Stacey & dad James - WE'RE MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME

She grew up with a ‘part-time father’, but the popular broadcaster tells why he means the world to her now

- Nicky Pellegrino

When Stacey Morrison was a kid growing up in Christchurch, she would often hear people whispering as they walked by – “That’s James Daniels’ daughter”.

Back then, her dad was the radio star and Stacey never imagined following in his footsteps. “It was a pain in my butt growing up that Dad was famous,” she admits. “It was probably when I got to intermediate school that he was well known and then it became quite a big deal.”

These days, James is more likely to get people saying, “That’s Stacey Morrison’s father”. She is the one with the higher profile, presenting a drive-time show on The Hits, writing books and making podcasts, as well as having a television career. And while she didn’t much enjoy her father’s fame as a kid, looking back, he did help inspire her future career.

“I grew up around radio,” she explains. “And I realised that working in the industry was a possibility, people like me could do it. Other young kids coming in might have been wowed by the studio and the whole environment, but to me it was very normal.”

While he thinks his daughter’s success is very cool, James isn’t at all surprised by it. “She always had talent,” he says. “She was articulate, creative, a good singer and dancer, and she starred in school productions, so it made sense that she got into some sort of performance or entertainment.”