Dave Letele in his trade mark black shirt and shorts.
Dave Letele in his trade mark black shirt and shorts.
Community advocate Dave Letele isn’t quite sure what to wear tonight to the NZ TV Awards.
Letele’s more comfortable in his BBM T-shirt and shorts. But it’s not the attire appropriate when you are a finalist for an award.
He is a finalist for TV Presenter of the Year thanks to his Heavyweight with Dave Letele series, in which he explores some of Aotearoa’s most complex problems through the lens of lived experience.
So far, the series has covered alcohol and addiction, gangs and crime – the next, to air on TVNZ early 2025 will explore obesity. It is a subject Letele is well versed in, as founder of BBM.
Being a finalist for TV Presenter of the Year was not part of the plan – and nor was/is a career in television – but it is a byproduct of drawing attention to issues and Letele is well aware of the opportunity the platform presents in terms of driving impact. He has built a following on purpose for this reason, with a combined audience of 500,000 across social channels.
Dave Letele with patched Head Hunter Calen Morris - aka Uncle Ling Ling.
Both documentaries have reached 200,000 through linear and on-demand broadcast in their debut week – and are still available to view.
Letele is used to finding himself in rooms that are quite a contrast from the communities he works in. The fact that he can walk comfortably in so many worlds, his ability to bridge worlds was part of the thinking behind the TV series. The NZ on Air supported series brings together experts and those with lived experience as Letele asks questions about societal issues, in particular the over-representation of Māori and Pasifika in some of our most concerning statistics.
Executive Producer Amanda Wilson says the intention behind creating Heavyweight was to establish a platform to support Dave and his community and enable tough conversations to be had in a way that could reach the broadest audience.
“Dave was being asked regularly to contribute to others’ storytelling – make comments here and there, but there was much he had to say himself – every time I saw him on screen I could see he had more to say. And, recognising the presence he has, whether on screen or in person and his ability to command an audience, we offered to create the vehicle of Heavyweight because we thought it could be of benefit not only to Dave and his immediate community, but those reflected in the stories told”.
Dave Letele and wife Koreen.
Heavyweight Media was able to rally a strong team – including many of the original Bro’town crew including director Ant Farac, producer Mario Gaoa and animator Ant Sang. Eileen Lee moved from researcher into producer role following the first episode after impressing the team.
Letele’s nomination highlights the success of these efforts, but for him, the true reward is the impact the show has had on viewers.
“I’ve received messages from people sharing how the show has helped them or their whānau. That’s what it’s all about—using this platform to make a real difference,” Letele said.
“The day after the last episode aired we had someone turn up at BBM looking for help based on what she had seen in the show. I thought that was really cool—she knew where to find us. To me, that is a really good demonstration of the connection between a TV show and real-world impact.”
While Letele doesn’t want to suggest he has the skills to deal with some of the issues presented, each show brings together academics and those who work in particular fields professionally – alongside lived experience.
It’s his own life that is what makes the show unique.
“I feel like I connect with those who share their stories with me through the show. I’m right beside them. It’s me and them really. In our first episode – addiction and alcohol, when I was talking with whānau affected – I was really struggling with the impact on our own family of my sister Meripa’s addiction journey. She is doing really well now – but when we were filming that particular episode, it was pretty close to home for me”
