Joel Dry's hilarious parenting 'concern' after being appointed co-presenter of 9News Queensland's 6pm bulletin

Joel Dry has only just moved back to Brisbane for his new job as co-presenter of 9News Queensland's 6pm bulletin, but he's already looking towards the future.

He's specifically concerned about his son Sullivan, four, starting school there next year – but not for the reason most parents would expect.

"He's a real chatterbox, I have a bit of sympathy for whoever is his teacher next year because it can be a bit of a verbal ear bashing non-stop all day," Dry told 9honey.

READ MORE: Jelena Dokic on being a body positivity advocate

"He does have two journalists for parents though, so it was probably to be expected."

Dry shares Sullivan with wife Jessica Millward, who has been Channel 9's Europe Correspondent in the London bureau for the last few years.

Until recently, the family lived in London to support Millward in her "dream job" but now it's Dry's turn and the whole clan is coming home to Australia.

Dry arrived about a week ago and admitted that between rehearsals for his first broadcast on Monday night, promo shoots, and video calls to his wife and son back in London, he hasn't done much unpacking.

"I've just been soaking in all the things that I love about living here, soaking in the rays on the back deck," he said.

"It's a beautiful place to live, and I'm really enjoying being back home with Nine too."

READ MORE: Jeff Bezos' touching tribute following mum's death

Dry started his TV reporting career with Nine in Adelaide back in 2009.

By 2011 he'd moved to 9News Queensland, where he worked with Melissa Downes for the first time as a young reporter.

Back then he went to her for advice on tricky stories; now he'll be sharing the desk with her.

"Melissa's one of the best in the business at what she does," Dry said.

"I have known firsthand just how much of a professional she is, how good she is at her role, and how generous she is to all reporters.

"So to be able to sit next to her in the newsroom and on the desk and have her walk me through – she's a great mentor."

Dry knows his predecessor Andrew 'Lofty' Lofthouse left big shoes to fill when he retired earlier this year but he hopes to carve his own path behind the desk.

READ MORE: Why you should travel with a space-saving softside suitcase

He'll be reporting on the issues that matter most to Queenslanders, from the cost of living to natural disasters, which "always feel like they're on the horizon".

Dry is also eager to get stuck into reporting on the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which are already a hot topic across the state.

"That event is going to reshape both the physical look of the place and I think also the attitude of people to Queenslanders," he said.

"This big event that's going to put us on the world stage, and I'm looking forward to all the stories that come along with that."

And he'll be doing it all with his family by his side.

Millward and Sullivan are still in the UK while she wraps up her role there and will move to Brisbane in the coming months, something Dry's very much looking forward to.

"We don't like being apart, but Jess and I are both really conscious of supporting each other when we're ticking off these career goals," he said.

"Soon we'll be back to what we love doing, spending time in Brisbane as a little unit of three."

READ MORE: What the straps and flaps on your trench coat are actually for

He and Millward will even be working together when she returns to Australia and starts a new role in the 9News Queensland newsroom, though that's nothing new for them.

The couple actually met there in the 2010s and even announced their engagement live on Today in 2016. They wed in 2018.

"This is not a not a new experience to us [so] we're pretty good at separating the personal and professional," Dry said of working with his wife.

"There's not a lot of hand holding or hugging in the newsroom, but it is an interesting dynamic and it does mean you talk about work a lot when you get home."

Dry's first bulletin with 9News Queensland will air at 6pm local time on Monday night.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.