A young mother, passionate with everything Greek (and French), winner of the SBS Greek News Reading Competition

During the latest Lonsdale Street Greek Festival, SBS Greek ran a news reading competition. The winner of the competition Nicky Kakouros-Gaidier visited Melbourne's SBS Studios and read a short bulletin live on air.

Nicky Kakouros-Gaidier with her husband Grégory at Melbourne's SBS Studios, minutes after she read live the news bulletin. Source: SBS Greek

Nicky Kakouros-Gaidier was the winner of the 2019 SBS News Reading Competition which took place during the 2019 Lonsdale Street Greek Festival. 

SBS Greek asked Nicky to write a few words about herself; her family story, the French husband Grégory, their relation with the Greek language and culture and their newly born baby boy, Australian-Greek-French George Kakouros-Gaidier.

Nicky Kakouros-Galdier at SBS Studios in Melbourne. Source: SBS Greek

Nicky was born in Melbourne. Her father George arrived in Australia as a migrant from the southern Greek city of Kalamata. Her mother Koula is from the north-eastern Aegean Sea Turkish island of Imbros.

“The Greek language and culture have always been in my life growing up,” Nicky says to SBS Greek. “We spoke the language at home with my parents and my γιαγιά who helped raise my brother and me from birth”.

Nicky Kakouros-Galdier with her husband , Greg at the SBS offices in Melbourne. Source: SBS Greek

She attended the Greek school from an early age, learning and taking part in the Greek national celebrations. Her passion was to become a Greek school teacher. Nicky works in the retail industry where her knowledge of the Greek language has been an asset. “It gives me the ability to communicate with Greek Australian customers”, she says.

Her husband Grégory was born in France and feels closer to the Greek culture than the Australian way of life. His parents are both French, also Italian background on his dad's side of the family.

Nicky Kakouros-Galdier ready to go live. Source: SBS Greek

“Grégory was born in the south of France (Marseille) where the Mediterranean culture is similar to Greece. When we travelled in Greece for our honeymoon, Grégory felt at home, as it reminded him of his youth in France; the food, the villages and the landscape, the olive trees, and the elderly ladies wearing black and welcoming visitors and greeting the locals”.

Nicky Kakouros-Gaidier with her husband Grégory and baby George. Source: Supplied

On the 6th of May 2019, Nicky and Grégory were blessed to announce the arrival of their gorgeous baby boy, George.

“We feel lucky to be able to teach our son both Greek and French and hope that he appreciates this as much as we do”.