'THE POWER OF SAYING YES!'

The former TV star tells  what it’s like to have found a new voice on Morning Report with Corin and Nathan

- Catherine Milford

When Ingrid Hipkiss got the call to say she’d landed the role as co-host of RNZ’s flagship news and current affairs show Morning Report in January 2023, she had no idea just how significant an impact it would have on her, both personally and professionally.

Fronting the show alongside Corin Dann and First Up host Nathan Rarere as part of the radio station’s refreshed morning line-up was an amazing opportunity for the TV presenter, who’d never done radio before, although she’d previously worked at Newshub for over two decades.

“As a career choice, it’s the peak,” she tells. “I consider it one of the best jobs in the country. I love the challenge of interviewing so many different people and no two days are the same.”

The role came just after Ingrid turned 50 – a milestone that came with a lot of soul-searching.

“A big birthday makes you stop and think,” explains Ingrid, who has two sons, Hunter, 17, and Brody, 13, with cameraman husband Jack Tarrant, 44. “I thought hard about what I was doing in my life and where I was going. My natural tendency is to stay in a safe space, so I had to push through that, and come to grips with the idea that I was being offered a great opportunity and I’d regret it if I said no.

“I’m naturally an optimist, so I believe things will work out. I also have a philosophy of saying yes to everything. I’m a pragmatist too – I don’t think worrying is going to help. You have to make the most of what you get. That’s how I ended up at Newshub for so long – I’d give anything a try.