Heather du Plessis-Allan doesn’t care if you like her or her opinions. The talkback announcer, who has hosted Newstalk ZB’s Drive show since April 2019, has garnered a reputation for her no-holds-barred interview style and for tenaciously chasing stories other journalists won’t touch. But it’s her experiences on the mic in 2020 – regular duels with former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern over the Government ’s response to Covid-19 – that she credits with giving her the hard edge she’s now known for.
In an interview with re_covering – in which New Zealand’s top journalists discuss the stories that have most impacted them – du Plessis-Allan says going toe-to-toe with Ardern “stretched” her as a broadcaster..