Nice Girls Do Win! Toni's Triumphant Year

The bubbly TV presenter is counting her blessings

When broadcasting belle Toni Street first hit screens as an eager sports reporter back in 2005, she thought she’d hit the jackpot. Being paid to talk about sports was “the pinnacle of my life”, Toni tells us and she never dared to dream that she might go even further.

But viewers and TV bosses alike soon spotted a very special talent in the down-to-earth star – that amazing ability to connect with us at home while still owning the airwaves. Soon she was hosting Breakfast, before being elevated to Seven Sharp, alongside broadcasting legend Mike Hosking, where she’s won a legion of fans over the past four years.

“I’ve just been blown away that any of these amazing jobs were even possible for me,” admits Toni, fresh from her stunning beachside photo shoot. “When I got to host breakfast TV, I just thought, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I’m in this realm.’ And when I got to Seven Sharp, a primetime show, well, I just never dreamed that could be on my horizon.

“Even now, I’ve never lost that buzzy feeling I get from television – 12 years later, I still get that.”

But nothing could top the buzz of November 30, when the mum-of-two took out the Woman’s Day Television Personality of the Year gong at the New Zealand TV Awards. Joined by husband Matt France, the 34-year-old dazzled in a black sequined gown and was “completely overwhelmed” by the top honour.

“To win an award that was voted by the public is just so amazing,” she grins. “I still get a real thrill when people come up and talk to me about things we’ve done on Seven Sharp because it reminds me that people out there are watching and enjoying what we do.