Matt Chisholm as Survivor New Zealand host. Photo / File
Matt Chisholm as Survivor New Zealand host. Photo / File
Celebrity Treasure Island co-host Matt Chisholm has announced he is giving up life on camera, for life on the farm with his family.
Chisholm said via social media that after 12 years at TVNZ he will be leaving at the end of the year to fulfill another dream, "living on some land with my family".
"Elle, Bede, Finn and I are heading to Chatto Creek, Central Otago, population about 50," he said.
"We have a couple of paddocks, and plan on farming some children, rocks and rabbits.
"It's been a dream, a real privilege and a whole lot of fun telling stories on the telly.
"For someone who didn't do so well at school I'm an unbelievably lucky man.
"I've given it everything. Thanks for sharing your stories, thanks for watching, and thanks for all your amazing support.
"I'm bloody excited about getting my hands dirty with my wee bruisers, and fulfilling another dream - living on some land with my family, trying to be the best Dad I can be.
"I honestly don't know whether I'll be involved in making tele next year or not, but one thing I do know is, we only have one crack at this wonderful thing we call life."
Chisholm is a presenter on the TV1 current events show Sunday, host of reality TV show Survivor NZ and currently co-hosting Celebrity Treasure Island alongside ZM Drive radio star Bree Tomasel.
Chisholm has opened up in the past about his mental health struggles.
In December he shared a photo to Instagram of himself outside of a doctor's office in Auckland in December with the hashtag #itsokaytonotbeokay and the caption:
"I'm buggered… my head hurts… it's not working as well as it was… I'm not smiling much…laughing even less. I promised Greg [Boyed], my old workmate…before he died from depression…I'd go see the doc… it's taken months… cos of you know…life… but… Greg me old mate… today… I took that first step."
In January he posted an update on all the ways in which he'd making positive changes in his life including taking "two months off work" and "living in the present".
Matt Chisholm and Bree Tomasel as co-hosts of Celebrity Treasure Island. Photo / File
He wrote: "I've driven the length of this beautiful country... and back again. I looked at my kids and saw love and joy.
"I've started telling myself 'I'm good enough'. I've done all of the things I knew I needed to do, but felt I didn't have the time and energy to do... and I've discovered that more people struggle with their mental health than you can possibly imagine. I'm so pleased we live in these, perhaps, more enlightened times.
"Thank you so much for all your kind messages of support... I read them all... and they were appreciated. I feel better than I did, but know there's still plenty to do. I'm buoyed by knowing there's so much I can do to help myself... and others."
In May this year he posted a photo of their recently-purchased farm.
