Deborah Norville is a prominent American television journalist and businesswoman, most widely recognized as the long-time anchor of the syndicated news magazine Inside Edition. A native of Georgia, Norville competed in beauty pageants during her youth before discovering her passion for broadcasting. She studied journalism at the University of Georgia, launching her career while still a student through an internship at Georgia Public Television and a position at WAGA-TV in Atlanta. Her career momentum accelerated significantly in 1979 when she conducted a high-profile interview with President Jimmy Carter. By the mid-1980s, Norville had transitioned to a national platform, accepting a role as a morning news anchor for NBC News. In 1995, she took over the anchor desk at Inside Edition, a position that has defined much of her career and earned her two Emmy Awards. Beyond her work on camera, Norville is a successful entrepreneur and a New York Times bestselling author. She also expanded her professional portfolio into the corporate world, joining the board of directors for Viacom Corporation in March 2013.
Childhood and Education
Deborah Anne Norville was born on August 8, 1958, in Dalton, Georgia. Raised in a unique environment where her father kept exotic animals such as llamas and ostriches, she was one of four daughters. She shared a close bond with her mother, from whom she inherited a talent for sewing; tragically, her mother passed away when Deborah was twenty. A gifted student and youth beauty pageant participant, Deborah found her career inspiration while competing in the 1976 America’s Junior Miss pageant. Fascinated by the CBS production crew working behind the scenes, she decided to pursue journalism. She enrolled at the University of Georgia, where she excelled academically, graduating summa cum laude with a perfect 4.0 GPA in just three years while serving on the Student Judiciary and earning membership in Phi Beta Kappa.
Early Career and NBC News
Norville’s professional journey began during college with an internship at Georgia Public Television. Her work there caught the eye of producers at WAGA-TV in Atlanta, leading to a position as a reporter while she was still an undergraduate. A major early milestone came in 1979 when she conducted an interview with President Jimmy Carter. After graduation, she moved to WMAQ-TV in Chicago before being hired by NBC News. By 1987, she was the anchor of NBC News at Sunrise, eventually rising to become a co-host of The Today Show in 1990. During her time at NBC, she hosted a highly-rated documentary titled Bad Girls and won her first Emmy Award for covering the democratic revolution in Romania. However, following a dip in ratings and a subsequent maternity leave, she left the network in the early 1990s.
Resurgence and Inside Edition
After a brief but successful stint in radio with the ABC TalkRadio Network, Norville returned to television news in 1992 as a correspondent for CBS. She contributed to programs like 48 Hours and Street Stories, earning her second Emmy Award for her courageous reporting on the Mississippi floods of 1994. In 1995, she accepted the role of anchor for the syndicated newsmagazine Inside Edition. Her arrival helped solidify the show’s success, and in 2015, she celebrated a major milestone, becoming the longest-running female anchor on American television.
Writing, Business, and Personal Life
Beyond the anchor desk, Norville has established herself as a successful author and entrepreneur. Her written works include the New York Times bestseller Thank You Power, the memoir Back on Track, and several children’s books. Capitalizing on her lifelong love of crafting, she launched the “Deborah Norville Collection” of yarns and knits in partnership with Premier Yarns. In the corporate world, she has served on the board of directors for Viacom Corporation since 2013. In her personal life, she has been married to Swedish businessman Karl Wellner since 1987, and they have three children named Niki, Kael, and Mikaela.
Net worth of Deborah Norville
The estimated net worth of Deborah Norville is about $3 million.