Photography: Robert Trathen
They’re used to grilling politicians, chasing breaking news and navigating the chaos of an election campaign. But behind the headlines, Rebecca Wright, Lloyd Burr and Jenna Lynch are parents, aunties, uncles and partners with plenty going on away from the Beehive. As New Zealand heads towards the polls, the Stuff journalists open up to Woman’s Day about life on the campaign trail, finding balance and what matters most when the cameras stop rolling.
Rebecca Wright
‘I choose to focus on family’
When Woman’s Day sits down with Rebecca Wright, she’s positively glowing. That’s because the longtime journalist is back on screens fresh from her first break in 15 years, having spent the past 12 months simply enjoying life with her daughter Scarlett.
“We’ve had a lovely year, just the two of us,” she smiles.
“I did all the school camps and the netball coaching, and we had a beautiful trip to Waitangi, which I’ve been to a lot as a reporter. But it was great to go as a mum with my daughter – to think about how our country started and the importance of the place.”
Spending precious time bonding with Scarlett, 11, has given Rebecca, 46, a different perspective on losing her job amid the shock closure of Newshub in July 2024.
“Without that, I would’ve never chosen to focus on myself, my family and my life,” she explains.
“I was telling Sam Hayes the other day that I didn’t take much maternity leave when I first had Scarlett, so to get a chance to have that time now has been lovely.”
Back in the hot seat
But earlier this year, the Auckland-based star happily accepted a role working across Stuff’s website and the Sky-produced ThreeNews bulletin. Feeling refreshed after her big break, Rebecca’s more than ready to ask our politicians the hard questions on the campaign trail.
She says, “The thing I love about politics isn’t really the Beehive, select committees or the House – it’s what that means for people and their lives. I read all those reports, pay attention and look through the detail, so our audience doesn’t have to.”
A familiar face on our screens, Rebecca – who grew up in Wellington, where her mum worked for United Future’s Peter Dunne – was based in New York as TVNZ’s US correspondent for three years, before moving into long-form current affairs as the co-host of Newshub Nation. Her job as a political journalist is something she’ll never take for granted.
“I meet people in the street or talk to people who are watching, who say how they’ve watched me for years and come to rely on my reporting,” she shares.
“That feels meaningful and like a big responsibility, which makes me want to do better. I love connecting people with politics.”
Lloyd Burr
‘Things aren’t getting better’
Lloyd Burr has his colleague Jenna to thank for his return to political reporting. After being made redundant from Today FM in 2023, it was his longtime friend “going into bat” for him that secured a six-month contract back at Newshub for the last election.
Fast-forward to today and the close pals are again working together to cover the election for Stuff and Three, with Jenna out on the road and Lloyd, 38, in the Auckland office as head of news.
With three nieces and two nephews, and as an honorary uncle to many of his friends’ kids, the former AM host often thinks about how the decisions made today will affect them.
“The impact we make on future generations should be at the forefront of pretty much every choice we make,” Lloyd says.
He’s thankful to his family and friends that he gets the fun job of indulging their kids by helping them “make massive Lego towers, cause chaos and eat lollies”.
Lloyd adds, “It’s bloody expensive being an uncle, but it’s so joyous. I don’t know if I’ll ever be a dad, so that’s why I make the most of living vicariously through these kids.”
The issues that matter
These bonds influence the stories that interest Lloyd, who explains, “As I’ve grown up, got a mortgage and hit all those other milestones, I’ve realised what’s important and that feeds into the way I see the world. I love my job because I get to explain quite complex things in simple ways. I’m like a tour guide taking people on a journey as I learn how everything works.”
Lloyd is drawn towards understanding the problems Aotearoa faces.
“There are big issues that need solving and they’re pretty almighty, like the burden of superannuation,” he says.
“If we don’t change anything to cover the bill by 2065, GST is going to have to be at 50% or our top tax rate will climb to 87% – or a mix of the two. That concerns me.”
Lloyd’s also aware of how tough Kiwis are doing it.
“Pretty much everyone I talk to is frustrated they’re not getting ahead or that the country’s not stable. The vibe I get is that we’re all sick of working hard and that things aren’t getting better.”
Jenna Lynch
‘I’ve learnt to do 7 things at once’
Last election, Jenna Lynch was a first-time mother to then-15-month-old Alfie, but as she hits the road for this campaign, the fact she’s now parenting two boisterous, beautiful boys means she’s ready for anything.
“I’ve learnt to do seven things at once,” laughs Stuff’s political editor, 38.
“As every working parenting knows, it’s an enormous juggle.”
With little Eddie born on May 2025’s Budget Day, Jenna and fiancé Andrew Ketels, who’s a government relations consultant, have become skilled at mastering the delicate balance between home and work.
“I’m lucky Andrew’s always flexible and he’s able to drop things so I can do more,” she says.
“What I love is that because he’s worked in politics, he just gets it.”
But though her job can be all-consuming, both Jenna and Andrew, 42, agree Alfie, four, and Eddie, one, come first.
“There are times where I’ve had to make that call,” she confesses.
“During the last election campaign, Alfie got quite sick and ended up in Starship for a minor procedure. It was scary for me because I was a new mum and it was the first time some-thing like that had happened. “I remember I was at a National Party event and Andrew had taken Alfie off to the doctor. Nicola Willis hadn’t quite come out yet, but I got his text, just dropped everything and left.”
Finding balance
Thankfully, Alfie quickly recovered and today Jenna loves nothing more than heading back to her Wellington home after a long day at Parliament, even if it’s often “louder and more chaotic than I can handle”.
When she steps through the door, she’s instantly immersed in Alfie and Eddie’s world, intrigued by the brotherly bond they’re forming.
“They’re both such cool characters,” grins the veteran reporter, who hails from Alexandra and started her career at the Waikato Times.
“Alfie really loved Eddie when he was a baby and he could give him a bottle, then Eddie started moving and it was like he was a toy. But now Eddie’s nearly as big as him, so they’re becoming classic rough-and-tumble boys, which is absolute carnage. The house is full of noise, but you can hear happiness everywhere – it’s just lovely. “Before we had the boys, Andrew and I would come home and still talk politics. We were junkies! Now there’s more balance in our lives.”
Becoming a mum has also influenced the areas of policy she finds interesting.
“I had no radar on education reporting, but Alfie’s off to school next May, so my ears prick up around education stories. I wouldn’t say I cover them more, but I’m more interested as a human.”
Why the debates matter
Having started in the Press Gallery in 2014, Jenna adds that stories about kids – such as the recent reporting she did on children with spinal muscular atrophy – “just hit differently when you have your own”.
Hot on the heels of co-hosting the minor parties’ Kingmakers’ Debate last week, Jenna will be on the panel for Stuff’s Leaders’ Debate on 20 October, and she’ll be in the studio with Lloyd, Samantha Hayes and Paddy Gower for Three’s Election Night Live special on 7 November.
“Debates are incredible because politicians just lose the ability to see reason and they make commitments on the fly that they then have to stand by for the next three years,” grins Jenna. “It’s politics in its rawest form.”
She hopes the debates will inspire people to enrol to vote by the 25 October deadline and inform them for when they turn up at the polls.
“Even if everyone turns you off and it does seem a bit hopeless – which I get because the cost of living is out of control at the moment – the way to make that better is not withdrawing from the political process. You have to engage with it.”
