Guyon Espiner leaves TVNZ - for TV3

Guyon Espiner with fiancee Emma Wehipeihana. Photo / Supplied

Television New Zealand star reporter Guyon Espiner is resigning this morning to work for TV3's Current affairs show 60 Minutes. He will be based in Auckland.

Espiner was meeting TVNZ this morning to tell them the news.

He recently resigned as TVNZ political editor and was due to develop new projects at TV One, so today's resignation will have come as a surprise.

It is not clear whether he had intended to continue on with Q & A and whether his departure has caught that show off-guard as well.

There had been rumours TVNZ was planning on using him for a special unit on big stories working alongside Lisa Owen, who is expected to come back soon.

Espiner and TV3 could not be reached for comment, but his signing marks a significant financial commitment for the TV3 news team.

He will be a reporter and not a presenter and will work beside Mike McRoberts, a TV3 source said, adding that Espiner might turn up occasionally on 3 News.

But he brings TV3 added interviewer firepower.

Meanwhile, TV3 is expected to confirm tomorrow that Sean Plunket is stepping down as co-host of the weekend political programme The Nation.

Espiner is not expected to have a role on The Nation, which is produced independently by Front Page.