Henry: Politics hasn’t a show
CHRIS SKELTON / FAIRFAXNZ PAUL Henry has knocked back an approach to resurrect his political career in the upcoming election.
But the controversial broadcaster, who walked away from his lucrative breakfast TV and radio career last year, says he wasn’t ‘‘evenly remotely interested’’ in standing in the general election on September 23.
‘‘That doesn’t fit with my view on life right now.’’
Instead, Henry will appear on Three’s new 7pm show The Project on Thursday, and is in talks with the network about future shows.
Henry stood for National as a candidate in the traditionally-safe electorate of Wairarapa, losing by 3000 votes to Labour’s Georgina Beyer, who became the first transsexual MPin the world.
He wouldn’t be drawn on the identity of the mystery apparatchik who asked him to stand, but both National and ACT denied they had made an approach.
Henry said he would only consider coming out of retirement for a MediaWorks project that didn’t encroach on his new-found freedom.
‘‘The only thing that I would countenance would be a great idea from MediaWorks. It would have to fit in with the lifestyle that I intend to have.
‘‘I’ve made no secret of the fact that I have made it clear that I am not prepared to have a daily, weekly, or monthly commitment.’’
The broadcaster quit as host of the The Paul Henry Show last year, saying he was ready to retire from fulltime work.
He says he’s also been headhunted to replace Leighton Smith on Newstalk ZB but turned the offer down.
‘‘I know that I was on the top of their shopping list until I finally made it very clear to them that I am not evenly remotely interested. I seriously just want to retire.’’
Henry has just spent six weeks in Palm Springs, California, where he owns a home, and says he’s earned enough to retire comfortably at the age of 56 ‘‘by being exceptionally clever’’.
‘‘I am a relatively young man. What a true measure of success that as a relatively young man, I can retire.
‘‘I know a lot of very wealthy people who are hungry for more and more money and it compromises their life.’’ FairfaxNZ