Their unconventional courtship started off as little more than an on-air gag, but seven months after their blindfolded first date, with a stunt Las Vegas wedding under their belts, ZM radio host Polly “PJ” Harding’s relationship with Michael Batty has blossomed into a beautiful broadcast romance.
Set up by PJ’s co-host Jase Hawkins as part of a segment for his and PJ’s popular radio show, the pair’s time together has been anything but ordinary. “Jase has known Michael for years, so when a psychic told me I was going to meet a man from Queensland, he organised for us to meet,” laughs bubbly PJ, 25, recalling her first encounter with her Aussie beau, who also works in radio.
“We had this set-up date in the studio where we were feeding each other chicken, but we were both allergic to the hot sauce on it. We took these blindfolds off and we were both covered in hives.
PJ and Michael first met as part of a stunt for PJ’s popular radio show – now, the couple are in love!
“It was a weird way to meet someone – and it’s safe to say it’s pretty much stayed weird since then. There is nothing normal about our relationship!”
After their first awkward on-air encounter, falling head over heels was the last thing either of them expected, but as PJ and Michael cuddle up at our exclusive shoot, it’s clear to see the fun-loving duo are serious about one another.
“We definitely hit it off straight away,” says Michael,27, who lives on the Sunshine Coast. “At first, it was just a work thing, but as soon as I went back to Australia, I missed her. She’s so much fun and I knew I wanted to see her again, so then it was just about how we could make it work.”
For the next few weeks, PJ and her blond beau took turns visiting each other either side of the Tasman, but it wasn’t long before Australian import Jase devised another peculiar plan to get the lovers together – a shotgun wedding in Sin City.
“It was one of the most uncomfortable things I’ve ever done,” recalls PJ, who was forced to propose to her new boyfriend live on air. “We went to Las Vegas for four days, had hen and stag dos, got married, ripped up the papers and went home. They got my name wrong on the forms – Michael was technically married to Paddy.”
PJ and Michael wed in Las Vegas as part of a radio feature.
The L word
Giggling as they recount the details, the tight-knit twosome admit a major milestone in their relationship actually came about as a result of their whirlwind nuptials. PJ tells, “During the service, we had to repeat our vows after the celebrant and she told Michael to say, ‘I promise to love you.’ We’d never said those words before, so we both froze – you could hear a pin drop!
“Later that night, Michael told me, ‘I meant what I said today,’ and I replied straight back, ‘I love you too.’ He was like, ‘I meant what I said in the vows, not that I love you!’ It was so awkward. Then the next day he told me, ‘I love your body,’ and I heard it wrong and thought he’d said, ‘I love you, Polly.’ So I said, ‘I love you too’ again! Now, we make our feelings really clear – and we owe it all to the crazy celebrant.”
Despite the distance between them, the pair are committed to making their unusual relationship work.
PJ’s co-host, Jase Hawkins, was there to witness the fun.
“I’d never been to New Zealand before I met Polly and now I’ve been nine times in the past five months,” says Michael. “At the moment, we have two and a half weeks apart and then I come over for four days. It’s getting harder, though. It doesn’t sound like long, but it takes ages to come around.”
Their chemistry is obvious to everyone around them, but what makes the couple click?
“We don’t take anything too seriously,” tells PJ. “We always end up laughing – it’s like we’ve been friends forever. Everything has moved really quickly, but it feels right.”
Michael adds, “Polly is caring, funny and always up for a good time. And except for her Birkenstock sandals, she’s a lot more stylish than me!”
Meanwhile, both he and PJ grudgingly admit they have a certain someone to thank for their happiness. Michael laughs, “It’s funny because Jase just wanted to create some funny on-air content by getting me over to meet Polly. Now he gets jealous that I spend all my time with her and not him.
“He was actually the first person to offer me a job when I was 16 and he’s probably responsible for every job I’ve had since. And now he’s got me a girlfriend too!”
