Rotorua youngster Kaio Portsmouth asks about Jacinda Ardern's pregnancy in YouTube video

Kaio Portsmouth, 8, with his dad, Ryan. Photo/Stephen Parker

Rotorua 8-year-old Kaio Portsmouth has big plans for his YouTube channel Kaio James.

He's hoping to have a zillion, billion, trillion, million viewers and says he'll even start paying his videographer dad, Ryan Portsmouth, once he makes lots of money.

The Otonga Primary School pupil was at the Lakefront on Saturday, asking Rotorua residents how they felt about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern being pregnant.

Super confident with microphone in hand and camera rolling, Kaio asks people their views on both the pregnancy and Winston Peters filling in during Ardern's planned time off.

When the Rotorua Daily Post called Kaio, the youngster said he was super nervous but that was forgotten when he started talking about his videos.

"We shifted to New Zealand about two years ago and I started watching a cool YouTube guy called Dan TDM," Kaio said. "And that's what made me start wanting to make videos for kids."

He said he hadn't been able to make as many videos as he would have liked as his baby sister, who had spent a big portion of her life at Starship Hospital, had been the family's focus.

"But I've got more time now even though my holiday [school] finishes in two weeks."

Kaio said he didn't get nervous in front of the camera because he thought about other things to distract himself, but his father believed it was because of his upbringing.

"When we lived in Brazil [where his wife Julia is from] I worked in media production and Kaio was the go-to model, so it's fair to say he's used to being filmed," Portsmouth said.

Kaio said he and his dad sat down and came up with video ideas and they had a number of projects in the pipeline. One is a "give-back" to Starship Hospital.

"One thing we realised while in Auckland is how hard it is to keep hospitalised kids connected to the outside world," Portsmouth said. "Our plan is to make lots of YouTube videos including a weekly current affairs-related story that is either impacting children or one we think youngsters will have an opinion on."

Both agree Rotorua is a great place to make videos as the scenery is spectacular and there are lots of places where people congregate, making it easy to ask questions.

"Another thing that has inspired me, as a parent, is that there is so much on YouTube that kids cannot consume, whether it be inappropriate language or behaviour. We want to create a safe go-to place for kids to watch things that are appropriate."

And while Kaio acknowledges his dad's words about kids' news and a safe channel, what really excites him is the opportunity to wear his Spiderman costume in the next round of filming.

That, and having a zillion, billion, trillion, million followers. "Considering dad does do pretty much everything, it's probably fair I give him some money."