**Judy Bailey
***Writer & TV presenter
*
Judy began in broadcasting as a reporter on TV news and current affairs programmes, including Top Half, and went on to become a household name when she presented One News for 18 years until 2005. Since then she has appeared on Intrepid Journeys and presented for Maori Television, and she supports several charities.
**Who is the New Zealand woman who has most shaped our nation?
**Probably Kate Sheppard. Her powerful quote “All that separates, whether of race, class, creed, or sex,
is inhuman, and must be overcome” is something we should remember today.
**Who is the New Zealand woman who has most shaped your industry?
**Marcia Russell. She was a trailblazer for women in the industry, the founding editor of Thursday magazine and a major player in setting up TV3.
**Who is/was the biggest mentor in your life?
**My husband, Chris. A producer and director in the television industry, he has always been my staunchest supporter and my fiercest critic. My journalism tutor, Dame Christine Cole Catley, was also an inspiration.
What is the best advice you have been given? Be yourself.
Complete the sentence: New Zealand women are… independent, strong-willed and a force to be reckoned with!
**What do you wish you had known at age 20?
**That my thighs would never look that good again!
**What/who is your greatest inspiration now?
**My grandchildren, Harry, Sadie and Mila. There is an enormous amount of joy to be had in being a grandparent.
**What has been your greatest triumph and hardest failure?
**My children are without a doubt my greatest triumph. I don’t like to dwell on failure but I am dismayed at my inability to ride a bike!
If you could change one thing about New Zealand what would it be?
No child would grow up in an abusive household – every child should be able to reach their full potential.
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