Mike's Breeze-y new start - 'IT'S NEVER TOO LATE'

The radio star's put his French fantasy on hold, but ooh la la, it'll be worth it!

This was the year that broadcaster Mike Puru was meant to be changing his life. He and his partner of 10 years, Anton Chartier, were full of plans to sell up and move to south-west France, which is where Anton’s family comes from.

But if you’ve listened to radio station The Breeze recently, you may have noticed that’s not quite how things have worked out. Instead of swotting up on his French and putting his Auckland home on the market, Mike is now the station’s new breakfast show host.

“The timing just wasn’t right for France,” he explains. “We decided to go after I left my last job and my career was in a bit of a lull. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to take a break. But by the end of last year, a couple of things had happened. I got the offer to join The Breeze, which was fantastic. But also, my dad’s not well, so it’s not the right time to disappear.”

Mike’s work schedule has meant he hasn’t always been able to spend much time with his parents, Wayne and Diana, who live in Timaru, but this year he’s determined to see them more often.

“Dad’s a great music lover and he likes going to gigs, so I want to make sure I go to some with him and we have a few beers before he gets too sick or it’s too late.”