Kate Hawkesby

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Kate Hawkesby is a New Zealand television presenter who, amongst other bulletins, hosted the Tonight late news programme for Television New Zealand. Kate announced on July 3, 2007, that she would be leaving TVNZ to focus her energies on raising her young family.

Hawkesby is the youngest presenter in New Zealand to front the 6pm news as a fill-in. She has worked extensively as a reporter in the field; from reporting live from the Oscars in LA, to flying with the Army in an Airforce Hercules to Papua New Guinea to report on Bougainvilles troubles as it edged towards civil war.

[edit] Employment History

Kate Hawkesby began presenting on TV2 Headline News, then fronted the Breakfast and Midday news, job sharing with Simon Dallow.

In 2002, she became the co-anchor of TV One's Breakfast show with Mike Hosking, highlights included co-hosting a week long "road show" of live programmes around the country, and covering the America's Cup races live, as well as interviewing a wide range of newsmakers and politicians.

In 2004, Kate joined Eric Young as host of the late news show Tonight, which she fronted on her own for 2 years after Eric left. She left on maternity leave in late 2006 and has since announced she will not return.

She hosted an impromptu three hour live breaking news special as Chechen rebels seized a school in Beslan, Russia, and held hundreds of children hostage. As well as presenting Tonight, Kate has interviewed a range of musicians from Brooke Fraser to Bryan Ferry for the show. She got the only exclusive TV interview with Olympic boxer Soul Pownceby who was convicted of manslaughter. Kate has also been a regular fill-in on ONE News.

On top of her newsreading duties, Kate has also hosted a raft of TV specials for TV One, including the Lord of the Rings premiere in Wellington, the World of Wearable Art Awards, and the Young Musician of the Year Awards.

She also hosted the launch of Fashion Week in 2004. Offscreen Kate works as an MC for many corporates and charities, supporting the Starship Foundation, Child Cancer, and the Breast Cancer Research Trust. She also took part in this years Make Poverty History Campaign.

Kate has been a finalist in the Qantas Television Awards Best Presenter category 6 times, and was a finalist in the People's Choice Award for Best Female TV Personality 2005.

She also hosted TV ONEs How Normal Are You? in 2005.

Kate has a Political Studies degree, and has worked overseas on London's Daily Express newspaper before returning to New Zealand to get married. She and her husband Richard now have three children.