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Heather du Plessis-Allan

Heather du Plessis-Allan (born 1984) is a New Zealand journalist, television and radio broadcaster. She has worked for several broadcasters including TV3, Radio Live, TVNZ and Newstalk ZB.[1]

Early life and education

Heather du Plessis-Allan was born in South Africa in 1984.[2] She migrated to New Zealand at the age of 12.[3][4] Her mother Elizabeth[5] is of Afrikaner descent while her father is of English descent and moved to New Zealand during his teenage years.[3] Her parents separated when she was five years old. du-Plessis Allan's mother later remarried a New Zealand-born South African man, who fathered her two younger brothers.[3][4]

While living in South Africa, du Plessis-Allan attended a semi-private high school that was adjusting to the end of Apartheid in 1994.[3] After migrating to New Zealand, du Plessis-Allan and her family initially lived in Pukekohe before moving to Tuakau, Waikato. There, she studied at Tuakau College. During her final high school years in New Zealand, du-Plessis Allan's mother and stepfather divorced. She and her brothers opted to remain in New Zealand.[3] Her mother Elizabeth became a real estate agent working for Barfoot & Thompson.[5]

Du Plessis-Allan later studied political science at the University of Auckland.[1][3] She credited her father for inspiring her interest in politics by giving her a copy of former ACT Party operative Simon Carr's The Dark Art of Politics.[3]

Journalism career

After graduating from University of Auckland, du-Plessis Allan briefly interned at TV3 before joining Radio Live as a broadcaster.[1][3] She then worked as a broadcast journalist for TVNZ for ten years, including two years for TVNZ's current affairs programme Seven Sharp.[1][3] In early 2015, du-Plessis Allan became a political journalist at TV3's current affairs Story programme.[1][3] She also rejoined Radio Live.[1]

In 2015, du-Plessis Allan produce a report on Story covering tthe ease of buying guns online in New Zealand. In response, her home was raided by the New Zealand Police. The New Zealand Government also passed legislation amending the procedures for purchasing firearms.[1] In 2017, du-Plessis Allan left her journalism job at TV3 following the cancellation of the Story programme.[1] After participating in a New Zealand Herald interview covering the cancellation of Story, TV3's parent company MediaWorks New Zealand ordered her "off the air."[4]

In 2017, du-Plessis Allan became a morning host at the New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME)-owned radio station Newstalk ZB. She subsequently became the host for their news and current affairs show Drive in 2019.[1][2]

In September 2022, du-Plessiss Allan was criticised by Rose Cook and School Strike 4 Climate organiser Mia Sutherland for allegedly bullying teenage School Strike 4 Climate organiser Izzy Cook during a live-interview.[6][7] In late February 2023, the Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled that NZME was right to uphold a complaint against du-Plessis Allan's interview with Cook. NZME agreed that the interview breached fairness standards due to Cook's age and vulnerability. du Plessis-Allan and NZME apologised to Cook.[8]

Personal life

Du Plessis-Allan has been married to New Zealand journalist Barry Soper since 2009.[3][9] The couple live in Auckland.[5][2] On 26 February 2022, she gave birth to a son. She is also a step-mother to Soper's five adult children.[9][2]

Du Plessis-Allan is bilingual and speaks English and Afrikaans.[4] She is fan of New Zealand writer Eleanor Catton's The Luminaries, whom she had interviewed.[4]

Views and positions

Du Plessis-Allan has advocated scrapping the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) school certificate, citing concerns with academic quality and rigor.[10]

In December 2024, du Plessis-Allan defended Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's decision not to attend the annual Waitangi Day events at Waitangi in February 2025.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Heather du Plessis-Allan". NZ On Screen. NZ On Air. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Pellegrino, Nicky (5 May 2024). "Heather du Plessis-Allan's motherhood secrets: 'I don't always understand how I do it!'". New Zealand Woman's Weekly. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Dudding, Adam (9 August 2015). "The real Heather du Plessis-Allan". Stuff. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Heather du Plessis-Allan and Barry Soper on working together and starting a family". New Zealand Listener. Are Media. 17 January 2017. Archived from the original on 22 January 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Now To Love (20 April 2016). "Heather du Plessis-Allan's personal source of strength". New Zealand Women's Weekly. Are Media. Archived from the original on 22 January 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  6. ^ Cook, Rose (25 September 2022). "Heather du Plessis-Allan should be ashamed of how she bullied my daughter". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  7. ^ Sutherland, Mia (27 September 2022). "As a former School Strike 4 Climate organiser, I am all too familiar with ridicule. But this interview surprised me". Stuff. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  8. ^ Clark, Poppy (28 February 2023). "Newstalk ZB host Heather du Plessis-Allan 'ridiculed' teen during interview - BSA". Stuff. Archived from the original on 31 January 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  9. ^ a b Nissen, Wendyl (28 April 2022). "Heather du Plessis-Allan introduces her beautiful boy Iggy". New Zealand Women's Weekly. Are Media. Archived from the original on 22 January 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  10. ^ Du-Plessis Allan, Heather (26 November 2024). "Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: It's time to scrap NCEA for good". Newstalk ZB. Archived from the original on 22 December 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  11. ^ Du-Plessis Allan, Heather (20 December 2024). "Heather du Plessis-Allan: Luxon has made the right call re Waitangi". Newstalk ZB. Archived from the original on 29 December 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
Quelle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_du_Plessis-Allan