News hound Heather WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME

Now living her best life, Heather du Plessis-Allan reveals her early memories of living in a South African commune

- Wendyl Nissen

Host of NewstalkZB’s drive show, journalist and broadcaster Heather du Plessis-Allan, 36, takes a moment during lockdown to have a chat over a cuppa about her life, her childhood growing up in a commune, and the one thing she cannot live without.

What is the best thing about your life at the moment?

I think everything. My mum [Elizabeth du Plessis] is part of our bubble and she was sitting here with me this weekend pointing out all the good things about my life. Sometimes we can be at risk of focusing on the negative, but I have a fantastic husband [political editor Barry Soper], a fantastic family – I love my brothers and my mum, and I have a wonderful job which is constantly stimulating. Naturally, I’m there on the radio to play the opposition role and hold the government and a lot of other people accountable, so I do tend to look for problems, but I’m naturally a contrarian, so it’s not a problem.

What is the one thing you couldn’t live without?

Obviously being of UK stock, I can’t live without a cup of tea with just one teaspoon of milk to cut the tannin in the tea. Any more than that and I lose respect for you. I can’t order a cup of tea on an aeroplane because it’s all milk! But in all seriousness, this lockdown has made me realise that the thing I can’t live without is other people across the spectrum. People you love who talk to you about boring stuffand irritate you and gossip with you. People who stimulate you. Neighbours who give you a sense of community. We are all learning how important other people are to us.

What is the nicest thing you’ve ever bought or done for yourself?