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He had big shoes to fill – metaphorically at least – but Mike Hosking has more than risen to the challenge with the help of just a little bit of magic. By Felicity Monk behind the mike

Daunted? Oh no, wouldn’t use that word, says Mike like the fact that they have got to know Mike better as Hosking. This, in response to whether he felt taking over a person – particularly since he has had children, they from Paul Holmes’ 22-year reign over the Newstalk ZB can relate to him as a father and a family man. They breakfast programme, the highest rating radio show in have had a pretty long exposure to Mike on television the country, was a daunting thing. “Daunted means and in radio and they like what they get.” The feedback ‘Shit, I can’t do it,’ whereas I don’t doubt that I can do it. has been “very positive indeed. We’ve had strong It’s more of a privilege to be chosen. The biggest thing supportive comment – yup.” The station is in a ratings I think about is the history of the station. I’m only the fifth period at the moment (results will be out next month) breakfast host in 80 years, which is quite something.” and while Francis says he is not prepared to reveal how It was the week before Christmas when Hosking, the tracking is going, he will say: “I am very comfortable 44, replaced Holmes, who was enjoying some of his about where we sit – with Mike’s show and in general.” best ever ratings. The two swapped jobs, with Holmes Nose around various internet forums and opinion is taking the Saturday morning slot. The move had been naturally mixed. Listeners say he is “a devastatingly announced nearly two years in advance, so everyone stroppy interviewer”, “quick-witted and amusing”, “more had plenty of time to get used to the idea. Hosking arrogant than Holmes”, “smarmy”, “a motormouth”. Then says the whole thing worked out exactly the way it was there are the endless comments about his “bouffy hair”. supposed to. Much has been made of Hosking’s physical He says he is unbothered by the 3.30am starts and transformation following his sacking from TVNZ in 2004. the leap from working one to five days a week, but then The country watched in fascination as he morphed from Hosking is a man not bothered by much of anything. a conservative, pin-striped ‘suit’ to someone who looks “Life is busier,” he concedes, “but I’d hardly pretend like he might be a thespian, or possibly work in an that I am working 12 hours a day from dawn to dusk. advertising agency (a groovy one). He generally grew When you go from doing nothing to being gainfully hairy, some might say unkempt – the hair on his head don g

n employed, then there’s always a bit of a contrast.” was unruly, sort of Fraggle-like, and he was permanently a l

n Newstalk ZB boss Bill Francis says he had been stubbled. He paraded a number of frightful pairs of e

ph “nurturing Hosking for the future. He took over our stripey trousers, a court-jestery velvet pair making e st

: Saturday morning show which he made into a huge a particular impression.

ph success, and he became clearly, in my mind, the logical On the day of this interview he is clean-shaven, gra successor to Paul.” Francis says he thinks people like he wears his trademark striped slacks, a pair of busy

photo that Hosking is contemporary and open-minded. “They sneakers, what looks like a band T-shirt and a silver

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bangle. His St Bernard dog eyes are intelligent and quick, inside their droopy have to have private lives. The whole argument about because you are in the frames. I ask Hosking what he makes of people’s interest in his appearance. public eye you somehow have to give up everything of yourself is complete “I don’t actually think the public has a fascination with my appearance,” he crap. You give up what you want to and some people are happy throwing says. “I think certain elements of the media have a fascination with it; they themselves in magazines and turning up at events and stuff, and good luck to write about it. I don’t think anyone gives a rat’s arse about what I look like, or them; I think that is their call, not mine. If you do court publicity, if you court don’t look like, or ever have.” attention, than you have bought into something that you can no longer control.” Hosking’s reinvention wasn’t only limited to a wardrobe transplant. Last year, Privacy is an issue close to Hosking’s heart. In 2003 he and Marie took New while having his portrait painted for TV show The Sitting, he told artist Marty Idea magazine through the courts in an attempt to keep paparazzi shots of their Welch that he used to be “too driven and too serious, worked too hard”, and then 18-month old twins from being published. They lost at the High Court and that his “pants used to be too high”. It’s true, he says. “I used to be a bit nerdy again at the Court of Appeal. But Hosking says he is enormously proud of like that.” What happened? “Dunno, you know, I don’t know, getting fired, the case. “It cost me more money than I had and I didn’t want to do it and mid-life crisis, I dunno, I don’t know. Having kids helps.” Was there some sort I shouldn’t have had to have done it… But the decision is now quoted all over of epiphany involved? “No”. Hosking thinks it may have been more of a gradual the world.” He points out that J.K. Rowling cited the case when she fought realisation. “I think one of the great lessons I have learned in life is that stuff and won a landmark appeal court ruling in an attempt to ban publication of will come to you, as opposed to you madly thrashing yourself and chasing and long-lens pictures taken of her 19-month-old son. being desperate to climb to the top of the ladder... I am a lot more comfortable “The girls have been left alone,” Hosking continues, “and other people’s kids with myself these days than I used to be. Stuff generally happens for the good are left alone and if you look around the media, certainly in this country, now overall, and if you are more relaxed about it then you know you are better off people’s kids aren’t photographed and that was as a direct result of that case. for it. You won’t die so young, I think, is the theory.” Once, he says, his pants were too high. Now he is more comfortable with himself Hosking and Hawkesby, leaving an restaurant It drew the line. It had a chilling effect and now they know full well that if they Kate Hawkesby, former TVNZ Breakfast co-presenter, current colleague and ever go after kids again and get carried away, there is a case there that will be rumoured girlfriend (more about that later), says although his “amazing work I never did particularly well at school. I got through but nothing more. I passed perceive that you can be positive, their view on the world is that there has to be cited and they know full well that they will probably lose.” ethic” and professionalism have not changed, the way he views work has. what I needed to pass and got out and that was it. I doubt I would have something wrong. It is more their thing than mine. It doesn’t bother me in the Hosking has a theory about print media in : because the country “He’s always been kind of 40 before he was 20, and I think he probably hit a succeeded in university, so I never went.” slightest,” he says, sounding not the slightest bit bothered. “You can call me is so small and there is a lack of “so-called celebrities”, they are invented. “I am point at which he turned that around. I think that a lot of the ambition and the This curious blend of self-deprecation and swaggery confidence can be whatever you like. I am what I am and if you don’t believe it, that’s fine.” not a celebrity; I am a working broadcaster; that’s all I am. So you suddenly drive has gone and that sort of desperation for success that was suits and confounding. ‘Disingenuous’ is a word that has been used by more than one Hosking muses on happiness a little further before saying he is never happier become more than you really are and that’s an invention. The whole thing takes a sharp belt and Hugo Boss shoes – that ideal of a corporate achiever – I think interviewer in the past to describe Hosking, particularly in the context of his than when he is with his seven-year-old twin girls, Ruby and Bella. “I love my off on itself and stories are created and invented. So all I say is you draw a line: he has worked out that your greatest achievements in life are things like your self-proclaimed optimism. A year after his fairly ruthless firing from TVNZ he told kids and that’s what life is really all about at the end of the day. I can’t complain that’s the part of me that’s public, that’s the part that’s not. Let’s not make a big kids, and does your family love you. I think that’s been the change in him.” The Listener’s Diana Wichtel that he wasn’t bitter, “not even remotely” hurt and about my life. I have a nice job. I am happy doing that. I am happy when I am on deal about it. The end.” Hosking says he is shy and that most broadcasters are. He’s not sure why that “everything’s an opportunity”. Wichtel found this hard to believe and opined my bike. I am happy when I am buying wine. I am happy with my girls. I am Is Hosking a celebrity? I ask his boss. “He is what could be described as this is. “It is one of the mysteries of life; a lot of that he sometimes sounded like he had swallowed a shelf happy all the time.” a celebrity,” says Francis, “but the fact that he recognises broadcasters are small and shy – just a casual of self-help books. that that’s not overly important is a very positive thing observation.” I point out that Simon Dallow isn’t small. “A lot of broadcasters “I’m happy all the time,” he tells me, to which I say, It was back when Hawkesby joined Hosking as “That’s the part of me I think. He’s not one of those people that goes out “Yeah, but he’s an exception to the rule,” Hosking motors are small and shy. “Rubbish”. “Everybody says that,” he sighs. “It’s a sign of co-presenter of TVNZ’s Breakfast in 2002 that the rumours that’s public, that’s the actively seeking to be seen by people. But as part of his on. “Holmes is small, I am small, Leighton is small, Veitch Holmes is small, I am a negative society. Ask anyone who knows me, I’m never first started. On screen, they were electric to watch. The part that’s not. Let’s job and as part of his role he does quite a lot of public is small. A lot of small people, a lot of small people.” But small, Leighton is down; never, ever down. Life is good. I am always happy.” energy, the coquettish smiles, the in-jokes; it made you not make a big deal stuff for us.” back to this shy business. “I am certainly not an small, Veitch is small” And so I ask. I ask colleague Leighton Smith. “Since he feel, as a viewer, that you were privy to something about it. The end” Hawkesby says she probably feels the same way as extrovert… I am only in this business because it happens started [the breakfast show] I couldn’t argue with that at blossoming right before your eyes. That same year, Hosking when it comes to protecting her privacy. “I think to be something I allegedly can do, that’s the only reason. all.” I ask Susan Wood, who together with Hosking Hosking, who was married with twin baby daughters, people have the right to have a private life. I think it’s I mean I am not here to be a name or a personality or all the other bollocks that launched TVNZ’s Breakfast in 1997. “I have never seen anybody who was so ended his 12-year marriage to wife Marie (Hawkesby split from her husband in a real shame when they sell out and give that up because Doris in Temuka is goes with the industry.” By ‘bollocks’ does he mean the publicity and PR that’s relentlessly positive at 4am in the morning. Never saw him grumpy, never saw e 2007. They have three children together). interested in where you went for dinner. I really don’t think that anyone, to be part of the job – like this interview? “Yeah, I don’t like this. This is no fun.” him snap, never saw him unhappy. He was always incredibly positive, upbeat, chiv Even after they were both dumped from Breakfast and Hosking had left TVNZ, honest, gives a shit. I just don’t think you owe people that.” ax ar

Ask him if he would consider giving up broadcasting so that he might lead professional. I wish I was wired that way.” f still the public’s interest did not wane. The gossip pages flustered themselves One Friday morning show, Hosking is in a gleeful mood. He is doing his r i a

a quieter, more private life and the answer is three emphatic ‘no’s’. (When I ask Hawkesby, who sometimes reads the news on his breakfast show. “He f with sightings of the two holding hands, of seven-seater cars being purchased, segment ‘Mike’s Magic’ where listeners nominate deserving people and he , Hosking is passionate about something he repeats the same word or phrase is. That’s exactly right. It’s bizarre and I have not witnessed any cracks to that. and at Holmes’ farewell party last December it was reported that when Hosking calls them up on air and tells them what special something he’s going to do for don g

over and over.) “It is the only thing I can do… that’s my problem,” he continues. He’s odd – he’s very odd. Very unique individual. I’ve never seen a person more n and Hawkesby arrived together Holmes bleated: “When are you two going to them. Today, schoolteacher Raewyn has just been told that she and a l

“A, I can’t do anything else and B, I can’t think of what I’d want to do. I’ve never relaxed about being sacked,” she says. “It was just unbelievable to witness a n announce your engagement?” her classroom of nine-year-olds, who this year can’t afford to go to school camp, e ph

been able to think of an alternative if it all went pear-shaped.” person so incredibly, you know, kind of take it on the chin and get on with it. All e Well? I say to Hosking. He pauses, he saw it coming, his voice lowers and he are going to be flown up to to visit Te Papa, meet the PM and eat st He insists he is not overly bright. C’mon, really? “I am average. If I have an over the building there was wailing and gnashing of teeth and weeping – and he : says, “I don’t talk about anything about my private life. At the end of the day pizza and drink hot chocolate. Raewyn is speechless, aside from some gentle

advantage [it is that] I have good general knowledge but I am an expert in is just not that person.” phs I am simply a bloke who works on the radio and does a bit of TV. I am not Brad gasping. “You okay?” he keeps asking. She is instructed to “Go and sit down nothing. I literally have no qualifications. I am just like a regular person who is It must be horrible, I say to Hosking, to have your sincerity doubted, your gra Pitt, I am not Mohammed Ali, I haven’t split the atom, I am not running the UN, and have a hug with the principal.” Hosking is in his element. “Can this show  kind of interested in the world and that fortunately can apply to my work. optimism questioned. He says some people just don’t get it. “They can’t photo I am not doing any of those things. I am just a broadcaster, and regular people get any better?” he gabbles. “No!”

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