A lot has changed for beloved broadcaster Matty McLean already this year – a new job, new outlook and a new “chilled-out” life.
Having left behind his Breakfast whānau, Matty has swapped the hectic and demanding world of morning telly for afternoon radio, hosting The Hits Drive with legendary DJ Polly (PJ) Harding, and it’s a move the media man – and his man, husband Ryan – are over the moon with.
“The morning alarm not going off at the crack of dawn is definitely better,” he tells the Weekly. “I’m absolutely loving it – it’s so, so good. I’m still adjusting, but it’s great, and it’s so fun having a job where your entire job is to make people smile and to just have fun. There’s something so nice about that.”
It’s been a big adjustment, Matty admits – as well as the changed hours, the nature of his job is wildly different.
“It was a big, big move to make, but I can’t believe how lovely the listeners have been. I’m so stoked I took the leap.
“Radio’s also different in the sense that you share so much of yourself on radio – it’s all about your connection to the audience and your stories, and I’m paranoid that… God, I don’t know my life is exciting enough to get content out of! But I think it’s about finding the beauty and the yarns in the normal, because that’s everyone’s life.
“Although,” he adds with a chuckle, “Ryan and I have figured out that weirdly, we’ll be seeing less of each other – sometimes with Ryan’s job in real estate, he could get away early, so we’d spend the afternoon together. But now we’re just doing what every other normal couple does!”
It’s been an incredible year so far for Matty and Ryan, who married in a romantic hilltop ceremony on December 31, and Matty’s happy to say the honeymoon period is still going strong.
“We’ve had such a good few months. Everything is going really well, actually. Now that I’ve started the new job, we’re both hoping that we’ll be a little boring this year, if we’re honest! I mean, we say that every year and something else happens, like moving house, or a reality TV show… But maybe, just maybe, 2024 is our quiet year to just relax and enjoy each other’s company.”
