Rita Molloy
BORN TO ACROBATS in a Russian circus it’s no wonder that Rita Molloy’s life is that of a thrill seeker. After defection in 1972 Nadia Mendelev changed her name to Rita Molloy and left acrobatics for a career as a daredevil.
Rita toured North America in the underbill to Evil Knevil, propelling herself across gorges and canyon, or over giant pyramids of car wrecks, by means of a rocket pack.
Numerous injuries forced Rita to leave daredeviling and in 1983 she pioneered monster truck entertainment. In 1988 her touring show “The Thundering Rubber Revue” was visiting St. John’s with Rita providing in situ colour over the p.a. Hubie Hendrix, covering the show for BCN’s In The Corners was so impressed by Rita’s dulcet tone and impeccable diction that he convinced Rita to audition for BCN Director of Radio Ish Lundrigan. This audition was scheduled, coincidentally, for the day following the brutal slaying of staff announcer Florence Robbins. Rita was hired on the spot.
As the voice of the BCN Five O’clock News at Five-Thirty and the daily continuity announcer Rita is like family to most Newfoundlanders. No other BCN personality receives as much mail.