Hayley Holt's healing 'MY LOVE JUST KEEPS GROWING'

Introducing her beautiful boy Raven, the beloved broadcaster opens up about motherhood, her recent engagement and a secret relapse into alcoholism

-  Sophie Neville

Happiness hasn't always come easily to Kiwi broadcaster Hayley Holt. A public struggle with alcoholism and the devastating loss of her first child two years ago have taken her to some very dark places.

But it's a smiling and relaxed Hayley, 42, who greets us as she opens the door to her home in Warkworth, just north of Auckland, with her gorgeous boy Raven bouncing on her hip. After going through so much, she's finally found contentment with her fiancé Josh Tito and their much-longed-for baby.

"This little guy has really healed me," she tells Woman's Day, planting a kiss on eight-month-old Raven's head and sinking into the sofa to chat.

With his cute toothy grin and sparkling blue eyes lighting up the room, her little boy is a bundle of delight. He might keep his parents up at night, but Hayley is simply besotted with the little boy who has changed her world.

"I find that my love for him just grows," tells Hayley. "Motherhood has brought me so much joy. It's forced me to let go of the negative stuff. If I'm carrying fears or if I'm feeling down, that's just so unhelpful for him. He's given me permission to be confident and sure. And having Raven means I can look forward to the future. I don't need to worry any more."

As well as introducing her adorable boy, Hayley is talking to us about her new autobiography Second Chances: Facing My Demons And Finding A Better Me, a moving memoir that offers an insight into the TVNZ sports presenter's extraordinary life.

From her childhood as a champion ballroom dancer and award-winning snowboarder, to her career in broadcasting, Second Chances takes readers on an emotional journey of highs and lows. It offers an unflinching account of her battle with alcohol and a heartbreaking insight into the loss of Hayley and Josh's first child, Frankie Tai, who was stillborn on 25 April 2020.