| Ricardo Jorge Gonçalves | |
| Birth Date: | 1981 1, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Wollongong, New South Wales |
| Other Names: | Richard Goncalves; Ric G |
| Alma Mater: | University of Wollongong |
| Occupation: | television journalist |
| Years Active: | 1998-present |
| Known For: | presenting news bulletins and programs on SBS |
Ricardo Jorge Gonçalves (born 24 January 1981)[1] is a Portuguese Australian television journalist and presenter, best known for his work at SBS.[2]
Gonçalves is the network's finance editor where he presents a nightly finance report on SBS World News each weeknight and also fronts the SBS On the Money Podcast.[2]
He also anchors SBS World News Late.[2]
Since 2016, Gonçalves has hosted Small Business Secrets.[3] [4]
Gonçalves commenced his television career at WIN Television in Wollongong, where unpaid work experience led to him becoming a casual WIN News reporter in 1998 while he was studying commerce at the University of Wollongong.[5]
In 1999, Gonçalves set up a website to offer advice to high school students about study techniques which led to Gonçalves assisting Channel 7 current affairs program Today Tonight with a number of education-related reports.[6]
Gonçalves commenced working as a business journalist for finance expert David Koch's production company Palamedia in 2001.[2] Based at Channel 7 in Sydney, he provided content for Seven, Sky News Australia and 2GB.[6]
He moved to Melbourne in 2004 where he worked as a reporter for National Nine News on Channel 9 and as a volunteer breakfast news presenter on LGBTIQ+ community radio station Joy FM where he was known on air as "Ric G."[2]
Gonçalves returned to Sydney in 2007 where he produced and anchored coverage for the Sky News Business Channel.[2]
He joined SBS in 2010.[7]
In April 2020, Gonçalves unusually had to take over from Janice Petersen halfway through an SBS World News bulletin due to Petersen's vision deteriorating caused by an object in her eye.[8]
Gonçalves was born in Wollongong, New South Wales. His parents had migrated to Australia from Portugal in the late 1970s. Portuguese was his first language during his early childhood.[1]
He attended Edmund Rice College in Wollongong, where he was school captain.[6]
Throughout his early career, Gonçalves called himself by the name of Richard which his teachers had preferred to use instead of Ricardo.[9] Gonçalves continued to use the name Richard while also anglicising his surname to enhance his career prospects due to the lack of cultural diversity on Australian television.[9]
Gonçalves appeared on a 1998 episode of Australian game show Wheel of Fortune.[2]
Gonçalves successfully auditioned for an Australian pop group called Sneaky Deep in 2000, and recorded a three-track demo CD with the group.[10] However, he was let go from the group after approximately six months after being told his vocal abilities weren't developing enough.[10] After Gonçalves left the group, they signed a publishing deal with Warner Music Australia but disbanded soon after.[10]
Gonçalves is known for his love of Eurovision and in 2018 was appointed as Australia's spokesperson for the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, taking over from Lee Lin Chin.[11]
He is an Australia Day ambassador.[12] [13]