Yumi Stynes

Early life

Stynes was born in Swan Hill, Victoria, where she grew up with her parents, David and Yoshiko, two sisters and a brother. Her father was fifth generation Australian and her mother is Japanese. She spent her teenage years in Melbourne before moving to Sydney to work for Channel V Australia.

Radio

In August 2011, Stynes was appointed co-host of 3PM Pick-Up with Chrissie Swan, broadcast nationally on Mix 101.1, Mix 106.5, Mix 102.3, Mix 106.3 & 97.3 FM. She remained co-host until August 2012 and was replaced by Jane Hall.

In January 2013, Stynes hosted Mix 106.5's breakfast program with Sami Lukis the first all-female team on FM commercial radio in Sydney. The show ran until December 2013 when it was announced that Mix 106.5 would rebrand to KIIS 106.5 and the breakfast show would be replaced by Kyle and Jackie O.

In January 2017, Stynes joined the KIIS Network to host 3PM Pick-Up with Katie 'Monty' Dimond and Rebecca Judd.

Television career

Stynes' television career began in 2000 as a presenter for Channel V Australia, originally winning her job as part of the Channel V Reporter Search, along with James Mathison (who went on to host Australian Idol). In 2007, she moved across to MAX where she presented "The Know" with Jimmy Barnes, Lisa Hensley and Chit Chat Von Loopin Stab. From 2010 until 2012, Stynes hosted Network Ten's morning show, The Circle, alongside Denise Drysdale, Chrissie Swan and Gorgi Coghlan.

Stynes has presented for several Australian channels, including Foxtel's Select, the ABC for Sleek Geeks, and SBS for the Inside Film Awards. She has appeared as a panelist on Spicks and Specks (TV series), Can of Worms (TV program) and The Project (Australian TV program) and been featured in The Agony of Life (TV series).

Stynes presented on Reel Spiel and 50 Minutes both on Channel V and has hosted the ASTRA Award-winning 'Max Sessions: Powderfinger'. Yumi has also appeared as a presenter at the ARIA Music Awards, APRA Awards, ASTRA Awards, Filmink Awards and Inside Film Awards.

In 2013, she co-hosted the presentation of the Tropfest short film festival on SBS.

Writing

As a writer, Stynes has made regular contributions to The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, The Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph, Filmink, Grazia, Marie Claire and was a regular blogger and film critic for Bigpond. She has also written for Her contributions have been featured in the anthologies, Women of Letters and She's Having a Laugh.

Public Speaking

In 2015, she was a panelist at Vivid Sydney's Festival of Idea's discussion "I'm not Racist...but" and also host of children's concert, Dress Up Attack.

Controversy

After being awarded the Australian Victoria Cross and Medal for Gallantry in 2011, CPL Ben Roberts-Smith was interviewed on Sunday Night on 27 February 2012, discussing his life, his use of IVF to conceive his children and appearing topless in a pool. He also posed topless on the cover of Men's Health magazine, as part of a "charm offensive" for army recruitment. On 28 February 2012, The Circle host Gorgi Coghlan introduced a segment by saying she had seen a photo of a man which had "kept her up all night" and who was, to her, "the perfect image of masculinity", before revealing a photo of CPL Roberts-Smith standing topless in a pool. Co-host Yumi Stynes responded with, "He's going to dive down to the bottom of the pool to see if his brain is there." She later explained that she did not know much about CPL Roberts-Smith nor the Australian Defence Force, and merely saw a "very handsome guy". "So I made a joke, because how could anybody possibly be so perfect?" Stynes said. "What I didn't estimate was how much my joke was not appreciated. I sort of intimated that maybe he wasn't very smart, because how could you be that buff and spend that much time in a gym and be smart as well?"

Guest panelist George Negus then said "Nothing about poor old Ben...but that sort of bloke...and what if they're not up to it in the sack?" However, his initial disclaimer "nothing about poor old Ben" was partially obscured by other people talking and Yumi Stynes asked for clarification- "Are you intimating, George Negus, that he might be a dud root?" Negus disagreed, saying "If I'd said that, the phone would be ringing off the hook." He reiterated that he was not talking about Ben Roberts-Smith specifically, but about buff men in general who may focus on their own bodies at the expense of their partners.

Despite this, tabloid media incorrectly reported that Negus and Stynes had questioned a war hero's sexual prowess because of his use of IVF to conceive his children leading to intense social media attacks and death threats against Yumi Stynes. Negus and Stynes both spoke personally with Ben Roberts-Smith who accepted their explanations and agreed there was no malicious intent.

On 13 September 2014, Fairfax newspapers issued an apology to Ms Stynes and Mr Negus, stating "Our interpretation was wrong and we accept that both Mr Negus and Ms Stynes were not referring to Cpl Roberts-Smith personally." News Limited publications, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun and news.com.au also retracted the incorrect allegations.

Music career

Stynes is also the bassist and vocalist for Sydney band The Punisherz. In her own words "To be in The Punisherz you have to be Asian and unable to play an instrument. I play bass. We're terrible."

Personal life

Stynes was the partner of musician Ben Ely from the band Regurgitator; they separated after eight years, in 2008. They have two daughters, Anouk and Dee Dee. In October 2012, she married Martin Bendeler. Stynes is an ambassador of Priceline's "Beauty of You" program. In November 2013, Stynes announced that she was pregnant. In May 2014 she gave birth to her third child, a daughter named Mercy. In April 2015, Stynes announced that she was pregnant with her fourth child.