Polly Gillespie co-hosts the Polly and Grant show on The Hits with her ex-husband, Grant Kereama. She lives in Wellington and is mum to Tom, 23, Katherine, 22, and McGregor, 18.
My perfect night with friends is spent… Eating, talking and laughing. I love to cook and make people happy with food.
The broadcaster I most admire is… Fox News host, Shep Smith, despite the fact he’s on that ludicrously conservative channel. He is a brilliant, astute and likeable broadcaster.
When I need to wind down… I meet my friend Tanya for coffee and a good chat. Tanya makes my soul feel like it’s been put on the chill cycle. She balances my creative nuttiness with her analytical way of looking at life.
Photo via Instagram
If I could bring someone famous back from the dead it would be… Sir Peter Blake. It seems ludicrous that such a good man, who was all about bettering the world, was killed by evil nobodies. The world needs more good men.
My most prized possession is… Photos of my dad and my sister who are no longer alive.
My advice to my 16-year-old self would be… None of these popular kids at school now will matter to you in five, 10, 20, 30 years. Nothing they say to you or about you matters one tiny bit. Concentrate instead on the smart and kind people.
If I won a billion dollars I would… Spend my life travelling everywhere with the people I love and spending weeks staying in cool and funky neighbourhoods all around the world.
My signature dish is… Pulled pork. My daughter’s boyfriend is a chef and I held him in a choke hold until he gave me his incredible pulled pork recipe. I’ve tweaked it, and it takes all day to slow-cook in the oven, but it’s enough to make grown men cry. I usually get fresh brioche buns, toast them slightly, add my own Japanese slaw with loads of mayo and then the most delish pulled pork. I’m salivating just thinking about it!
The three words my friends would use to describe me are… ‘A great listener.’ Despite being paid to talk and write, in real life I am far more comfortable listening to other people. Everyone has a story and everyone’s story is interesting. I like people more than I like animals, and that’s not something you hear very often, right?
The thing I always carry in my handbag is… Mints, my phone, M.A.C lipstick in Twig, Nurofen, migraine medication, a tooth pick, reading glasses.
At school I wanted to be… cool. I wanted desperately to be cool. i also wanted to be famous.
The film or book that changed my life was… The documentary, The True Cost. It reports on the ethics or lack of ethics in the clothing industry. Just like S.A.F.E changed the way I buy eggs and meat, this documentary completely changed where I shop and what I buy. I believe it’s my responsibility to do what I can to make the world a better place, even if it’s one dress or a dozen eggs at a time.
My dream holiday destination is… Japan, but I just have this haunting feeling I’ll never go there. I wonder what holds me back?
