Urgent knighthood ceremony agreed for ailing Holmes

Veteran broadcaster Paul Holmes will be knighted in an urgent ceremony brought forward to next week because of his ailing health.

Governor-General Lieutenant General Sir Jerry Mateparae has agreed to a request by Holmes’ family to hold an early investiture ceremony on January 16.

Holmes’ has been battling heart problems for a number of years.

He suffers from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – a genetic heart condition that thickens the muscles and restricts blood flow.

He underwent heart surgery early last year and was back in hospital in October after contracting an infection.

Prostate cancer – which Holmes had also fought almost 10 years ago – was also back, and more aggressive than before. Holmes cut back his broadcasting hours late last year and announced his full retirement last month.

Government House spokesman Antony Paltridge said the ceremony would be held in Hawke’s Bay, but an exact location had not yet been finalised.

It is believed the ceremony will take place at Holmes’ family home – an olive farm in Poukawa.

After the New Year honours list was announced, Holmes said his late inclusion may have been because he was now considered ‘‘safe’’.

His decades-long career has been marked by some infamous incidents before the microphone.

The honour, he said, was also for his work in the community. He is patron of Paralympics New Zealand and is on the board of Auckland’s Westpac rescue helicopter charity, among other charitable pursuits.