TV host Henry signs on and off for a while

POPULAR MORNING TV broadcaster Paul Henry will be off the air for the next couple of months, but his long-term future with TVNZ now seems assured.

Henry has signed a three-year contract with the state broadcaster which will see him continuing to co-host its Breakfast programme.

But from the end of this week, he is taking a two-month break from work to recharge his batteries and spend more time with his three teenage daughters.

“I’ll be back raring to go for the election but I just want the opportunity to spend a bit more time with my children and to also take a break from the hours,” said Henry, who gets up for work at 3.40am every weekday.

“I’ve got the best possible TV show at the worst possible time.

“I love it though I can’t think of any other show that gives you so much freedom and opportunity to be yourself and state your own opinions.”

Henry refused to reveal how much his contract was worth but said he was “really happy with it”.

Source: Sunday Star Times. Read more »

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  • Tui

    When Paul Henry takes leave, Peter will host the programme with Pippa, with Alison reading the Breakfast news.

  • ell

    I know that was what was said in the press release earlier this year, but for two months? I don’t know if TVNZ will do that

  • JacobB

    Yeah I don’t think that Peter will host the programme with Pippa for two whole months, even though that’s what was said early this year. It will be very interesting to see what they do. Put Peter in Paul’s position, or find someone else to put into Paul’s position… Or mix it round over the two month period.

  • ell

    I could see Peter doing a month and Greg Boyed doing a month, or also Garth Bray and Rawdon Christie filling in.

  • reece_555

    2 whole months without Paul Henry its gonna be boring on breakfast now. If sunrise wants to grab some viewers theres the perfect time espically if Rawdon Christie’s going to be on.

  • ell

    Agreed, Rawdon’s tone is a bit too monotonous, even for 6:30 or so in the morning.

  • Rogue

    Yeah, if there ever was a perfect time for Sunrise to make any sort of inroads on Breakfast that would be it!!

    As for the presenters, I think they should start to groom a successor… Paul wont be there forever so they might want to try and introduce someone new to the nation and phase him in slowly – much like they did with Simon… And now would be the time to start since the public really hate sudden change! lol

    …Perhaps the reporter who’s based in Christchurch? (His name escapes me right now…) He seems OK, a bit young maybe but has the cheeky-nice-guy attitude which works…

  • Jesse

    Oh you mean jack the rat, from christchurch?
    I liked the new guy they had on this morning. He was in the segment where they cross to the reporters throughout the country.

  • tvnewser

    Yeah a TVNZ spokesperson has said that Peter will NOT be filling in for Paul. They are currently looking for a replacement.

    If Peter was to fill in as presenter, that would also mean that One News at 6pm would loose it’s back-up male for two months. Peter doesn’t really mix well with Pippa anyway.

  • tvnewser

    It would be interesting to see Ali and Pippa host it together, breaking the traditional male-female coupling.

    Some have also suggested Mike Hoskings returning.

  • ell (signed out)

    It won’t be Hosking (at least for the whole period), he is filling in on Paul Holmes Breakfast for a week or so from next Monday.

  • Haybee

    I’d love to see Jack Tame in the hot seat next to Pippa. As an added bonus, it’d probably p*ss off Paul.

  • jwil1

    Possibly Neil from 4.30??

    But he’s a quite introverted I think…

    But it’ll be interesting to see who TVNZ pick.

  • Tui

    My vote’s with Jack Tame.

  • ell

    same :D TVNZ should take a risk and give him a week hosting it next week, if he’s not up to it yet, turf him, if he is, then keep him on.

  • Gavin J

    I would love to see Jack Tame fill in for a while, I feel he would be perfect, but maybe just a little too young.

    Unfortunately though, I think that boring Rawdon Christie will be used as he is one of the only available people in the Auckland newsroom who is currently familiar to live TV interviewing with Agenda.

    I would love to see a younger reporter step up to it though…

  • Missy

    What about Tamiti he’s the ‘bomb’ to fill in for Paul, he’s young with heaps of personality and he knows whats happening there on the streets and with youth.

  • Rogue

    Hmmm but will Rawdon click with Pippa? I don’t think so… I see a heap of awkward silences if they try to pair those two up! lol

    What ever happens, I just hope they don’t go out trying to find ‘the next Paul Henry’. Look what happened with Sunrise! :D

  • newsgeek

    What about Gordon Harcourt (Fair Go)? He used to be great when he did the ‘Live from London’ stuff on Tonight, and from what I’ve seen this year has been really good on Fair Go.

    Jack Tame is one to watch for the future… but they need someone with a bit of experience to sit beside Pippa in the short term (someone who can interview the PM with confidence). The other person who could be good is Greg Boyed – he did well on Breakfast last year, but they might not want to rock the boat by taking him off News at 8 and Tonight at the moment.

    One last idea – what about Corin Dann from Breakfast Business – it’d give him a chance to show he’s not just a business geek!

  • jwil1

    Corin + Pippa hosting and Owen Poland on the business desk could be quite a good combo…

    On second thoughts, Corin isn’t as experienced in interviewing as Rawdon. But it may be worth a try with him and Pippa.

  • Tui

    Mark Sainsbury is joining the Breakfast team for a week long stint while Paul Henry is on holiday!

    Mark is used to presenting Close Up at the other end of the day, but there is no doubt this seasoned broadcaster will have no problems charming Breakfast viewers in the same way he has helped make Close Up the top rating current affairs show on television.

    Mark will join Pippa, Tamati, Peter and the rest of the Breakfast team for a week from Monday June 16.

  • newsgeek

    Disappointing that TVNZ feels they need to use ‘established’ talent on Breakfast. Maybe they’ll take a chance with someone different after Sainsbury’s done his week. If not, I’d love to see Simon Dallow on Breakfast – he’s a much better presenter and interviewer than Sainsbury, and it’d give him the chance to show he’s more than just an autocue reader.

  • Jack Frost

    So it still loaded with total useless information like “today in history” and stupid giggling jokes, while a quality show on TV3 “breakfast” is packed with nothing but useful information worth looking and listing too.

  • tiptop

    when it’s coming from jack you know it must be a joke!!!

  • Jack Frost

    you are just as bigger joke tiptop, that like breakfast and you can not come up with a useful posting, you are just like the breakfast show.

  • jwil1

    I wonder who they’re going to put on after the end of next week – and who’s gonna present Close Up next week – might be a bit of a stretch for 1 person to be on air at both 7.00′s!

  • JoeStar

    If Sainsbury is going to replace Paul, even for just a week, then I will be switching over to Sunrise to see if they can wheat my attention in the mornings and Im sure many others will too – perhaps Ali could replace James that week and then there really will be true competition.

  • ell

    Sainsbury will do both the 7pm and Breakfast. Dallow has also been rumoured to do a week.

  • Gavin J

    These are who I’m predicting to do future weeks:

    Simon Dallow, Greg Boyed, Simon Mercep, Rawdon Christie, Ben Christie(from TVNZ 7 who has had good interviewing experience from Radio Live).

  • jwil1

    Sainsbury wasn’t as bad as I thought he would be when I watched Breakfast this morning.

    Opening with Mark and Pippa

    I did notice him blush slightly when he cracked jokes though!

    I would like to see Jack, Tamati and Simon Dallow do a week each while Paul’s away…

  • Tui

    No, he wasn’t as bad as I predicted either!
    But I will be switching to Sunrise tomorrow; good things are happening! (outrageous fortune)

  • reece_555

    possibly the worst named mentioned to appear on the list of possibly presenters is Martin Devlin, remember him the guy whos Breakfast radio show was cut because of low ratings.

  • Looby lou

    I too would like to see some new blood. I enjoy Jack and Matt, but perhaps they are not quite ready for a presenting role.

    How about Jeremy Wells? Marcus Lush, or yeah as was mentioned above how about a couple of female presenters? Radical I know..

  • JacobB

    Marcus Lush already has a breakfast show on RadioLIVE, and NO to Jeremy Wells…

    I thought Mark was good, however he was very quiet! Pippa seemed to be doing all the talking!

  • jwil1
  • jwil1

    Simon is hosting next week!

  • tvnewser

    I think the Mark Sainsbury week was a bit cringe.

    If Hosking is back with TVNZ to do Close Up, then there is a good chance he will be back on Breakfast. I hope that happens!

  • Rogue

    Nah Hoskings a has-been. lmao And it’ll expose TVNZ’s lack of depth in the presenting department. Time to bring Tame into the fore I reckon. Who knows, maybe he’s already in Auckland? Because he’s MIA on Breakfast at the moment…

    Which reminds me… There are a lot of new reporters sprouting up around the place!!!

  • tvnewser

    He was on it the last couple of times, reporting on a trip to Australia.

  • Newso

    Tame’s been in Beijing doing pre Olympics stories. He’s just got back.

  • Rogue

    Burst my bubble why don’t ya! :D

  • Tui

    Is Paul back next week?

  • ell

    I *think* so, this is the 8th week without him.

  • Dan5454

    NO TO JACK!!!!

    He’s far too young and cocky, and would be useless at hard news…
    It’s all about him, and not about ‘issues’

  • ell

    apart from the young thing, that pretty much describes Paul Henry Dan5454!

  • ell

    Jack tame next week apparently.

  • Tui

    jack will be cool!
    But I thought Paul was due back already? hmmm

  • Rogue

    Well Jack seemed right at home on the set this morning.
    (Even if he was only doing some random Olympic updates!)

    Lord knows why he wasn’t given the go ahead sooner…

  • Gavin J

    Who cares if he is young – he has the energy that you need for the show and has reported on some big stories for One News.

    ‘Dan 5454′ – how do you know that he can’t face the big issues? – all he’s done on the show to this date has presented a report, usually with a light-hearted nature. But he is a qualified journalist and I’m sure he will cope with the hard news interviews with good professionalism.

    This could be the best move that TVNZ has made – bringing young blood in. I hope Jack goes really well and becomes the main back-up host.

  • ell

    Jack has handled serious breaking news stories for Breakfast and ONE News with ease (Emma Agnew, Marie Davis murders), as well as lighter stories.

  • Elmo

    Next week Pippa is away so its Ali Mau and Dominic Bowden

  • reece_555

    Dominic Bowden talk about scrapping the barrel, surely sunrise will have a ratings sky rocket next week.

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