Paula Bennett “I still need a stage...”

From teen solo mum to Deputy Prime Minister to TV host, the former MP tells Emma Clifton why we should all embrace reinvention.

- LISA MATSON

Earlier this year, as Paula Bennett headed to work in her new job as Director of Strategic Advisoryat Bayleys Real Estate after leaving a 15-year career in politics, she could feel there was something missing. Though she was extremely happy in her new position, was starting to feel rested for the first time in over a decade, and was finally able to spend more time with her friends and family, there was a hole.

“It was after the summer break, going back into working full-time, and I thought, ‘I still need a stage… occasionally,’” Paula recalls. Winking, she adds, “Know your personality, right?”

When it was announced that the former Deputy Prime Minister would be joining Seven Sharp’s Hilary Barry and comedian Tom Sainsbury for the reboot of the classic show Give Us a Clue, now screening on TVNZ 1, it felt both like a surprising announcement and an obvious choice.

Of course, this was the perfect move for Paula, whose swift exit from Parliament in October 2020 has left a real personality gap on her side of the political spectrum. To be back on our screens, fronting a game show, is that “occasional stage” she was looking for.

When the production company first approached her, it was an immediate yes from Paula.

“It was really liberating to be able to let my guard down, be a bit silly and have some fun,” she shares. “I definitely had some nerves – mainly because I’ve got the absolutely amazing queen of broadcasting Hilary Barry as captain of one team – but we spent some time together and I just instantly relaxed because she was so fantastic.”