As a radio host on The Breeze, Robert Scott is well-known for his upbeat personality, but lately there’s something causing his top lip to quiver – the departure of his beloved daughter Molly on her big OE.
“I pretty much decided to go on the spur of the moment because I wanted to live outside my comfort zone,” says Molly, 22, just before her departure. “But Dad is most definitely banned from the airport because he’ll be such a wreck when we say goodbye.”
But Robert, 56, is confident his only daughter will land on her feet in the UK, as she is possibly the most organised person in the world.
“I have done so much preparation,” Molly says with a grin. “I’ve sorted everything it’s possible to sort. I have a bank account, a phone plan. I’ve found a flat to move into, as well as a job with a creative agency. I’ve even booked a driver for when I arrive.”
Family farewell dinner.
When Molly says she’s also made friends with “randoms” she’s met online, similarly aged youngsters in London, Robert’s eyebrows shoot up, but he knows Molly makes sensible decisions.
When asked where her organisational skills come from, Molly is very clear.
“I have inherited my mother’s motivation and organisation, and my dad’s ability to fixate.
“So I’m a hybrid of my mum and my dad, which means when I pick something to do, I don’t stop till I’ve done it.” Molly even confesses she is taking matching suitcases, with packing cubes of course!
Being organised isn’t the only trait Molly is grateful to her parents for. She also has them to thank for her English passport, because Robert and his wife Carmel lived in England when Molly was born.
Robert was also born in England, although in 1974, aged eight, his family moved to Palmerston North, so when an opportunity arose to work at a radio station in Reading in 1999, Robert jumped at it.
Molly’s friends seeing her off at the airport.
“I worked at 2-Ten FM for three years and it was such fun, being there with my wife Carmel and our son Sam [now 26] doing our OE as a young family. It also gave me an opportunity to find out who I was.”
Molly even made her first appearance on radio in the UK.
“Radio people have a radar for content that’s always on,” explains Robert. “We’ll be doing something unrelated, like digging the garden, and all of a sudden have an idea, so you’ll write it down and park it for later.
“So our kids have been content since forever, and before Molly was even born, we played the audio of her heartbeat as a mystery sound.”
“Although not being born meant I couldn’t give consent,” Molly adds, pretending to be cross but clearly liking the idea of being heard before she’d even drawn breath.
“I’m really excited for Molly,” Robert says, serious now, even though it looks like he’s crying a little on the inside. “I’m proud of how organised and talented she is, but we will miss her because she is a ray of sunshine. Thankfully, though, technology means we can connect more easily than when my family came out.
“Even though Molly will be on the other side of world, we’ll probably see her every day.”
Robert, who in June was named Best Music Network Host at the New Zealand Radio Awards, understands Molly’s need to make the most of her young life now that she can.
“The pandemic was hard on all of us,” he tells. “It was difficult for me, going in to the radio station, going on air, and trying to find the right words to comfort and inform, as we were all going through a tough time. For a long time, working on my own, I felt lonely and isolated.
“I also took five weeks off at the beginning of the year. It was the longest break I’ve had for a long time, but I needed it because I was burned out after the pandemic.
“I switched off completely. I took all the notifications off my phone, I stopped watching the news and it really helped put my life back on track.”
As for Molly, just like her father, her future looks similarly upbeat.
Molly enjoying the London summer.
“I’ll miss my family and my friends, as I love New Zealand, but I’m going to have the best time ever!”
Listen to Robert on Breeze Days, 10am-3pm weekdays.
