Monday, February 27, has been confirmed as the day Paul Henry debuts on morning TV in Australia. This was after Henry leaked the commercially sensitive start date, telling media, "I won't blow the launch date for Breakfast again, promise."
Oh well. At least he made up for it with a funny quip. Did he really blow it? Or conveniently generate interest in his tendency to blurt stuff out? Henry's new employers, Channel Ten, are describing the show as one that "throws out the rule book", another way of saying, "Bear with us, even if you've no idea who the Kiwi is."
You couldn't say the same for Henry's new venture back home. Would I Lie to You, his new Sunday night endeavour for his old employers MediaWorks/TV3. It's based on a BBC show and what sounds like a Paul McKenna-esque look at surreptitious body language is more like 7 Days meets the board game Balderdash, with a studio set that resembles what I'd imagine a Scientology centre to look like.
Last night's first episode had two teams led by Jon Bridges and Jesse Mulligan, each with two celebrity guests (this week Penny Ashton, Oliver Driver, Ewen Gilmour and Robyn Malcolm), reveal weird things about themselves, some of them raging porkies.
Malcolm said she used to have three rotisserie chickens delivered to her on the set of Outrageous Fortune at 6am every day. C'mon. As if the campaigning greenie eats chicken.