She praised Bridge’s “skill and tenacity at interviewing politicians”, adding, “What strikes me really is your care for people - how much you really want to make a difference in people’s lives.”
The team then presented Bridge with his very own framed Time magazine cover, featuring a photo of him reclining on an inflatable sun lounger in a pool.
Joking, “you know that’ll be going on my wall”, Bridge then reflected on 587 episodes of AM. “What a ride it’s been - we’ve covered wars, disasters, we’ve helped solve crimes on this show, we’ve done some crazy stuff. It’s been a huge privilege.”
He went on to thank his mum, brother and his partner, “who has never wanted to be named, but I thought this morning in the spirit of Chippy on election night, thank you Fergy. That’s Fergy with a ‘y’,” he joked, referencing outgoing Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who mentioned his partner Toni Grace in his concession speech on election night.
“I can’t wait to marry you next year.”
It’s the first time Bridge has mentioned the name of his fiance, as the 36-year-old, a former athlete now working in construction, prefers to stay anonymous. Earlier this year, Bridge told New Zealand Woman’s Weekly they hope to tie the knot sometime in winter 2024.
After thanking the crew, hair and makeup team, the show’s producers and their families, he turned his attention to his co-host.
“Mel, thank you for being there from the beginning. We didn’t know how this was really gonna turn out,” he admitted.
“You always had my back and I think we’ve shown that together we’re a great team.”
Finally, he thanked viewers, saying, “Without you, we wouldn’t be here. Don’t worry, it is only a see you soon, it won’t be goodbye.”
Chan-Green, 40, and Bridge, 37, first filled in together on the show five years ago before going on to host together from 2021.
During their years working together, the pair have become close friends, with Chan-Green telling fans in an Instagram post last week: “We’ve had so many fun adventures and covered many very significant events in between ... so I’ll miss him in the mornings but I’m also happy he’s not leaving the building at least!”
Bridge is moving from AM to a new 7pm show taking over from The Project on Three next year while Lloyd Burr will join Chan-Green on AM.
Herald editor-at-large Shayne Currie broke the news last week that Bridge will be the sole host of Three’s new 7pm show after The Project – hosted by Jesse Mulligan, Kanoa Lloyd, Jeremy Corbett and a revolving roster of other stars – was axed after six years.
Three is understood to pay a hefty international licensing fee for the use of The Project brand. Currie reported the move would give Three a blank canvas to build a less expensive primetime show.
While the format, name and start date are yet to be revealed, Bridge told the Herald: “It’s different from what has come before in that it’s going to be much harder, I think, in its approach. It’s more news-focused and [with an] emphasis on live.
“[That’s] something that I definitely have a preference for. Obviously, you have to do some pre-record stuff, but I just love being live on telly – that’s what I love doing in the morning.”
