Broadcaster Kerry Smith loses cancer battle

Kerry Smith. Photo / Supplied

Veteran Auckland broadcaster Kerry Smith died yesterday morning after a battle with cancer.

The mother of one had been a host on The Breeze radio station, but she left her 10am-2pm show in January to focus on beating melanoma.

She had been at the station since 2006 and also worked as a presenter on Radio Pacific and RadioLIVE.

Former MediaWorks chief executive Brent Impey, who had worked with Smith for more than 25 years, described her as "brilliant and a top talent".

"She was highly successful back in the days of Radio i in the early '90s ... and she continued to set a very high standard in radio," he said.

"She was a lovely person, a wonderful person."

The Breeze programme director Ian Avery said Kerry Smith was the ultimate professional and a dear friend.

"Listeners loved her, and her colleagues loved her dearly. She will be greatly missed," he said.

Smith began her television career in the late 1970s in Australia as a weather girl at a station in Tasmania.

In 1981, she returned to New Zealand and joined TVNZ as continuity announcer, then later became co-host of popular magazine show Weekend, alongside Gordon McLauchlan.

Smith had her first on-screen acting role in 1987 in the series Gloss when she played Magda McGrath, deputy editor of the fashion magazine at the show's centre.

In the early '90s she took to radio and became the breakfast host at Auckland radio station i98FM, but left in 1993 after a salary disagreement.

In 1998, she returned to television to host renovation show Changing Rooms and was still on board three seasons later for a special cross-over show involving renovations in Alexandra, Otago and Devon, England.

In a 1991 interview with the Listener magazine, Smith said she appreciated her job every day.

"I thank God every day. I'm in an industry that I love, and each aspect of it - radio, television presenting, or the acting side - I love it."

Smith's family expressed their appreciation of the condolences received and said they would respect her wish for a family funeral.

A tribute to the broadcaster, a celebration of her life, will be broadcast on The Breeze in the coming days.