Grill: Video won't kill James Coleman the radio star

JAMES COLEMAN won't comment on speculation Bill Ralston has approached him about taking over the Holmes slot. TV insiders believe Coleman has been informally sounded out by the news boss. Coleman says he is more than happy being Channel Z's morning man, the host of C4's Wednesday night retro music show, Flashbacks, and diluting the suits on the Board of NZ On Air.

ANA SAMWAYS talks to the boy from Marton who's partial to pudding.

WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?

Today is formal Friday. It's so easy to let yourself go on radio, so I'm wearing a grey suit and a purple tie which I'm pleased to say - after two months of not eating dessert - finally fits me again.

IF YOU WERE ON NZ IDOL WHAT WOULD YOU SING?

I'd sing Moon River.

NOT FLYING WITHOUT WINGS?

Nah, and I wouldn't be trilling either. Is that what they call it? When they do that stupid thing where they try and hit one note and it's slightly off, so they pretend they meant to do it and they rise up and down around the note. That Mariah Carey thing.

SHE'S A WARBLER.

Yeah. I'd probably try some extreme warbling. The judges seem to like that.

WHAT WAS YOUR BEST BROADCASTING MOMENT?

At one Big Day Out, Dave Grohl came racing out, dying for a piss and I staggered up to him and asked him, "Do you mind if I [do the] interview now?" And he said, "Yeah that's fine."

WORST MOMENTS?

I block them out.

ANY ISSUE YOU'RE FIRED UP ABOUT?

The GE saga. I'm sick and tired of certain factions trying to brainwash those who know dick-all about GE. You get Rent a Crowd tagging on to any of these emotive issues. Then embellish everything. Whenever the media talk about GE they illustrate it with a mutated vege with a frog leg hanging off it ...

OR A FOUR-BREASTED WOMAN ON ALL FOURS?

Yeah, that epitomises what I'm talking about. Blatant misinformation in order to stir things up and while some people will be talking about how ridiculous the ads are, others go away thinking that if they support GE then there are going to be mutated woman being milked.

DO YOU LIKE AUCKLAND?

I don't know how I feel about Auckland now. It's a playground - wonderful beaches - everything's here. But coming back from this last holiday in the Marlborough Sounds, it just hits you how much of a rat race it is. But it's where I work and I love what I'm doing.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

We've just moved to a small place in Mt Eden. We were paying a ridiculous amount of rent and decided we were sick of paying someone else's mortgage. So in 2020 we might be able to afford a small shack in Manurewa.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW MOST ABOUT?

Pre-1980 Holden V8 engines.

AND LEAST?

Budgeting.

WHAT WAS THE LAST MEAL YOU COOKED FOR SOMEONE ELSE?

I cooked snapper in filo parcels, with cheese sauce with almond and red onion coleslaw and boiled potato.

Are you a healthy guy? I eat quite healthily, but I don't do any exercise. I put on a wee bit of weight recently, but I got rid of it. I got in the habit of eating dessert after every meal. And I gave up smoking.

Bio: Age: 35.

Status: recently hitched.

Education: Science degree from Massey, Diploma in Acting from Hawkes Bay Polytechnic.

Most rated live act: Concord Dawn.

NZ Film: Vigil.