If anyone had asked Kiwi broadcaster Ingrid Hipkiss if she thought she’d ever leave her beloved television job, the answer would have always been a firm “no”. She spent her entire 20-year career at Three and loved her colleagues like family.
But after landing one of New Zealand’s most coveted journalism roles hosting Morning Report on RNZ National, Ingrid, 50, has bid an emotional farewell to her Newshub colleagues to take up the challenge. At this stage of her life, she didn’t expect a momentous career change such as this, but she’s welcoming the opportunity with open arms – and a smattering of nerves.
“Life is funny, isn’t it?” she says, catching up with the Weekly over coffee at a café near her Auckland home. “I really would not have believed you if you’d told me I’d leave Three – it was like a second home to me. I felt bereft when I walked out the doors for the last time. There were a lot of tears.”
With TV pals Mark Richardson and AM’s Ryan Bridge.
But Ingrid describes her new job as a pinch-yourself role. Having started her career as a political reporter, she’s relishing the chance to join the long-running radio programme, considered by many as a mainstay of Kiwi journalism.
“When I started out as a reporter, I would tune into Morning Report every day because it set the news agenda for the day. It is the Holy Grail of journalism and there’s real mana to it. So to get an opportunity like this feels unreal. I couldn’t be happier.”
Ingrid starts on air this week, hosting alongside Corin Dann and Nathan Rarere. She admits she’d only stepped into a radio station a handful of times before she began the “long and involved” interview and audition process for Morning Report. She happily admits to feeling daunted, but at the same time, she was determined to give it her best.
“I am not someone who’s ever had a grand career plan,” admits Ingrid, who has taken on many roles over the years, including co-hosting The Paul Henry Show, weather presenting and newsreading. “My only strategy has been to never say ‘no’ to opportunities and I think that has served me well.”
So while Ingrid was loving life as Newshub Late presenter, she simply couldn’t turn down the opportunity to apply for the RNZ job when it came along late last year.
With broadcasting veteran Paul Henry.
“My first thought was, ‘This is terrible timing because I’m loving my job’, but I couldn’t ignore it. I had a feeling in my gut saying, ‘You have to go for this.'”
And when she got the job, she didn’t think twice. “Oh, my gosh, it was an immediate yes,” she tells. “There was just no way I could turn down that role.”
Taking over from Morning Report veteran Susie Ferguson means there are big shoes to fill, but Ingrid is determined to be herself when she hits the airwaves. She describes herself as a serious journalist who tries not to take herself too seriously.
“I am who I am and I think people would pretty quickly see through me if I was trying to be someone else,” she says. “I love a tough interview, but it’s also got to be fair. I don’t want to be talking over people if I can help it, or overly combative for the sake of being combative. Having said that, I’m not going to be soft.”
With the late nights of her previous job now swapped for early starts on Morning Report, Ingrid, husband Jack Tarrant, plus sons Hunter, 16, and Brody, 12, are excited about what that means for family life. It’s been years since Ingrid was regularly home for dinner with her whānau and she’s thrilled to have the chance to spend more time with them.
“The kids haven’t had me in the evenings for most of their lives,” shares Ingrid, whose freelance cameraman husband is the cook of the family. “Brody’s promised me he’s going to teach me how not to burn things and he’s been running around saying, ‘I’m going to have a stay-at-home mum!’ I have to remind him I’ll be working full-time, but mostly when he’s asleep.”
Ingrid laughs as she tells us she’s promised herself she’s going to be the best after-school mum around. Not only will she learn to cook the family meal in the evenings, but she can’t wait to be on the sidelines at after-school activities.
“I’m not busting to take over dinner duties, but I’m looking forward to being around for after-school activities and becoming proficient enough to help with NCEA homework,” she says. “That’s my fantasy self – let’s see how long it’ll last! Seriously, though, I do think after school is the time they might want to open up, or unload about their days, and I’m so happy I’m going to be around for it.”
Ingrid admits she can’t quite believe her boys have grown up so fast. She loves being a mum, and watching her boys thrive makes her happier than anything else.
“Those early years can be so hard and demanding that they feel like they’re going to last forever, but – boom! – suddenly they’re grown up and time is now going so fast. I much prefer raising school-aged children to babies because they’re just awesome people to have in our lives.”
While their dad Jack, 43, was a professional rugby player, the boys haven’t followed in his footsteps. Basketball and tennis are more their thing, says Ingrid. “And gaming, of course.”
And so far, Ingrid has been happily surprised by the lack of drama that’s come with parenting a teenager.
“My boys are pretty good,” she says. “I’m still waiting for Hunter to turn into a terrible teenager who does nothing but grunt, but so far, there are no signs of it. I’m a bit soft, though, maybe that’s the secret. I don’t get angry easily, I’m quite pragmatic about things.”
She describes herself as a “pot- plant mother”, a parent who is always present for her children but who tries not to be overbearing.
“I read about this pot-plant concept recently, which is all about just being there. It doesn’t mean you’re constantly engaging with your teenager or hovering around them, but it’s the fact your presence is really important to them. I find they just like knowing you’re there as they go about their days.”
Like most families with working parents, managing childcare has been a constant juggle over the years. She and Jack have tried to coordinate their work hours to allow for family life, but Ingrid often finds herself calling in favours.
“It’s like every household, you rely on babysitters, friends, family… It’s cool, though, because one thing I didn’t anticipate when I became a mum was the friendships you make around your kids. We all help each other out.”
But turning 50 in December last year threw up some complicated emotions for Ingrid, who lost her dear friend Claire Silvester early last year. While journalist Claire, wife of sports broadcaster Scotty Stevenson, had been planning her own 50th birthday celebrations, she was too sick to go through with them.
“Because of what Claire went through, approaching that milestone was very heavy,” Ingrid explains. “Heavy with grief, but also with gratitude. I was never like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m getting older’ because I feel better than I ever have and I’m happier than ever, too. I have amazing people in my life and this amazing new job, so I’m incredibly grateful for that. But the poignancy around losing someone so special just added some extra layers to my birthday.”
“Gratitude” is a word Ingrid uses many times throughout this interview.
“I’m incredibly grateful to be 50 and for all I have, but knowing that you have so much to be grateful for makes me even more upset for my friend who didn’t get that. It’s very unfair.”
But as she sinks her teeth into her new role, she says she feels more confident and better prepared now she’s a little older.
“I have such a different perspective now than when I first started out. I’m a completely different person, at a totally different stage of life. I’m more worldly. I’ve learned so much. I’m a mum. But most importantly, I think I’ve learned that things are rarely black and white. I can see things from different angles and different perspectives. I’m excited. I will just get in there and do my best.”
