Suzy Cato feels like she’s come home. More than 30 years since the bubbly, bespectacled children’s entertainer first stepped onto the set to host TV series You and Me – singing “it’s our time, kia ora, talofa!” – she has returned to do it all again, in a YouTube continuation of her iconic show.
She’s whipped up a new batch of playdough, slipped back on the denim dungarees (okay, they never really left) and recreated a new version of “Aunty Suzy’s home” to once again mesmerise preschool viewers with gentle songs and stories.
The only thing she regrettably left behind in the ’90s were the oversized neon jumpers she wore, created by former Kiwi clothing brand Kozmik.
“I didn’t keep any!” bemoans Suzy, 57.
“I gave them all away to charity to auction off. They were such a sign of the times. However, if you watch carefully as the camera pans around the set, eagle-eyed viewers might spy a hidden fluoro gem. “Our sound engineer Wendy told me that one of her first jobs out of school was hand-painting the Kozmik gear. So she lent us one of the garments to have in the set, which was so wonderful.”
A pioneering children’s show returns
First broadcast on TV3 in 1993, You and Me delivered more than 2000 episodes. It was credited as one of the first children’s programmes to weave te reo Māori into everyday conversation. This latest chapter continues that legacy for preschool audiences in a format that reflects how young children watch and learn today.
When Suzy learned she’d received funding – up against hundreds of other applicants – she screamed.
“I’ve been thinking about getting You and Me back on our screens since we finished making the show 28 years ago,” she laughs from her rumpus room at home on Auckland’s North Shore, surrounded by artwork that her two children – Riley, now 21, and Morgan, 19 – did as youngsters.
A show that shaped generations of Kiwi kids
“So many parents who grew up watching the show were asking me where they could find something like You and Me for their own kids. It’s such a wonderful part of my DNA, but also our cultural DNA. Stepping into the new set gave me a sense of coming home.”
Since launching, Suzy says the feedback has been phenomenal, especially from parents of kids who struggle to sit still for long periods because of short attention spans.
“But I’m hearing their children have sat through a whole 30-minute episode and have been quite calm afterwards. One of the comments was, ‘My child loved watching the programme and was happy when it finished.’ And that could be taken two ways! “It’s because there is so much highly-stimulating overseas content available for tamariki, which means kids are often having tantrums when the programme’s finished because they want more of that dopamine hit.”
Bringing You and Me into homes and communities
Since her nostalgic return to the small screen, Suzy says the next phase is to load her website suzy.co.nz with free resources, giving parents access to simple recipes and learning ideas through play. Later in the year, she will also embark on a live You and Me nationwide tour, starting in Dunedin.
Spreading her positive messages through song and storytelling is what Suzy loves best. Creating radio shows and live events for children has been her bread and butter since 2002, when the popular broadcaster was made redundant at TV3 and told she no longer a fit with the channel.
A year ago, Suzy was honoured for her long career, being made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit (ONZM) on the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours list.
Recognition for decades of creative work
She explains, “I didn’t know until months later, when a few people began whispering in my ear, ‘You do know your Dad was a big supporter of that, don’t you?’ that he had put in an application for me, along with other members of the arts community. “So I went and had a conversation with him. Dad gave me a sheepish smile and said, ‘Well, you know Mum and I have always been your number-one fans, and with all you’ve done over these years, it’s wonderful to be able to acknowledge you.’”
Suzy humbly adds, “It’s not just about me, though – as a TV presenter or radio host, you get to take a lot of credit, but there are a lot of people involved bringing these projects to life. “I’m just so grateful to be back – You and Me is arguably my happy place. It’s like I’m a neighbour and I get to have a wonderful kōrero and a song with the little person who has wandered into the kitchen or garden from next door.”
Suzy’s new show, along with classic You and Me episodes, can be found on YouTube channel You and Me NZ. On June 28, she’s also hosting the 2026 Aotearoa Children’s Music Awards.
