Why giving back matters so much to 7NEWS presenter Rosanna Mangiarelli
She’s been a staple on our screens for decades – and after almost 30 years in media, most South Australians feel like they know Rosanna Mangiarelli.
The polished presenter with the perfectly coiffed hair. The calm, trusted face delivering the nightly news alongside Will Goodings.
But did you know she’s happiest fresh-faced in Ugg boots?
Or that she’s a diehard Port Adelaide Power supporter who wasn’t even into footy growing up?
Or that amid the juggle of family life, a high-profile television career and nightly deadlines, she still makes charity work one of her biggest priorities?
Because beyond the news desk, there’s another side to Rosanna – one grounded in family, gratitude and a deep desire to help others.
Most mornings begin with a walk alongside husband Andrew Oborn on the trails around their leafy green suburb. It’s become their time to reconnect before the chaos of the day begins.
“It’s such a wonderful chance for us to talk,” Rosanna shares. “He’s a very good sounding board.
“I say it’s a great chance for us to chat, but I probably do 99 per cent of the talking.”
And while viewers are used to seeing her camera-ready every night, Rosanna insists her preferred state is much more low-key. – “fresh-faced and in Ugg boots.”
Unless, of course, she’s swapped the Ugg boots for sneakers and headed to watch her beloved Power.
“I wasn’t a footy follower growing up,” she admits. “But when Andrew and I got together, loving Port was pretty much non-negotiable.”
Now she proudly supports the club as an ambassador and passionate fan.
At home, life revolves around family. Rosanna and Andrew are parents to Emma, Olivia and Will – and despite her evening news schedule, sitting down together for dinner remains non-negotiable.
“We have dinner as a family almost every night,” she says. “I prepare the food in the morning, so it only needs warming up before I get home around 7.30pm.
“That family time is really important to all of us. It’s a chance to check in on how everyone’s day went.”
She jokes that cooking is her only real hobby – but that’s not entirely true. Alongside walking, she’s embraced a new health and wellness routine, transforming her home office into a mini gym complete with free weights, a rowing machine and a workout bench.
And while viewers know her as one of South Australia’s most recognisable news presenters, at home she’s simply “mum”.
Having three children in under five years while hosting Adelaide’s No.1 current affairs program was, by her own admission, a lot. Daughter Emma arrived in February 2009 just 18 months after she took over the helm of Today Tonight, with Rosanna returning to work a mere six weeks later. Olivia followed in 2011 (she didn’t rush back that time), then son Will in 2013.
It’s no surprise that she runs a tight ship. Alongside Andrew who “is the CEO (of the home) and I’m the general manager,” she says. “We gel together beautifully. We’re like a jigsaw puzzle. We always have been, which is really lucky and rather rare. I’m completely blessed that we have that.”
It also took an enormous village, a combination of her mum (Maria … “an angel”), a nanny and childcare, and the occasional Excel spreadsheet
And while her plate already seems impossibly full, Rosanna has always made time for another of her greatest passions: charity work.
As a long-time ambassador for the Firefly Children’s Foundation, supporting vulnerable children and life-changing research has become incredibly important to her.
“Just knowing that you are helping children now, while also setting them up for the future, is a really comforting thought for me,” she says.
For Rosanna, giving back isn’t viewed as something extra to squeeze in when there’s time. It sits alongside all the other priorities in life.
“I put it high on the priority list and make sure I get it done,” she says.
“It’s one of those things – dinners need to be cooked, the washing needs to be done and also charity work.
“It’s in that list of everyday jobs that I do.”
Rosanna laughs though as she admits it’s a lot more rewarding than the washing.
Her own parents instilled in her a strong sense of compassion and generosity – values she now hopes to pass on to her own children.
“Knowing my children are watching what I do is really important to me,” she says. “I want them to understand compassion and gratitude.”
That gratitude is something Rosanna feels deeply herself.
“I feel incredibly lucky and blessed with the life I have and my healthy children,” she says.
“So anytime you can do something to help somebody who’s not in such a fortunate position, why wouldn’t you? It’s a no-brainer.
“I’ve always had this deep-seated compassion and desire to help people who are less fortunate than I am.”
And that’s why her work with the Firefly Children’s Foundation continues to mean so much.
“It’s such a wonderful foundation,” she says. “But the most important thing is knowing you’re changing lives.
“And not just for today, but for tomorrow, next year and years to come. The research being supported is genuinely changing the trajectory of children’s lives.
“The support that the foundation gives so many South Australian researchers is invaluable. Much of this work couldn’t happen without Firefly.”
For Rosanna, the message is simple.
“Children are the most vulnerable members of our society, and we all need to step up and support them,” she says.
“Every child deserves the chance to be healthy, safe and succeed – regardless of their background.”
