E74 | Polly Harding

Episode summary | Polly Harding

Polly “PJ” Harding walked away from radio in 2021 at the top of her game.

After starting her career as an intern at NZME's ZM in 2011 it didn’t take long for her to find her way behind the mic, proving her talent as one of the most engaging voices on New Zealand radio. In 2015, she teamed up with Jase Hawkins and together they delivered a hilarious national drive show.

In 2018 they packed up the show and took it across the ditch where the pair hosted the Jase & PJ Breakfast show for the KIIS Network in Melbourne for another three years before PJ decided home was calling and relocated back to New Zealand.

PJ is a bundle of positive energy and we had so much fun in this laidback chat about life behind the mic. We hear about the realities of breakfast radio, many of the most embarrassing stories that made it to air, and we document Seamus’ rough run attempting to slide into PJ’s Instagram DMs from years ago.

Show notes | Polly Harding

1.28 The journey from Melbourne to Masterton (or Mount Bruce)

6.40 PJ or Polly? And baby Campbell on the way

9.26 Polly lights up Seamus and his rough run attempting to slide into her Instagram DMs from years ago

18.55 Jase Hawkins and Producer Alex on PJ – including the time she shat on the bedroom floor

22.02 How much of yourself can you share on air?

28.31 Back to the start of the journey: becoming a station voice, starting on ZM, dealing with imposter syndrome, and finding her on-air personality

33.37 “An arranged marriage”: the origins of Jase and PJ

40.50 Australia comes calling

49.42 Authenticity and relatability: is any of it an act?

52.16 The realities of working breakfast radio and the impact on normal life

55.46 Leaving Jase and PJ and the decision to come home

1.05.51 Contrasting lifestyles: living off the grid v an Instagram account of over 100 thousand followers

1.10.34 Celebrities: charity boxing, sliding into DMs, intimidating interviews

1.16.56 Radio stunts, getting married on air, and First Dates NZ

1.20.33 Last words from Steven, Seamus and PJ