Broadcaster Angela D'Audney has died

Veteran broadcaster Angela D'Audney has died, aged 57.

D'Audney was diagnosed with a brain tumour eight months ago and underwent immediate surgery to remove it.

She had become concerned when she had difficulty reading scripts, and an MRI scan revealed a tumour she described as being "as big as a ping pong ball".

Announcing D'Audney's illness, then TVNZ news and current affairs head Paul Cutler said the broadcaster's rapidly worsening speech impediment had been particularly hard on her.

"This symptom of her condition is especially sad as I have always regarded her enunciation as probably the finest of all the broadcasters I have worked with."

D'Audney seemed to have recovered from the May operation, but in December was unable to do interviews to promote a book on her life as her speech was failing.

In the book, she describes her rapid deterioration after being diagnosed.

"Over four days my speech was slightly slurred, and then my whole grasp of language became a problem...By the Monday before my operation, things were so bad I couldn't even write a cheque."

The operation also left D'Audney unable to drive -- distressing for a lover, and owner, of high-performance cars.

"I couldn't think about dying. All I could think was how heartbreaking it was that I'd never be able to drive my beautiful cars again. Mad, I know, when I was facing a serious operation that I might not survive, but my cars have given me so much pleasure."

TVNZ confirmed last month her illness was terminal after she admitted herself to hospital, then discharged herself to return home to die.

Angela Louise D'Audney was born in London on August 26, 1944. She moved to New Zealand when she was eight.

She was educated at Wesley Primary School, Normal Intermediate and Epsom Girls Grammar in Auckland before going on to university there.

D'Audney entered broadcasting in 1962 as an 18-year-old and was on air on her first day.

In 1973, she was the first female newsreader on the northern regional programme Look North, before moving on to front current affairs programme Eye Witness News.

D'Audney had a keen interest in drama and the arts which was reflected in her roles presenting arts programmes, including Kaleidoscope, and appearances in television drama. She was a member of the Auckland Theatre Trust board from 1977 to 1983.

She presented the weekend news with long-term anchor partner Tom Bradley until their abrupt axing in 1998. The controversial move was blamed on cost-cutting.

At the time, Cutler said the weekend edition was one of the station's top-rating programmes but TVNZ had had to consider how best to use full-time staff given its budget restraints.

The veteran duo was replaced by husband-and-wife team Simon Dallow and Alison Mau, in their mid-30s, but all concerned denied the move had anything to do with age.

In recent years, D'Audney filled in on news bulletins, Late Edition and Good Morning for TVNZ.

She was also an accomplished radio broadcaster and, as well as hosting some shows, was a producer.

D'Audney, who in her book describes her gap-toothed smile as "my trademark" and says she rejected many suggestions she have dental work done, is also famous for appearing topless on TV.

Acting in a drama called The Venus Touch with Bruno Lawrence and Grant Tilly in 1979, she bared her breasts.

In her book, she says her character was trying to rouse her husband's interest because their sexual relationship had deteriorated.

"There was one scene where I was sitting up in bed trying to get his attention, so I took off my top. Now that's what married people actually do, so I thought it was in context."

Despite the much stricter television rules of the day, the episode caused only one day's outcry.

"The next day they got boxes and boxes of mail saying, 'Don't worry Angela, we love you.' And I thought, 'God, for them to have forgiven me that must mean they really do care about me'."

D'Audney married Haddo Robert D'Audney in 1967. They were divorced in 1976. She had no children.

- NZPA