TVNZ newsreader Peter Williams reveals why he collapsed

Peter Williams had a week off work after suffering a dizzy spell and collapsing at the gym. Photo / Greg Bowker

Peter Williams has revealed the reasons behind his health scare earlier this month, when he suffered a dizzy spell and collapsed at the gym.

Speaking to Woman's Weekly, the veteran TVNZ broadcaster said he was lifting "too many heavy weights" at the gym and suffered dehydration, leading to a trip to the hospital and some time off work.

"That was due to over-exerting by lifting too many heavy weights. It was mainly dehydration and a couple of IV sacks of fluid put me right," he said.

"It was a good reminder to have plenty of water before I go," he told the mag.

The 62-year-old told the Herald at the time that the incident happened at Auckland gym Les Mills, where he works out several times a week.

"I was put in an ambulance and had a whole lot of fluid pumped into me on the way to hospital, saline solution and things, and my blood pressure was back to normal by the time I got to the hospital.

"I was under observation for 24 hours ... There's no issues there."

He said in April he had upped his fitness regime after piling on a few kilos. He recently ran his first marathon and swam the Auckland harbour crossing, WW reports.

Williams, who reads TVNZ's morning news three days a week and is the host of Mastermind, told WW he has no plans to retire.

But he is over the early starts.

"I'm not enamoured of getting up at 4am," he says.