Andrea Stretton graduated from La Trobe University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts. She worked with SBS (initially in radio, but primarily in television) for over a decade and was best known for her hosting of The Book Show with Dinny O'Hearn (q.v.) Stretton worked for ABC Television from 1998 to 2001 as presenter of the Sunday Afternoon arts programme. In her final years Stretton worked in libraries and bookshops and pursued other opportunities in the arts world. She was always highly regarded for the depth and insight of her interviews with writers and arts practioners.
In 2000 Stretton was honoured by the government of France for her services in the field of the arts and literature, receiving the prestigious Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters).
Stretton was diagnosed with lung cancer in early November 2007. She died two weeks later.
