Dame Julie Christie honoured in ceremony today

Dame Julie Christie receives her Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit from New Zealand Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy. Photo / Peter Meecham

Julie Christie today received her Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to governance and the television industry.

She received the honour at an investiture ceremony at Auckland's Government House.

Over her nearly 30-year television career, Christie estimates she has been involved with some 150 to 200 individual titles - including Dragons' Den, Changing Rooms and Treasure Island.

Christie has been criticised by some for reducing the amount of public-interest content on television and saturating it with populist programmes. However, she loses no sleep over her detractors.

"I've been able to make people laugh, make people cry, make people care. And that's what's so fantastic about it as a career really. And that's what's great about unscripted television: It's real, people are going through these things and you get to witness it."

Christie has gone on to become a director of MediaWorks at a time of uncertainty in the company.

She was on the 2011 Rugby World Cup board, the flag consideration panel and continues to be a member of the NZ Rugby Union's commercial committee.

Christie has two children, Timothy, 22, and Lexi, 21, and a partner who she's been with for the past four years.