Host in surprise return to 6pm news
John Campbell last night made a surprise return to a prime time news anchor slot.
Campbell, who fronted news shows at rival network MediaWorks for years, fronted 1 News At Six after joining TVNZ last year for a “roving reporter” role. TVNZ had been vague about what it would entail but his starring role last night at 6pm was his biggest yet for the network. TVNZ’s Seven Sharp host, and Campbell’s former Mediaworks colleague who also left the network after several years, Hilary Barry revealed his 6pm news calling him “marvellous”.
A spokesperson confirmed he was filling in for Simon Dallow until his return on Tuesday.
Campbell left MediaWorks in 2015 after 24 years. He hosted the network’s 6pm bulletin from 1998 to 2005, before fronting Campbell Live which was cancelled despite a petition to keep him on air. He moved to Radio New Zealand in 2016 and in June last year joined TVNZ.