Kanoa wins over the fans after her

Once the cameras started rolling, it was all eyes on Lloyd, and her particular brand of openness soon became a reason to tune in.

Type ‘‘Kanoa Lloyd’’ into Twitter and it isn’t long before key words start popping up. Successful, strong, refreshing and funny are just a few that are on loop when it comes to the front woman for The Project.

It’s been almost two years since Lloyd, a former massage therapist with a patchy resume of TV work, was announced as one of three permanent presenters of the Three news show. And her impact has been huge.

She’s quickly garnered quite the loyal following. It’s no surprise, really.

Self-deprecating and incredibly open, Lloyd is often the voice of reason when the show airs each weekday evening. Oh, and she knows how to crack a joke.

That growing success has been nicely helped along by the fact that 2018 has been dubbed the Year of the Woman. Those loyal fans have been vocal about their joy at not only having a woman hosting a primetime TV programme in New Zealand but also a woman of colour.

Born in Gisborne and raised in Dunedin, Lloyd got early experience on the screen. She presented Saturday morning kids show Squirt when she was still in high school.

She then went on to train as a massage therapist but was never able to put her training into practice.

Soon after completing her studies, she found herself being pulled back to the world of television once again, this time as presenter of Three’s Sticky TV, an after-school show. It was the springboard for her becoming the weather presenter on Three’s 6pm news.

Even in such a short segment, Lloyd ensured she left her stamp. She was soon introducing some te reo Ma¯ ori into her bulletins, highlighting her cultural roots of Ngati Porou heritage from her father’s side. But also attracting a bit of flak that ensured the audience remembered her.

A tactical move, perhaps. And in February 2017, it paid off when she was announced as the third host to a newly formatted show, The Project, a weekday news programme that mixed current affairs with humour.

She was undoubtedly the lesser star, with far less TV experience than her on-camera comrades, comedian Josh Thomson and veteran TV star Jesse Mulligan. But once the cameras started rolling, it was all eyes on Lloyd, and her particular brand of openness soon became a reason to tune in.

In the last year, the TV presenter has unlocked conversations about anxiety and her personal battle with mental