Bio
Leanne Manas is a South African radio and television presenter, finance journalist and motivational speaker best known for hosting the SABC2 breakfast news show Morning Live, since 2004.
Career
A qualified Speech and Drama teacher with Honours in English, Manas started her career as a radio news anchor at Radio 702. She then moved to Johnnic Publishing's African Business Channel where she became the news anchor for Classic fm.
She took a keen interest in finance journalism and completed a postgraduate certificate in Economics Journalism from Rhodes University. She was a nominee for the Sanlam Business Journalist of the Year awards in 2002.
She began her television career as the main news anchor for the business channel Summit Television, before moving to SABC3 to host two business programmes, Business Focus and Business Update.
Leanne was chosen as the national news anchor for the 2004 South African general elections and presidential inauguration, along with Vuyo Mbuli.
She joined Mbuli as co-anchor of SABC2's breakfast news show Morning Live on Monday 2 August, 2004, replacing Michelle Garforth. She has remained with Morning Live ever since.
Leanne has also hosted numerous radio shows for a wide variety of radio stations, including Radio Algoa, Jacaranda and East Coast Radio.
She was voted one of South Africa's Most Awesome Women of 2005 in Cosmopolitan magazine and won the People Magazine Crystal Award for Best Female TV Presenter in South Africa for three years running.
She also won the 2005 Sunday Times/ELLE TV Style award for Most Stylish Female Actuality, News Host or Continuity Presenter.
She has interviewed numerous high profile personalities, including Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfey, Jesse Jackson, The Archbishop of Canterbury, Richard Branson and a host of celebrities like Seal, Diana Ross, Christina Aguilera, John Legend, Jane Seymour and Ronan Keating.
In addition to her media career, Leanne also supports many charities, doing work for the Topsy Foundation and Child Welfare, amongst others. She is also a 46664 Ambassador, working closely with HIV/AIDS initiatives.
In her spare time she teaches television skills to students.
Leanne has been married to Greek financial markets trader Marc Menelaou since 3 September, 2005. Their wedding was aired on television.
She is one of the celebrity dancers in the Strictly Come Dancing New Year Special, which airs on SABC2 on 31 December, 2008. Her dance partner is Marcel Vilonel.
Hostage-Taking
On Thursday 11 October, 2007, Manas was held up at gunpoint by a group of well-dressed men in the driveway of her home in Northcliff, Johannesburg, after arriving home from work at around 17h30.
The men took her to her bedroom and tied her up her with a necktie. They proceeded to take her cellphone, laptop computer, electrical appliances and cash, before leaving.
Manas managed to free herself and locked herself in the bathroom. She was discovered there by her parents after they became concerned when she didn't answer her phone.