It’s 10 past nine on an unseasonably cold Thursday morning in Christchurch, and Alison Pugh, Rawdon Christie and Sam Wallace are already exhausted.
Having just delivered TV One’s Breakfast live from Christchurch’s stunning Botanic Gardens, Rawdon (46) is taking photographs with fans who have braved the chilly temperature to watch the show. Sam is devouring a bacon sandwich, while Ali is chatting with her mum Helen, who has popped down to see her daughter in action.
The tight trio are in the Garden City to celebrate Cup and Show week, but for Ali (28) it’s a chance to play tour guide and show Rawdon and Sam around her home town.
It has been a challenging week without the usual comforts of their studio. But it has also served as time for the three presenters to reflect on a year that has brought not only good-natured teasing and endless, hilarious pranks, but nasty, biting criticisms during one of New Zealand’s strangest elections.
“It’s been so nice to be back home, especially with these two,” Ali says, shrugging off the electric blanket that has been draped across her knees all morning and pointing towards both Rawdon, who is now chatting to the crew, and Sam (33), who’s still eating his bacon sandwich.
Ali acknowledges it has been a huge year for her since landing the coveted Breakfast presenting role in February.
“I got to show them a few places that are special to me, such as the Isaac Theatre Royal, the school I went to and my favourite restaurants.”
“She’s been a great tour guide,” says Rawdon. “She has pointed out lots of places she used to go when she was a kid.
“And she’s had to explain a lot – I didn’t know what A&P stood for. I thought the show must be sponsored by an insurance company!”
“It’s Agricultural and Pastoral, for the record,” Ali laughs. “Talk about a North and South Island divide!”
While it has been a week of fun, laughs and pranks (including Sam receiving an ultra-bronze tan at the hands of Rawdon), it has also highlighted the two sides of Ali – the humble Cantabrian and the talented, Auckland-based presenter.
Ali acknowledges it has been a huge year for her. The former reporter landed the coveted Breakfast presenting role in February, after a very public, two- week job interview, then moved to Auckland and became engaged to long-time partner Jo Barus.
There will be more Breakfast laughs next year for Ali, Rawdon and Sam. “We can’t wait,” she says.
And alongside her personal successes, 2014 has proved a triumph for Breakfast as well, after several tumultuous seasons.
It’s down to the organic chemistry between the three of them, they insist, and it’s their closeness that helped them through the election.
In a year when politics turned into little more than a farce, Ali and Rawdon especially found themselves caught in a storm of criticism, with one party leader even accusing Rawdon of bias.
“Every opinion and question you asked was analysed and dissected,” says Rawdon. “The scrutiny we were under was extraordinary.”
“It was raw and brutal,” Ali adds. “Although my background is in reporting, we have a gallery team who handle all the politics, so it was a new experience for me.
“It was such an intense time and such a strange election. There was so much hate out there, especially for broadcasters, so a thick skin was definitely required.”
Rawdon is out of bed at 3.30 every weekday morning to present Breakfast.
But throughout their first year on screen together, the trio have found their ability to laugh at anything – mostly each other – is the key to getting them out of bed at 3.30 every weekday morning.
“From the first day Ali joined us, we all just clicked,” explains Sam. “It’s amazing that we have such a great team that gets on so well. It’s remarkable, actually. I’m just a big hoon that fell into this!”
The trio know almost everything about each other, from coffee orders to what each of them is thinking. Ali apparently has a very distinctive facial expression, which means, “I’m not going to say anything, but I don’t approve,” according to Rawdon.
“You do find out almost everything that’s going on in the other’s life,” Ali says.
“You just spend so much time with each other – more than we spend with our partners and families, which is crazy.”
While it’s easy to see the relaxed relationship Ali and Rawdon share when you turn on the telly in the morning, it’s the ever-strengthening bromance between the former BBC reporter and weatherman Sam that provides most of the comic fodder for the show.
“We’ve known each other for a long time now,” Sam says with a smile, recalling the days of the now defunct Saturday Breakfast show. “We call Rawdon Lord Farquaad. He can be a little bit precious, but he’s the best guy. He’s a weird mix for me – like a dad and a mentor.”
Although Ali and Rawdon love teasing Sam, they insist it’s all in good fun.
“Sam’s like a best friend and a son, but also sometimes he’s an uncle,” adds Rawdon. “He offers little bits of advice, because he’s slightly more aware of the situations I can get myself into. He’s good at saying ‘go home now!’”
But it’s Ali who pulls the boys back into line – and she’s not afraid to voice her opinions either, Rawdon insists.
“She’s got the great smile and the great laugh, sure, but she’s an absolute stickler for detail,” he reveals.
“For every line of script, she demands perfection. But she never criticises – although maybe occasionally she’ll tease me about the button holes on my shirt, which often stretch slightly!”
Watching the trio laugh together as they prepare for their Weekly photoshoot after several coffees and a quick bite to eat, it’s clear they truly are the best of mates.
Rawdon is showing off his new smartphone and watch combination, and trying to take a photo using the rather temperamental voice control.
“It’s awesome, isn’t it?” he enthuses as Ali rolls her eyes.
“Please don’t bring up the watch. He’ll never stop talking about it!” she groans.
“Actually, one of the great successes of this trip was getting Rawdon onto [photo and video messaging app] Snapchat,” Sam offers with a grin.
“He may look like an old man, but he’s not afraid to grasp new technologies. He started sending some very funny pictures to what he thought was just us, but he didn’t realise he had configured it slightly wrong and ended up sending the pictures to everyone in his address book!”
“One of the great successes of this trip was getting Rawdon onto Snapchat,” Sam offers with a grin.
As all three have such an easygoing and cheeky nature, they admit it makes their jobs easier, but it’s these same natures that have left them in hot water with some viewers, Sam admits.
“People think Ali and Rawdon are mean to me!” he laughs, referring to the many pranks the pair have played on the roving weatherman. Indeed, when we check in a week on from the spray-tanning incident, he’s still sporting a rather bronzed glow.
“We get letters saying they’re bullying me, but don’t worry – they’re not! They’re my friends. It’s affection and I’m never insulted. It’s just three people digging at each other’s ribs.”
“Those comments come from the two percent of people who don’t actually understand relationships,” Rawdon adds, shaking his head. “I’m actually impressed with the job I did on your spray tan, mate. I’m disappointed at how good you look now!”
And Ali’s not immune to Rawdon’s practical jokes either.
“Every morning, Rawdon hides behind a corner or a door or a cupboard – this is very early, around 4.30am, when most of the halls at TVNZ are dark – and does this big surprise “boo!” moment. It terrifies me every time. I lose 10 years of my life!”
While the week in Christchurch has put a temporary stop to the usual good morning scare, it has also allowed the trio to spend time together away from the rigours of their normal lives.
From getting glammed up to go to the Christchurch Cup, to all the challenges that go along with broadcasting live from the A&P Show – “There were a couple of funny moments when we were trying to do a serious interview and there would be cows mooing in the background,” laughs Ali – it’s been a welcome return to heartland New Zealand, especially for the vivacious Cantabrian.
“It’s still home,” Ali says with a smile.
“Coming back really made me miss Christchurch. It was nice to get back for a bit and see the family.”
But Ali’s focus – along with Rawdon and Sam’s – is firmly up in Auckland for next year’s Breakfast, with all three hosts returning for 2015.
“I feel so much more confident than I did at the beginning of this year,” admits Ali.
“There’s no other way you could ever prepare yourself for this job. And that’s going to be the massive difference next year. We can hit the ground running. We know each other, we know how the jigsaw all fits together. We can’t wait!”
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