Love is on the air ROGER'S ROCK-SOLID ROMANCE

The radio host discusses dating, dancing and dealing with depression

- Fleur Guthrie

Even after 26 years of coping with 4.30 am wake-ups and larrikin antics, she’s still his biggest fan on and offthe air.

And for longtime radio host on The Rock, Roger Farrelly would’ve probably never met his wife Lisa if it wasn’t for a throwaway comment that changed everything.

When a friend asked Lisa what she wanted for her 23rd birthday, the young teacher jokingly replied, “A date with Roger Farrelly.”

She had been listening to his then-Waikato-based breakfast show for several years and was taken with his humor and deep, dulcet tones without ever seeing him.

“Lucky for me there was no internet or Google search in those days!” laughs Roger.

Unbeknown to Lisa, her friend rang the radio station and told him “my friend wants to go out with you”.

“I was mortified when I found out,” recalls Lisa. About 10 days later, The Rock was giving away tickets to the Finn brothers’ concert at Founders Theatre and Lisa was the lucky winner.

“I went up to him after the concert to introduce myself because I wanted him to know I wasn’t some ‘Doris desperate’ with three heads looking for a date. We got on so well and were talking for so long, that his flatmate left him and I had to give him a ride home. Just before he got out of the car, I asked if he’d like to go out for a drink sometime.”

“Of course I said yes,” says Roger. “She was very classy and sophisticated. I knew straight away that she was the one.”