Red Symons Recovering In Hospital After Severe Fall

Former Skyhooks member and long-serving TV and radio personality Red Symons is recovering in hospital after a "sudden lack of consciousness" caused him to fall during a walk home earlier this month. 

In a statement, Symons explained that he was walking home from the supermarket on Wednesday 5 July when he experienced the blackout. "This resulted in a fall, with my head hitting the pavement," he said.

"I am currently in hospital, thankful to be receiving the best of medical attention and working on a speedy recovery. I'm sorry for this unexpected absence, but do look forward to getting back to work as soon as possible."

Along with his work as lead guitarist for Skyhooks, Symons is arguably best known for his stint as a judge on Hey Hey It's Saturday. He now serves as the host for 774 ABC Melbourne's Breakfast program, a role he has held since 2003.

He has been off-air for the past week in the wake of the fall, with Libbi Gorr filling in, though his absence had been unexplained until now.

Symons recently made headlines as a result of a controversial interview with fellow ABC presenter Beverley Wang about her podcast, It's Not A Race, during which he asked her such questions as "What's the deal with Asians?" and "Are you yellow?", prompting an apology from the national broadcaster.

Symons also apologised for his misstep, admitting, "I came across as racist and I was wrong in the way I conducted the interview."