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Presenter Jack Tame goes back to the classroom during his summer break from Q+A. Melenie Parkes reports.
It’s a huge year for ‘political nerd’ Jack Tame.
Q+A host Jack Tame is taking a well-deserved break before launching himself back into the political whirlpool.
But you won’t find him sunning himself poolside. He has been spending his holidays in the one place that is reliably empty come summer – school.
“I’m parked up in Medellin in Colombia and I am going to school every day learning Spanish,” says Tame. “I speak a little bit and I used to learn but I haven’t learned very much over the last couple of years so I thought it might be a good opportunity to have the best part of a month here working on it.”
Medellin is probably best known as the stomping ground of notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar.
And, as chance would have it, the school where Tame is studying also happens to be the place where Escobar died in a shootout.
“I thought surely this isn’t true and then I googled it,” says Tame, “but yeah I’m studying right where Pablo Escobar was killed.”
The affable Q+A host has also visited India and Pakistan over the summer break. Tame says he loves to travel and is drawn to places with complex histories.
“I’m quite an active relaxer I guess. For me I really enjoy feeling outside of my comfort zone,” he says.
For Tame, who was travelling with his brother, Frank, Pakistan was a rewarding and culturally enlightening experience.
“Because of Pakistan’s mixed recent history a lot of people hear the name, hear the ‘stan’ at the end and instantly think ‘There’s no
way I’m going there’ but you know it’s a fascinating place. The food is amazing, the history is so interesting, the culture is so interesting and, honestly, not once did I feel uncomfortable about my safety.” Returning to host Q+A this year, Tame, who also hosts Saturday Morning With Jack Tame on Newstalk ZB, is excited about hosting the political current affairs series during an election year. “It’s going to be a massive year on multiple fronts because when you think about it, first of all we have Brexit, then we have the New Zealand election and then we have the US election. “For a political nerd this is kind of nirvana,” he laughs. Nine months into his role on Q+A, Tame says he is “still finding his feet” as an interviewer but he is clear about what his role is as host. “I see it as my job to demand answers from politicians, rather than throw up a question and let them speak for three minutes, because often you’ll ask the politician the simplest question and they’ll say, ‘Before I answer that let me just give some context to you blah blah blah blah’ and they’ll say whatever they want for two minutes. “One of the responsibilities I feel on Q+A is to try to call that behaviour out.”
Tame says he feels “fortunate to have access to these powerful people and to essentially hold them to account”.
“I don’t think I necessarily get it right all the time but it’s so much fun,” he says.
On the day we spoke, news had broken that Tame’s former Breakfast co-host Hayley Holt was expecting her first baby.
“It’s amazing news,” Tame says before jokingly adding, “It’s not mine, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Honestly, Hayley is just an incredible character and the more you get to know her the more she amazes you. That’s going to be one lucky kid.”
When Tame left Breakfast he said he was looking forward to enjoying the kind of social life that a daily 3.30am alarm inhibits and also the chance to date more. So how is his romantic life now? “Well I’m here alone in Colombia,” he laughs, before admitting that he has been dating.
The 32 year old says that hosting Q+A is “so much better for my social life”.
“Don’t get me wrong I love Breakfast. Breakfast is such an amazing show but it is gruelling as all of the team would attest I’m sure,” he says.
“I’m a bit of a workaholic and as I move into my, well quickly approach my, mid-30s, I’m aware that there are other things in life that are really important and I want to make sure that I leave some space for those as well.”
“It’s amazing news. It’s not mine, if that’s what you’re asking.”
– Jack Tame jokes about Hayley Holt’s baby announcement