KEY POINTS:
Get a load of these hunks! I managed to get my mitts on the TVNZ in-house gift calendar for your viewing pleasure. Click here to see the photos.
If you thought your tax-paying dollars went towards employing horrid and humourless staff members at the nation's network, think again. These boys are hotties and clearly having a good laugh at themselves. Well, we hope.
Without doubt, my personal favourites are reclining One News reporter Arrun Soma who looks like he's posing for a Wall Street version of Playgirl; the bare-chested David Young who strikes a pose in a Wellington lift; and the soft-focused Matt McLean from Breakfast who chows down on a rose he's nicked from the bushes behind while trying to look sexy but managing more paunched. Bless.
The Wellington-based TV One reporters joined forces with some more unfamiliar faces from behind the scenes to create their own television hunks calendar. Fuggedabout the firemen, this year it's all about the telly babes. Pity neither Guyon Espiner nor Kris Faafoi got their own months to frolic for. Not that I could see serious Guyon romping on the steps of Parliament with come hither eyes, but you know, there's always a first.
Michael Parkin and Simon Bradwell could have lost their ties and their composure a bit more, for my liking, but at least they had the guts to take part. Good on ya boys.
I'm in Wellington at the moment, tapping my blog out from my hotel suite. TVNZ flew me to the capital yesterday afternoon to watch the last taping of Wallace Chapman's live political show Back Benches.
It's no secret I'm a big fan. Chapman is a huge a talent and a big attraction to a young, cool, upwardly mobile audience that not only have an interest in politics but who watch the cult show on TVNZ7.
The company executives must think so too, because the head honcho of news and current affairs, Anthony Flannery, was in the audience with corporate affairs boss Peter Parussini and other TVNZ execs keenly observing Chapman pull off a very successful live show. There were whispers later that it may even be bumped up to the mother channel - One.
Of course it helped with the likes of former Attorney General Paul East and Clare de Lore (Don McKinnon's wife) raving about the host and the format post filming.
East seemed quite chuffed to win the competition bag - again - for his answer to a quiz question during an audience interval. He gave away the sunhat. "I'm taking it home for Don," de Lore said. Though quite what East will do with the packet of condoms, is anyone's guess. Back Benches panellist Rodney Hide seemed most concerned about the size of the prophylactics, so maybe he pinched them.
At the press gallery Christmas party last night - that I gate-crashed with Flannery, Parussini and the rest of our Back Benches team - was veteran political correspondent Barry Soper. Gathering by 50-something-year-old Bazza's behaviour last night towards his bride-to be, reporter Heather Du Plessis-Allan who's in her 20s, my guess is that the couple would be keen to start a family.
At the party it appeared everybody wanted a piece of Prime Minister John Key, though Labour's Darren Hughes did a good job of monopolising his time a fair bit, before his boss Michael Cullen stepped in. He may be in Opposition now, but Cullen appeared to be positively fawning over JK. More curious though, and it could have just been the chardonnay talking, but Cullen and Hughes looked like father and son.
No surprise Winston was absent. I asked one influential political figure what's come of the NZ First leader and he snided: "He's scouring the death notices for a by-election.
Rachel Glucina
Pictured above: One News reporter Arrun Soma from a new TVNZ in-house calendar. Photo / supplied. Click here to see the photos
