Ruth Wynn-Williams and Matt Gibb are enjoying their new life in Sydney. Photo / Supplied
Ruth Wynn-Williams and Matt Gibb are enjoying their new life in Sydney. Photo / Supplied
TV personality Matt Gibb and One News reporter Ruth Wynn-Williams were one of the most photographed couples in Spy's social pages and the glamour couple have been missed in recent months.
The pair moved to Sydney earlier this year, when TVNZ journalist Wynn-Williams beat out top talent at the network to take up a two-year stint as the broadcaster's Australia correspondent.
Gibb, 34, is already a telly veteran, beginning his career on children's show Squirt in 2000, before moving across to TVNZ's Studio 2. He became the breakout star of the network's youth show U Live, before it closed in 2013.
Since their move, Gibb's commercial relationship with Spark will have come in useful, with him running up large phone bills with his fiancee, as he divides his time working on both sides of the Tasman.
When back in Auckland, he has kept a low profile socially, but has been popping up on TV One's Good Morning. Last Friday, he made his debut as travel and inspirational homes' reporter on TV One's new lifestyle show Kiwi Living.
Reactions to the show have been mixed but Spy thinks if TV3 can transform Friday evenings into the home of comedy, Kiwi Living can develop itself into comfy viewing for Kiwis wanting a modern twist on the garden and lifestyle shows of the past.
Gibb was like a young, stylized David Attenborough whilst exploring a kick-ass Mangere home with feature Kauri telephone poles. His performance outshone the show's main hosts, Miriama Kamo and Michael Van de Elzen. Perhaps it was a case of first night nerves for the duo?
Kiwi Living is Gibb's perfect job. In coming episodes, he will take his love of travel and inspiring houses to his hometown of Christchurch, focusing on the city's rebuild.
He also goes on an alpine horse safari in North Canterbury, explores Auckland's ever-changing harbour, tries his hand at motorsport racing in Cromwell, hand feeds stingrays in Gisborne and hikes the Hanmer Hills in North Canterbury on a llama.
Things had been plain sailing for the intrepid traveler until he hit a private Wanaka trail for a slice of biking and ended up in a crash. Gibb told Spy:
"I was a bit nervous about the mountain biking. I've broken my collarbones three times, which twice involved going over the handlebars. So when I hit a stupidly big rock on the side of a mountain and the bike started flipping, I thought I was heading for my fourth one. Luckily, I only really bruised my ego. Unluckily, we didn't really catch it on camera."
Gibb, who must also be using his travels to scout for the perfect place for his wedding to Wynn-Williams, did become close with a llama.
"I've scored a dream gig doing travel for Kiwi Living, getting all over the country and doing some ridiculously cool stuff. I've swum (and touched) sharks, slid down a 60-metre rock slide, been driven at 230km/h in a Lamborghini, and made best friends with a llama called Rip."
Matt Gibb and Ruth Wynn-Williams moved to Sydney in April. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
So has the pair got amongst the Sydney social scene as they did in Auckland?
"Our shift was really about work, we've had our heads down the last few months as we both get stuck into our new roles. It's been busy but we have exciting times ahead!
"Life in Sydney with Ruth is going great. We're living right near the city, so we've been eating at some incredible spots and starting to really get to know the city.
"I'm getting used to people pronouncing my name as Matt Gubb, so that's nice."
