Polly "P.J." Harding and Matty McLean are hosting The Hits Drive show in 2024. Photo / NZME
Polly "P.J." Harding and Matty McLean are hosting The Hits Drive show in 2024. Photo / NZME
Polly “P.J.” Harding and Matty McLean are about to make their debut on The Hits Drive show and it seems Harding has big plans for her co-host.
Speaking to the Herald, she says that while the details are yet to be revealed, she has a plan to get McLean down to her home in the Wairarapa so he can undergo a “Farm Initiation”. But before that takes place, the pair have to get through their first show together on Monday, January 22 - something they couldn’t be more excited about.
“I think when there’s a new thing, especially, like this it’s a new show for both of us,” McLean says adding, “It’s a return to radio for P.J., it’s the start of a radio career for me. We’ve got like ants in our pants. We just want to get on the air now.”
It was announced in November last year that the dynamic duo and long-time friends would take over the show previously hosted by Laura McGoldrick and Brad Watson.
Harding - who has had a hugely successful radio career, admits it was a relatively easy decision for her. After hosting ZM Drive with Jase Hawkins, the then-co-hosts relocated to Melbourne to front the KIIS FM Jase and PJ breakfast show in 2018. However, by 2021 after a tumultuous few years, which included the devastating death of Harding’s father, the pandemic and navigating a long-distance relationship, she announced her decision to leave radio and return to New Zealand.
In the years since, the 33-year-old has welcomed her first child into the world, started planning her wedding to her fiancé Beej Campbell, and seemingly become a regular fill-in host at ZM, which she confesses was the catalyst for taking on the The Hits Drive co-hosting role.
“I obviously filled in a couple of times back on ZM last year and each time I did that, I started chatting with myself going ‘Why am I not doing this anymore?’” she explains, “I realised that I’d taken the break I needed. I’d come back. I kind of put down my roots that I was craving so much when I was away that made me leave my job in the first place and I kind of got to this position where I was like, ‘I’m still only like 33 I’ve got a lot of radio and a lot of stuff like this that I still really want to do’.”
When the opportunity was presented to her to co-host The Hits Drive, Harding says she initially um’ed and ah’ed about taking the role but once the seed was planted in her head, it kept growing to the point where she couldn’t ignore it, “it really did feel like the right timing for me and I just got really excited about it,” she says.
As for McLean, his decision to join the show meant saying goodbye to TVNZ’s Breakfast, a show he had been a part of for seven years and a company he had called home for more than 16, but he knows it was the right decision.
Matty McLean and P.J. Harding are driving you home from 3pm - 7pm every weekday on The Hits. Photo / NZME
Explaining that he still “adores” TVNZ and his Breakfast family, he says: “I think I was starting to think about what the next step would be and what that would look like. And sometimes you’ve just got to leap when the opportunity is handed to you.
“I got this call to ask if I would ever consider coming over to The Hits and once I started to learn a little bit more about the show and the fact that it was with PJ, I just thought, ‘man, if there was ever a time where it felt right to take that leap of faith, like this is it, 100 per cent.’ And, I’m so glad I did. Honestly, I haven’t looked back,” He quickly adds, “And I mean that with no disrespect.”
The pair’s friendship was a big factor in them both taking the roles - McLean’s decision was made after an intense conversation with Harding - and it’s this close bond that they believe will help set apart their show from other New Zealand radio drive shows.
Having known each other for 10 years, the new co-hosts are excited to see how their relationship will change on air.
McLean explains, “People will get to know us as we’re still getting to know each other a bit as well, and I think that’ll add this really beautiful element and layer because I think people love that fascinating insight into other people’s lives.”
As for what listeners can expect; the pair have a lot up their sleeves and with Harding’s wedding taking place this year, McLean admits he wants to have a bit of fun with it.
“I think we’ll have a lot of fun there. I’ve already started planning a bachelorette party for us,” he slyly smirks earning a hesitant chuckle from Harding.
The pair can agree on one gag though - last year, they hilariously wound up Ross Flahive - better known as ZM’s Ross Boss by playing Christmas music in August and they’re ready to see what their new boss, Matt Anderson’s - aka. Mando, patience is like.
“He is very particular about his music selections and I’m yet to find out his hot takes on how early is too early for Christmas. So, I’m ready to test the theory,” the pair laugh with McLean adding, “I’m thinking Michael Bublé.”
Listen to The Hits Drive with Matty and PJ every Mon-Fri from 3pm-7pm for all the fun.
Lillie Rohan is an Auckland-based reporter covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2020. She specialises in all things relationships and dating, Kiwi celebs we can’t help but love and TV shows you simply cannot miss out on.
