Northland’s shining star Erin Smith all set to appear on dating show Down for Love

Northland’s Erin Smith is stoked to be appearing on the New Zealand dating show Down for Love.

Staff, family, and friends have been counting down the days to see Northland’s own Te Whatu Ora star shine on the new television series, Down for Love.

Erin Smith is tight-lipped on what to expect of the New Zealand dating show which follows six Kiwis with Down Syndrome in the universal quest to find love and happiness.

The show airs on Thursday on TV1 at 8.30pm.

“We will just have to watch the series to know any more,” she said.

It’s not the first time Smith has featured on TV; her favourite role was being a patient on Shortland Street and she recalled how fun it was being interviewed by Seven Sharp’s Michael Holland in 2013.

“I have been on television lots,” she said.

Smith said she still loves her role at Te Whatu Ora Te Tai Tokerau after 19 years as learning and development administration support.

Work colleague Philippa MacDonald said she was “a delight to have around and work with”.

“Erin takes great pride in her work and she has a great eye for finding notes that everyone is looking for. She is always more than happy to help.

“She brightens our day and is always beautifully presented with cute shoes. She shares lots of interesting stories and plans that she has with her friends like laser tag and her different dance groups.”

For her recent TV role, Smith had to fly to Christchurch for filming in January, where she found it cold and met up with someone that she already knew.

“I wore my purple dress there and I was really cold,” she said. “Then hot when I came back here.”

Smith was presented with a big bouquet of flowers from a “mystery person”, and said it was pretty awkward having to carry the bunch on the plane ride home.

“They were so big that mum and I had to have turns trying to hold them in our seats,” she said.