Our favourite Kiwi broadcasters on the year that was and summer ahead

Clay therapy

There’s a spoiler alert for friends of Newstalk ZB host Francesca who’s frank about what she’s gifting for Christmas – pottery. Actually, it may come as no surprise as the 53-year-old broadcaster quips that everyone is “bored to tears” hearing her talk about her newfound creative passion.

“I can’t draw, I can’t paint, but I always had this desire to make something with my hands,” she says.

“So this year, I decided to become a member of The Clay Centre in Auckland’s Ellerslie. It’s been hugely beneficial for my stress levels. I go for a couple of hours each week. My pieces are pretty average, but there’s heaps to learn, like how to glaze.”

However, Francesca’s partner Tim Aitken, 54, looked around their home recently, commenting, “We’re turning into a pottery shop!” But it’s taught the upbeat mum of two not to be afraid to try something new. Especially as she heads into a “whole new phase” with both her kids, Oscar, 19, and Lola, 16, at university next year.

Summer at home

Francesca says, “We have Oscar coming home for the summer from his first year studying in Canterbury. My favourite day of the year is picking him up and my second favourite day is dropping him back at the airport!”

While others in her Newstalk ZB office head away on their break, Francesca will take a hiatus from her usual Sunday Sessions show to fill in for different talk-back shows.

Then at the end of January, she and her family will head off to Omori on Lake Taupō to unwind.

“I think 2026 is going to be fabulous,” she enthuses.

“I’m excited to keep making pottery and continue my podcast The Little Things [with co-host Louise Ayrey], as well as not worry about saying no to things.”

The secret carnivores

As someone who always finds the humour in odd situations, Bella was tempted during 2025 to put out a TikTok series titled “The Secret Carnivores”.

You see, the West Auckland actor and her husband Suraj Kumar found themselves regularly sneaking up to their bedroom to cook meat in an air fryer so as not to offend Suraj’s vegan parents, who were visiting from India to meet their daughter-in-law for the first time.

While Bella appreciated their home-cooked vegan curries, sometimes she just wanted a juicy chicken drumstick.

“When the craving hits…” she says, before bursting into laughter.

“Thankfully, our room has a massive bay window, so we put the air fryer in the middle of the sill and pushed the window out. We shut the door and put a long draught-stopper on the inside of our room, and made a makeshift bench on one of our bookshelves. But all we could smell was meat when we were going to sleep! “So we’ll be looking forward to having barbecues this summer outside – and maybe inside the room for old time’s sake,” she roars.

Family love wins

Over their three-month stay, Suraj’s parents (yes, they eventually discovered the meaty secret) fell in love with Bella, who plays fiery nurse Selina To’a on Shortland Street and whose character’s life currently hangs in the balance.

The fun-loving couple is now excited to head to Chennai, India, in August for a two-day temple wedding. It’ll be a complete contrast to their humble backyard wedding in Wellington in 2021.

“I’m so looking forward to it, even though it may be during monsoon season,” enthuses Bella.

“But I also miss my in-laws. Because they stayed with us so long this year, it felt like we had empty-nest syndrome when they left!”

Bella will be performing at the Walter Findlay Family Fire in the Sky event in Gisborne on January 1.

A classic Kiwi summer

If broadcaster Mike could relive one summer from his past, he’d go back to a quintessential Kiwi holiday, spent as a kid in a caravan on the banks of the Clutha River.

It was here his “hard-case nana” Maureen McDougal parked her caravan in a prime spot at the Alexandra Sunshine Motor Camp.

“I have such great memories of it,” says Mike with a grin.

“My sister and I slept under the green and blue-striped caravan awning, and Nana [now 89] would give us coins to buy candy floss every night. “Most afternoons, we’d go and pick fruit, swim in the river – which ran through the back of the campsite – then eat the stone fruit all evening
and spend the next day in the toilet!”

A very different Christmas

This summer will look very different, however, for Mike, 50, and his longtime French partner Anton Chartier, 36, who spend a wintry Christmas in Paris and Lyon, before New Year’s in Morocco, where Anton’s mother lives.

“Sadly, Anton’s sister unexpectedly died of suspected heart failure in June,” shares Mike, host of The Breeze Drive show.

“It was such a shock and she has three beautiful kids, aged 22, 19 and 12, so we felt it was important to go and support them for their first holiday without their mum.”

Reflecting on 2025, Mike says he’s learned not to be so consumed by things that don’t matter.

“Seeing my dad [Wayne, 66], along with my dear friend [and former co-host of The Café] Mel Homer, go through cancer treatment, reminded me to always get your annual health checks done, as well as to embrace life. “So my New Year’s resolution is to stop chasing unattainable aspirations and enjoy what you’ve got.”

A perfect Kiwi summer

All Imogen (née Wells) needs for her dream Kiwi summer is balmy nights sitting outside, shooting the breeze with friends or burying herself in a crime- thriller novel by Richard Osborne.

“Don’t take me to a New Year’s Eve music festival or party,” laughs the bubbly Three news presenter.

“Just plonk me on a seat outside where I can sit all evening with our pup Bean on my lap and that is me happy!”

Looking back, her favourite summer ever was when her parents hired a bach north of Auckland with tents on the lawn, where they fished and had lots of family time.

These days, Imogen, 32, and her husband Matt, 37, have a backyard deck to call their own. The couple, who has just celebrated their first wedding anniversary, bought a home on Auckland’s city fringe.

A year of milestones

Needless to say, 2025 has been a huge year for the reporter, ticking off some big milestones. After moving to Wellington six years ago for her journalism career, Imogen returned to Auckland with Matt to accept the ThreeNews weekend newsreader role.

They met after their mutual hairdresser set them up on a blind date.

“She casually asked me, ‘What’s your relationship status?’” recalls Imogen.

“When I replied, ‘Single,’ she said, ‘Would you want to go on a blind date with someone because I know the man you’re going to marry?’ “Although I had been on so many terrible dates, I said, ‘Okay, what’s one more?’ We went for dinner and – this is so cheesy – I genuinely thought, ‘Yes, I have found my husband.’”

So what’s the number-one lesson Imogen will take into the New Year?

“I eventually got my dream job, dream guy and dream house – that’s trusting the process.”