas is the senior sport presenter on Seven News Perth, and in the past has provided AFL commentary on radio station 1116 SEN into Melbourne. He was a co-host of the "Lisa, Paul & Baz" show on Perth's 92.9 but left in November 2013. He joined Steve Mills to host the 6PR breakfast radio show in January 2014. Since 2012, Zempilas has been part of the Seven Network's expanded AFL broadcast team. Between 2012 and 2016, he mainly called Saturday afternoon matches and occasionally some Friday night and Sunday afternoon matches; in 2017, he called Saturday night matches and continued to call Thursday and Friday night matches played in Perth. In 2018, due to his Weekend Sunrise commitments, his football duties was reduced to calling only Friday and Saturday night matches played in Sydney, and some matches in Perth. He was also a commentator for Seven's Australian Open tennis coverage and is the host of the annual Channel Seven Perth Telethon. In March 2018, Zempilas was appointed co-host of Weekend Sunrise replacing Andrew O'Keefe after previously filling in as host of the show. In September 2019, Zempilas will step down as regular host of Weekend Sunrise, citing a desire to spend more time with his family, but still appear on the show intermittently as a summer and fill-in presenter whenever required. In October 2019, it was announced that Matt Doran will replace Zempilas on the show from October 12.
Personal life
In March 2004, a portrait of Zempilas by Perth artist Melinda Mackay was entered in the Archibald Prize, and in the same year he featured in Cleo's 50 Most Eligible Bachelors. In 2007, Zempilas received a fine and a three-month suspension of his driver's licence after pleading guilty to drink driving. On 6 September 2009, Zempilas married his longtime girlfriend Amy Graham on the island of Kastellorizo, Greece. They have two daughters and a son.
