NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Miriama Smith looking for Aroha

By Elisabeth Easther
Weekend magazine·
30 Jul, 2016 10:48 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

New Zealand actress and presenter Miriama Smith. Photo / Alan Gibson

New Zealand actress and presenter Miriama Smith. Photo / Alan Gibson

Miriama Smith is looking forward to helping Cupid, writes Elisabeth Easther.

It'd be safe to assume that actress Miriama Smith knows a thing or two about aroha. Not only is she a wife and mother, she's also a marriage and civil union celebrant and, more recently, as the presenter of Maori Television's Finding Aroha, she's been learning even more about that crazy little thing called love.

It is billed as a fun new dating show -- "think Tinder on television" -- and the task of giving love a gentle nudge (or a hearty shove) is placed in the hands of the singleton's whanau and friends. With their loved one's best interests at heart, the "panel" is shown two likely suitors from whom they must select the person they think will be the right match.

Given the theme, it's hard to imagine a better host than Smith. Besides being a well-loved star of stage and screen (Mt Zion, Kaitangata Twitch and Filthy Rich), in her role as a celebrant, 40-year-old Smith, who is of Te Arawa descent, has witnessed all facets of love, and it's clear she enjoys helping couples share their love stories with their nearest and dearest.

"The opportunity to meet people and hook them up, well I jumped at it," Smith says, "because it's a nice parallel to what I do."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Having played a pivotal role in so many weddings -- "it's such an honour to be part of people's special day" -- Smith will be using all she's learned to help the show's contestants find true love.

"I think when we say we're ready for love, sometimes our words don't match our energy; people say they're actively looking but when you delve deeper, sometimes they are actually closing doors. They think they're putting it out there but it might be hurt energy, or guarded energy. We have to understand our energy and be open to love before we can receive it."

In the making of this show, no one is harmed, emotionally. At least, not by the producers. No one is subjected to stunts to boost ratings. They are simply couples looking for love, not fame. There are some surprises, though, insists Smith. Not that she'll give any spoilers.

As Smith explains it, Finding Aroha's kaupapa is simple. It's warm and it's kind, a striking contrast to many of today's more radical dating shows where the formats seem to deliberately manufacture drama or stir up tension.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"What happens is, the family or friends will nominate their unlucky-in-love contestant and then they are shown two people, matched on likes, dislikes and age. Maori Television people interviewed lots of singles, and matched people up prospectively, and then the family or best friends of the singleton come on and act as the panel."

After asking the two potential suitors a range of probing questions, including inquiries about their romantic track record, the whanau and friends make their decision.

And at the end of question session, the contestant's panel of loved ones has a little hui and one lucky suitor is selected to go on the date. Will love blossom? Will it merely be a friendly connection? Or will the couple hiss at each other like angry cats? Of course you'll have to watch to find out.

Smith, who has been engaged to former Tall Black Brendon Pongia and, later, former All Black Frank Bunce, but married neither, was fortunate enough to meet her partner through family connections -- Smith's husband is friends with her cousins -- and Smith admits that, "for me, it was easy".

Discover more

World

Pokemon hunters cause traffic chaos

27 Jul 10:02 AM
Opinion

Lizzie Marvelly: My battle with Tinder

29 Jul 09:10 PM
Lifestyle

Tinder dates keep bars busy

30 Jul 11:40 PM
World

'You were not threatening rape'

29 Jul 08:16 PM

Which is why Smith can see the value of internet dating for people who can't find a good match so close to home.

"That's why things like Tinder have opened a lot of doors for people, but then they can also be spoilt for choice so they don't actually go 'you know what, maybe I should try a little harder'. We're spoilt with this banquet of choices to meet people, which is perhaps why relationships might not work out, or people don't stay," Smith says.

As a young woman, dating and finding love was a by-product of a healthy social life, says Smith.

"I didn't really date. We all just hung out in social or sports groups. Finding a boyfriend was usually accidental as opposed to intentional, because I was a bit of a tomboy.

"Relationships have taught me to marry your best friend -- at least they laugh at your jokes!"

In Finding Aroha, romantic dates range from elegant lunches to white-water rafting, trips to Auckland Zoo and Rainbow's End. The excursions feature some kind of activity, in order to help the conversation flow. Hopefully this helps the candidates alleviate some of those first-date nerves -- which are surely exacerbated when there's a camera crew present.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I have so much respect for the contestants. I would never have the courage to put myself out there, or let my family or friends choose for me, or do it on national television," Smith says.

She lets slip there are some repeat dates on the show but the big reveals will be saved for the final episode of the series when all the stories will be wrapped up and viewers will learn who, if anyone, found aroha everlasting.

"Everything is so much more fast-paced now and love has evolved in lots of different ways but the essence of love," Smith says, "has stayed the same."

And what advice would she give her child when the time comes for them to navigate that ocean?

"When my son is ready to set out in the world of dating and romance I would suggest he just be himself."

Finding Aroha premieres on Maori Television on Thursday, August 4 at 8.30pm.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Entertainment

Robert Irwin pays forgotten restaurant bill, owners praise his 'class'

12 Jul 05:00 AM
Premium
Entertainment

The 50 best horror films of all time – ranked

12 Jul 05:00 AM
Entertainment

R&B star Chris Brown denies assault charges in London court

12 Jul 04:46 AM

Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

Robert Irwin pays forgotten restaurant bill, owners praise his 'class'

Robert Irwin pays forgotten restaurant bill, owners praise his 'class'

12 Jul 05:00 AM

Robert Irwin returned to the Jetty Pavilion to pay for his forgotten salad.

Premium
The 50 best horror films of all time – ranked

The 50 best horror films of all time – ranked

12 Jul 05:00 AM
R&B star Chris Brown denies assault charges in London court

R&B star Chris Brown denies assault charges in London court

12 Jul 04:46 AM
The return of Bieber: Fans celebrate new album Swag release

The return of Bieber: Fans celebrate new album Swag release

12 Jul 03:41 AM
Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP