Paul Henry (broadcaster)

Henry has been a radio and television presenter in New Zealand, where he was born and has spent the majority of his career. Henry has been a backup host for current affairs show Close Up. After numerous controversies on morning talk show Breakfast which he hosted between 2004 and 2010, Henry was involved in a high-profile scandal in October 2010 involving his pronunciation and ridicule of the name of Indian politician Sheila Dikshit. The scandal culminated in Henry's resignation from TVNZ.

Paul Henry started his broadcasting career working for the BBC, as a studio assistant and in the mail room. He worked as a projectionist in the natural history unit, where, according to the Sunday Star Times, "David Attenborough would come in and Henry would play the rushes". Henry returned to New Zealand when he was 19 and worked as a producer on National Radio.[9] On radio, Henry worked as a breakfast host on 2ZD Radio Wairarapa from 1986 to 1990.

Henry left 2ZD to set up his own radio station, 'Today FM 89.3' in 1991, and worked as the breakfast host along with local identity Rick Long, and former 2ZD station manager John (Johnnie) Shearer. Notable employees of TODAY FM included Hilary Pankhurst (now Barry),[10] current co-host of Seven Sharp, and Georgina Beyer, who later became the world's first openly transsexual mayor and MP. The radio station had a unique local format including morning talkback with Rick Long. Henry hosted the breakfast show with his former manager, John Shearer. The breakfast show gave Henry free licence to shamelessly promote his radio station. His co-host Shearer was often at the receiving end of Henry's jokes. Henry would famously say he doesn't want to hurt his feelings and every morning when Shearer signed off, Henry would warn listeners to "take care on the roads now John Shearer's on the roads". At one time the station even flew a helicopter through the breakfast show with Shearer reporting from the air.

Henry hosted six breakfast shows per week and often worked late at night and right across the weekend at the station, with outside live broadcasts. In 1992, Henry sold the station to the owner of Port FM, which rebranded the station as HITZ 89FM. Today the station exists as More FM 89.5, 105.5 Wairarapa. For a time there were three radio stations in Wairarapa, Today FM, Radio Wairarapa and Radio Pacific where Henry had hosted or co-hosted a breakfast show on each of the stations.

Henry went on to be a foreign correspondent for Radio Pacific and weekend talkback host. Paul Henry presented Radio Pacific's Breakfast - "The Morning Grill" with Arch Tambakis, then Pam Corkery in the mid 1990s. Later he was the drive host on Radio Pacific, then later Radio Live when the station launched in 2005 and again in 2007.

Moving into television, Henry co-hosted TVNZ's Breakfast between 2004 and 2010. In 2009, ratings for the show had improved to around 150,000 viewers from a base of around 100,000. He was also the 2007-2008 host of the New Zealand version of This Is Your Life and was also supposed to host the 2010 series, but did not, after numerous controversies involving the Breakfast programme. He was later replaced by Paul Holmes.[11] Henry won the People's Choice Award, Best Presenter at the 2010 Qantas NZ Film and Television Awards.[12] His outrageous acceptance speech has attracted more than 300,000 views on YouTube.[13]

On 10 October 2010, following Henry's controversial comments about the New Zealand Governor General, Sir Anand Satyanand, and the Delhi chief minister, Sheila Dikshit, TVNZ announced that Henry had resigned.[14][15][16] Paul Henry was forced to apologise.[17] In an interview the following month, Henry claimed that TVNZ, in particular chief executive Rick Ellis, had "capitalised" on him by encouraging him to be controversial on-air, adding that he believed it was wrong for the New Zealand Government to apologise to India for his remarks.[18]

On 1 April 2011, it was announced Paul Henry was returning to radio broadcasting with TVNZ's rival Mediaworks. From July that year, Henry replaced Maggie Barry as the host of Radio Live's drivetime show, a position he had held four years previously.[19] His tenure in the role would this time last just over half a year; Henry moved to Australia the following year to host Network Ten's new morning show.[20] Until this move, Henry was also reported to be working across several high-profile projects on TV3,[21] including a weekly Sunday evening show with the working title The Paul Henry Show,[22] later changed to be a New Zealand edition of the British comedy show Would I Lie to you? which aired in 2012 alongside the production of Henry's Australian show.[20]

In February 2012, Henry moved to Sydney, Australia to join Network Ten's morning show Breakfast as co-host.[23] The show debuted on 23 February 2012 to low ratings.[24] As in New Zealand, Henry's on-air comments caused controversy: in May 2012 he suggested asylum seekers could stay in people's linen cupboards, and implied they were "dirty".[25]

While in Australia, Henry maintained work in New Zealand media as an Australian correspondent for Radio Live and as the host of Would I Lie to you? on TV3[26] He made guest appearances on Network Ten programs The Project and The Circle, and was briefly considered as the host of the second series panel show Can of Worms, replacing Ian Dickson. However, the role went eventually to Chrissie Swan[27][28]

Due to low ratings, Henry's Breakfast was cancelled on 30 November 2012 after less than one year on air.[29] During the show's broadcast period, one of Henry's co-hosts and the show's executive producer quit, prompting speculation about whether the departures were due to tension with Henry.[30] A newspaper reported other staff at the network resented Henry, claiming many wouldn't look at him when he walked in the room, and were planning to boycott the Christmas party.[31] Both Henry and the low ratings of the show were continually lampooned by the comedy show The Hamster Wheel.

Breakfast's axing fueled speculation Henry would relocate to New Zealand and TVNZ to host a revamped edition of Close Up[32] Henry was offered the central anchor position on TVNZ's new primetime 7pm current affair programme, later titled Seven Sharp, but Henry chose instead to honour his existing contract with Mediaworks.[33]

In 2011 Henry published an autobiography,[34] What Was I Thinking. The book was a bestseller upon release.[35] In 2013 he released another book, called Outraged also a bestseller.[36]

Henry returned to New Zealand after Breakfast ended; in late 2013 it was revealed that from 2014 Paul Henry would be hosting a late night current affairs show called The Paul Henry Show, which would replace the long-running Nightline.[37] The Paul Henry Show lasted one year; in early October 2014 Henry was announced as the presenter for Mediaworks' new breakfast show to air simultaneously on TV3 and Radio Live. This new venture, entitled Paul Henry, replaces both TV3's Firstline and Marcus Lush's morning segment on Radio Live.[38] In 2016, Henry departed Mediaworks and announced he would be entering a period of "semi-retirement", splitting his time between New Zealand and the United States, and producing wine.[39][40][41]

Following the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in New Zealand, MediaWorks New Zealand announced a new showing hosted by Henry called "Rebuilding Paradise" starting in April 2020. The show will run four nights per week for four weeks and feature live interviews in regards to the country's response to COVID-19. This is the first project Henry has taken part in since the announcement of this period of "semi-retirement". [42]

In March 2009, Henry caused offence by pointing out the facial hair of female guest anti-nuclear campaigner and Greenpeace worker Stephanie Mills. TVNZ stated that it had received a "handful" of complaints. Henry stated to the Sunday Star Times: "I certainly have no intention of apologising to people who have written in and complained. The key thing to me is what a fortunate life they must have that they can afford time and energy to complain about such an insignificant thing."[51]

In August 2009, Henry referred to homosexuals as "unnatural", prompting a complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority, which regulates broadcast radio and television content within New Zealand. In February 2010, the Broadcasting Standards Authority declined to uphold the complaint.[52]

In November 2009, Henry sparked controversy when he called singer Susan Boyle 'retarded'. His comments led to almost 200 complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Authority and an apology from Television New Zealand.[53]

In October 2010, Henry was again the subject of complaints after a live broadcast in which he asked Prime Minister John Key whether the Governor-General, Sir Anand Satyanand, was "even a New Zealander". Henry went on to ask "Are you going to choose a New Zealander who looks and sounds like a New Zealander this time"...."are we going to go for someone who is more like a New Zealander this time?"[17][54] Anand is of Indian descent but was born and raised in Auckland. Henry was criticised by Key, Labour leader Phil Goff and race relations commissioner Joris de Bres. Henry later apologised for his comments.[17][55] After initially expressing its support for Henry, TVNZ announced the following day that it had suspended the presenter for two weeks without pay.[56]

Following the decision to suspend Henry, TVNZ continued to air a clip in which Henry referred to Delhi's chief minister Sheila Dikshit during the 2010 Commonwealth Games as "the dipshit woman" and even pronouncing her surname as "Dick Shit" instead of "Dixit", going on to state that "it's so appropriate, because she's Indian, so she'd be dick-in-shit wouldn't she, do you know what I mean? Walking along the street... it's just so funny."[57] New Zealand Indian Central Association president Paul Singh Bains said the fact that TVNZ was still "promoting" the clip on its website showed it had "totally lost the plot" and was insensitive to the offence Henry had caused.[58] Following at least four complaints against the video, TVNZ removed it from the "Video extras" section of their website.[58] Henry's resignation polarised the New Zealand public, with supporters claiming he was a victim of political correctness, and critics accusing him of pandering to the lowest common denominator.[59]

India summoned New Zealand's high commissioner Rupert Holborow to protest against Henry's "racist and bigoted" comments, and Holborow expressed his regret for the "deep hurt" they had caused.[60]

On 16 May 2012, Henry was criticised for comments made on Breakfast regarding asylum seekers. When commenting on a newspaper article, about the Australian Government offering families money to house asylum seekers, Henry suggested that the idea could be "broadened out" saying: "I mean if this is all about saving money you could broaden it out. Why not criminals? Not murderers, but low level criminals. You could - the jails could be smaller and you could put them in homestay situations. The mentally ill". He later suggested the asylum seekers could be housed in linen cupboards. His remarks were featured on Media Watch.[61]

Henry caused further controversy on 27 August 2012 by suggesting on the programme that asylum seekers should "starve to death" following reports that they would be conducting a hunger strike over plans to shift them to Nauru. He issued an apology the following morning following public backlash on Twitter.[62]