He Leaves a Chasm

Broadcaster Sir Paul Holmes has died at his home in Hawkes Bay. He was 62. Holmes rose through the ranks of media in New Zealand, and not long into fronting his self-named TVNZ current affairs show became as much a celebrity as those he interviewed. He was born on April 29, 1950 to Christina and Henry, and grew up in Haumoana, Hawkes Bay with his parents and brother Ken. In 1985, after university and time overseas, Holmes hosted several shows on 2ZB, which later became Newstalk ZB. In 1989 he also took on television. The first episode of Holmes, a current affairs show, saw America’s Cup skipper Dennis Conner walk off the set, and the nation divided over the confrontational-style interview. The show set the love/hate relationship the New Zealand public was to have with Paul Holmes. Holmes has been awarded for his work in radio, television, newspapers – and for his brand of olive oil. At the close of 2012 he became Sir Paul Holmes, after being named a Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. In an interview with One News he described it as “a hell of a Christmas present”. Dallas Gurney, a close friend of Holmes and the head of talk brands at the Radio Network, said Holmes was the greatest broadcaster of our time. “He doesn’t leave a gap, he leaves a chasm, I don’t think we realised at the time just how lucky we were to have a broadcaster of his ilk on the television and on the radio,” Gurney said. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1999. Holmes went on to front adverts encouraging men to get regular check-ups.

Sir Paul Holmes: April 29 1950 – February 1 2013