Mike Wilson is a perfect fit for a radio station famed for its loud music and wild antics.
The 25-year-old graduate from Tauranga's New Zealand School of Radio has earned himself a coveted position on the national airwaves. He is poised to become the new voice of The Rock's night show.
Hamish
Denton, managing director of the radio school, is not surprised by the appointment. He said Wilson and The Rock were an ideal match.
"He's just born to be on The Rock. He reeks of The Rock. He was made to be on there."
Mr Denton said his student's achievement was almost unparalleled. He knows of only one other person in the country to have gone straight from radio school to an on-air position with a major national station.
"It's pretty huge really. Normally it takes a whole lot of years to get there," he said.
The announcement that he had been selected as host of the night show was a dream come true for Wilson.
"I was in shock. I think to myself, 'what's the dream?' And the dream is working for The Rock," he said.
"I keep thinking I should be frothing at the mouth - it's incredible.
"It's the dream."
It's a dream a long time coming for Wilson, who was once kicked out of boarding school for sneaking out of grounds to hang around his local radio station.
Mr Denton recalls being impressed when he first met The Rock's newest star.
"I just knew he was going to go places," he said.
"He just went for it from day one. It was the first time a student had come and asked for the key to the studio [to work on-air] for the breakfast show before school every day.
"I knew he'd get a good job at the end of this - I just didn't know it'd be this good."
Wilson, who is married with three daughters, aged 6, 3 and 1, said moving his family from Tauranga to Auckland makes the most sense for his new role.
"There are so many doors that can open from here."
He wasn't nervous about presenting on-air to such a huge national audience but was nervous at the thought of a live initiation.
"Basically I go up there and just let the crew do what they're going to do to me," he said.
Mr Wilson begins his role on The Rock night show on July 11 at 7pm.
