Voice Of Change
NEXT|May 2019

Kanoa Lloyd has been censured and praised for standing up for what she believes in, which includes pride in her Ma¯ori heritage and being open about her anxiety struggles. Phoebe Watt finds out what compels The Project co-host to use her voice for others

Voice Of Change

Kanoa Lloyd looked fierce in every frame. Our May cover star-in-waiting, the 31-year-old co-host of Three’s 7pm current affairs show The Project was splashed across several mock-ups on our creative director’s computer screen, channelling her unique brand of personality and professionalism in pink and purple Maggie Marilyn stripes. This cover story – focused around her personal struggles with anxiety and her advocacy for Ma¯ori representation in the media – was well underway, filled with insights about mental health, and how inclusivity and diversity on our television screens is something all Kiwis stand to gain from.

And then on March 15, three weeks out from our deadline, the Christchurch mosque attacks happened, and the quotes from our interview back in December took on a new resonance.

I spoke to Kanoa the following week. No stranger to adapting to breaking news, she explained that she’d been in the makeup chair at the time, preparing for that evening’s episode of The Project. A crew member ran into the room and said there’d been a shooting. “Then he mentioned that it was at a mosque,” she says, “and my heart just sank, because you can’t hear those words without knowing that it’s a hate crime.”

Immediately reaching for her phone to read the updates that were starting to filter through online, she apologetically informed the makeup artist that she had five minutes left to finish a job that usually takes 45 minutes, and then she was out of the chair and into the newsroom, where she and her colleagues began making calls, watching coverage, and building from scratch a completely revised show that would be broadcast live on air just a few hours later.

This story is from the May 2019 edition of NEXT.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May 2019 edition of NEXT.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEXTView All
Caitlin Cady Shares Her Journey
NEXT

Caitlin Cady Shares Her Journey

Caitlin Cady always liked being in control, so the thought of meditating scared her. But once she sat down and let her thoughts leave her mind, it proved to be incredibly important to her health. She shares her journey

time-read
8 mins  |
April 2020
The Wright Direction
NEXT

The Wright Direction

Back on home soil after her stint in NYC, Rebecca Wright shares with Monique McKenzie what she thinks the future holds for the US, and why she is proud of the positive role modelling New Zealand offers her young daughter

time-read
8 mins  |
April 2020
View From The Top
NEXT

View From The Top

She’s just turned 50 and Hilary Barry is feeling happier and more comfortable in her own skin than ever before. The Seven Sharp host sits down with Phoebe Watt to talk about gratitude and why she won’t let the odd barb bring her down.

time-read
8 mins  |
March 2020
How To Magnify Your Meal
NEXT

How To Magnify Your Meal

There are certain natural foods that offer higher nutrients than others, but how do we know which to choose? Anna King Shahab looks at how we can make choices that are backed by science.

time-read
6 mins  |
March 2020
My big BREAK
NEXT

My big BREAK

Sometimes things come together in ways we could never have imagined. Sharon Stephenson speaks to three Kiwi women about the pivotal moments that helped launch their careers and businesses to success

time-read
7 mins  |
April 2020
MOTHER AND SISTER
NEXT

MOTHER AND SISTER

Linda Armstrong attended the Linwood Islamic Centre every Friday and on the day of the Christchurch mosque attack she confronted the shooter, asking him to stop. Now her daughter Angela Armstrong is going back over her mum’s footsteps to learn more about her conversion to Islam and the community she loved

time-read
6 mins  |
April 2020
The Acid Test For Anxiety
NEXT

The Acid Test For Anxiety

Microdosing involves taking tiny amounts of illegal psychedelic drugs such as LSD or magic Microdosing, the practice of taking tiny amounts of illegal psychedelic drugs, is being hailed by some as a new form of therapy. We separate the shamanism from the science in pursuit of the truth

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2020
Queen Of The Beehive
NEXT

Queen Of The Beehive

Tova O’Brien is living her career dream, leading Three’s all-female political team in parliament. She tells Sharon Stephenson about reporting from Europe’s hot spots, landing in jail, and what they really talk about in the press gallery

time-read
6 mins  |
March 2020
NEXT

Passion Project: How To Write A Romance

Have you ever secretly thought you could be the next Nora Roberts or Diana Gabaldon? Award-winning Kiwi romance novelist Bronwyn Sell takes you through her 10-step plan

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2020
The End Game
NEXT

The End Game

Everyone has their own approach to goal setting, but do some work better than others? Monique McKenzie shares the methods that will help you get to where you want to be.

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2020