The Golden Age Of Hilary

Life is changing for Hilary Barry… she is approaching 50 and will soon face an empty nest. The Seven Sharp presenter talks to Emma Clifton about how age has given her the comfort to be herself, family life and making the most of every day

Hilary Barry has been perched on a velvet sofa in Auckland’s Hotel Grand Windsor for no more than five minutes before she is recognised by two avid Seven Sharp viewers. “I just saw you on the telly last night,” exclaims one of the women. Hilary, clad in a beautiful wrap dress, is laughing for The Australian Women’s Weekly’s photographer. Being Hilary, the laughing is so contagious, the rest of us can’t help but join in. That’s the joy of Hilary Barry.

The fact is, Hilary is recognised multiple times every day. Which is, she says, “the most lovely, sweet interaction you can have”. After all, TVNZ 1’s Seven Sharp is the most-watched show she has ever been on, often with half a million Kiwis tuning in.

“You can be quite blasé about it when you’re in the studio – you know that people are watching, but you cannot comprehend the number of people who are until you go out in public,” she says. “People will come up and say, ‘Hi Hilary,’ like we’re old mates, and then they’ll almost apologise, ‘I just feel like I know you.’ And I always say, ‘Well, you do.’ I am myself on screen” – she covers her mouth briefly and then whispers – “for better or worse.”

The real Hilary