Paul Holmes on Millie's drug addiction, celebrity friends and his hero

He's become the self-appointed face of P, our Obama of sorts, who can bring hope to families like his struggling with children hooked on pure methamphetamine. But reluctant hero Paul Holmes credits his wife Deborah with being his champion.

"Before my daughter's first arrest", Holmes confided in the Hawke's Bay Today, "our home had been an abusive one, a home of unbelievable tantrums, sudden irrational arguments and the disappearance of nearly everything valuable we treasured. Wedding presents all went, watches went... it was a befuddling, hopelessly incomprehensible period, those few years. They nearly broke our marriage, but we decided, Deborah and I, somewhere in the awful middle of it, that we would not let it. Deborah, for sticking in there, is my hero."

Millie's problems with P have made media headlines for the past two years. Just this week, she was remanded on bail for three drugs charges and one of shoplifting. She denies all the charges. Millie, who turned 21 yesterday, reportedly had a $1000-a-day P habit in 2007. Holmes says to substantiate this level of abuse, "you're probably stealing nearly $2500 of property a month to pay for it".

Last Saturday night, the broadcasting legend spoke at a swanky black-tie dinner held for the Stellar Trust. Holmes says the charity developed out of a conversation he had about a year ago with a businessman friend who took him for a coffee and told him the Eastern Bays Rotary Club was looking for a cause. He asked if Holmes thought P was a good cause. Holmes said it was the best cause possible and he would do anything to help.

"Next thing," Holmesy says, "these Rotary guys have put together a trust of impressive, significant people from across the disciplines. They asked, would I speak at the dinner and put my face out there for the battle? Most certainly, I said."

Chief Family Court Judge Peter Boshier is the charity's patron, and trustees include Judge Mick Brown, Auckland Crown Prosecutor Simon Moore and former Auckland Grammar principal John Graham.

The highlight of the Stellar Trust dinner was the roast given to Holmesy delivered by Jim Hopkins, Tim Shadbolt, Gary McCormick, Tom Scott and Ginette McDonald, who lifted a famous line from the wordsmith Stephen Fry and ascribed it to David Lange, describing having coitus with the former PM would be more akin to having a wardrobe fall on top of you with the key sticking out.

John Banks was there, so too was Winston Peters, Jenny and Burton Shipley, and Mayor Len Brown. But Holmes was most moved when the Tainui tribe bought a table at the last minute and the Maori King Tuheitia attended. "He was charming, gracious and charismatic", Holmes said, "and it meant so much to us that he was there."

Click here for photos from the Stellar Trust dinner.

Rachel Glucina

Pictured above: Deborah and Paul Holmes. Photo / Norrie Montgomery