Judy out with no bang and little whimper

Judy Bailey

It started with a hint of fireworks, a glimmer of hope that after 18 years of exuding dignity, Judy Bailey had finally succumbed to the temptation to lash out.

"Tonight, zip, zap, kapow!" Bailey began on her last night reading the news. And then, as she had done about 4320 nights before, Bailey just got on with it and read the news, starting with the collapse of the Eftpos system.

Clad in a sky blue jacket, she read through stories about Westpac workers striking, bodysnatchers, and Toga, the baby penguin missing from an Isle of Wight zoo.

Finally, at the end of the sports news, Neil Waka was jokingly admonished when he said what a privilege it was to have worked with her.

"Bless you," she said, and then "Don't be kind. I'll lose the plot."

Then, after the ads, her own farewell.

"I've so enjoyed being with you all these years, but I do leave you in good hands. Good night, goodbye, arohanui."

And the voice breaks and she finally turns away from the camera.

Without a co-presenter to draw away the attention, for just one moment she looks very alone.

And then footage of Bailey over the ages, pregnant, in hospital with a new baby, doing karaoke, on Telethon, winning awards, a rare blooper or two. Long after the song changes to "Hey Jude," the camera returns to Bailey, again collected, and follows her out to where her fellow workers wait.

The news of today becomes the chronicles of history and 18 years of New Zealand's heritage and past has been delivered by Bailey, important years that have seen the change of a political system, scientific breakthroughs, wars, a rise in terrorism and the hopes for world peace recede.

Almost three generations have spent some of those years on One News with Bailey. They liked her and many did care in early October when then CEO Ian Fraser announced her contract would not be renewed.

A man called Mathew put it most simply in an email to the Herald:

"All the best to a lovely lady who deserves a better deal. She will sadly be missed by many viewers."

She had worked for that company since 1971, when she was a reporter at the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation, the predecessor to TVNZ. From 1980 to 1987, Judy presented the Auckland regional news programme, Top Half, with John Hawkesby.

In 1987 she moved to co-presenting the weeknight national news programme, initially with Neil Billington and then with Richard Long. In 2004 she became the sole presenter.

Now Bailey has some time to decide what to do next, but has indicated she wants to do more work for disadvantaged children.