After four years in the army, Brodie Kane thought she was pretty good at handling early starts. But those brutal 5am military wake-up calls have nothing on her new life as sports reporter on Breakfast television, where her days start at 3.30am!
“It’s hardcore,” she laughs as we catch up on the eve of Breakfast’s return to our screens. “I mean, it’s still the night time when my alarm goes off. I’ve learnt that I have to be disciplined – in bed by 8.30pm or I’m in trouble!”
But the sports-mad TVNZ star confesses she’s fallen asleep in some strange places since she started in her new role last year – once while getting her nails done and again while waiting for her car at the mechanic’s. “I can feel my eyelids getting very heavy sometimes and it’s like, ‘Uh-oh!’ I’ve had to learn there’s nothing wrong with an afternoon nap.”
Christchurch-raised Brodie, 30, is sporting a golden tan and feeling very relaxed thanks to a month-long summer break. She spent Christmas with her beloved family at home in Waikuku Beach – 30 minutes out of the Garden City – before taking a road trip with friends to Gisborne’s Rhythm and Vines music festival. “Some people were like, ‘That’s for 21-year-olds, isn’t it?’ I had to say, ‘Excuse me, I’m a very young and energetic 30-year-old woman, thank you very much!’ And I just had the best time ever! I did plenty of dancing and caught up with heaps of old friends.”
Her friends and family mean everything to this bubbly broadcaster, who is yet to find love. But while she’s signed up to dating app Tinder, Brodie isn’t losing any sleep over her single status and tells us she’s happy to take life as it comes.
“I’ve been single for 30 years!” she says, erupting into laughs. “But it’s not something I spend time worrying about or even thinking about much. My priorities right now are nailing my job, spending time with my family and my amazing friends, and basically just enjoying life.”
Brodie says she would need any future partner to be able to challenge her intellectually and not be afraid of pulling her into line when she’s being “bossy or control-freaky”.
“I’m definitely a bit on the bossy side,” she admits. “I like to be organised and I like things to go a certain way. But I’m working on letting this slide a bit. I’m trying to learn that I don’t always have to be in charge.”
Brodie reckons she gets these traits from her mum Jo, who she’s incredibly close to. “My brother says that when we’re both in full flight, it’s like two freight trains barrelling towards each other.”
The broadcaster, who’s worked on such shows as Seven Sharp and Fair Go, tells us she didn’t have to think too hard when offered the job on Breakfast in last year’s shake-up, which saw hosts Rawdon Christie and Nadine Chalmers-Ross replaced by Hilary Barry and Jack Tame.
While the hours were daunting, she couldn’t pass up working alongside her mate Jack and former TV3 newsreading legend Hilary, who she worked with years ago at RadioLive.
“Hilary is just a remarkable human being and I am so lucky to work alongside her and learn from her – she’s always got your back,” Brodie tells us. “I can’t think of a better person to see first thing in the morning. I’ll walk in and she’s already there, full of energy, and she’s like, ‘Morning, babes! I see her smiling face and it’s really uplifting.”
Brodie was fresh out of school when she joined the Territorial Force of the NZ Army, spending months training at Waiouru and even travelling to the Brunei jungle for military exercises, all while juggling her uni studies. Although she eventually gave it up to focus on her journalism career – starting first in radio – she says she’ll always treasure her military memories.
“It really was an amazing experience,” Brodie tells. “It’s incredibly testing, physically and mentally. But it taught me a lot of valuable life lessons, like being able to get ready in about five minutes, being a good packer and the importance of being on time. I still hate it when people are late!”
Brodie happily admits that she’s highly competitive and is determined to do her best at everything she turns her hand to. She goes to the gym four to six times a week and loves running. “Write that I’m doing a marathon this year, then I’ll have to do it!” she giggles.
And she still has to pinch herself that she’s landed her dream job, combining her two loves – broadcasting and sport. “I feel incredibly lucky to work on live TV. It’s exciting and challenging, and if I can help make someone smile before they head off to work in the morning, then that’s pretty cool too.”
