Talented broadcaster Kanoa Lloyd is a vibrant, strong wahine toa who beams into the nation’s living rooms five nights a week. Kanoa (Ngāti Porou) is a co-presenter of The Project, the nightly prime time infotainment show on Three.

It’s not her first TV gig; she cut her teeth on kids’ show Sticky TV back in 2014 and went on to present the weather before landing at The Project in 2017. She was one of the first Māori presenters to incorporate te reo when presenting mainstream TV. 

Uptown catches up with Kanoa to find out about her typical day.

My alarm goes off ...

It hasn’t actually gone off for a year or so. My alarm clock is now a hungry one-year- old daughter who’s ready to party!

My work day begins ...

In my PJs, looking at emails, drinking a plunger coffee (bonus points to me if it’s still hot and I haven’t gotten distracted by something). I’m really lucky that I don’t have to physically be in the studio until after lunch, so it gives me plenty of time to hang with my daughter and get work ready.

My current job ...

I am a co-host of The Project, alongside Jesse Mulligan, Jeremy Corbett and a rotating cast of New Zealand’s best. We make a mixture of news and entertainment every weeknight at 7pm on Three.

My typical day ...

It’s a terrible cliche to say “no two days are the same”, but that’s really true when you’re in the news space. Royal funerals, natural disasters, elections. You never really know what you’re going to get, but almost every night we go live at 7pm, with a live audience in our little studio on Boston Road.

I’m proud of ...

The culture at The Project. It’s inclusive, positive and kind. Of course we have tough days at the office like everyone else, but high fives and hugs always win. With a live audience five nights a week, we meet so many people from all walks of life. Everyone is welcome and it’s lovely to have them come in and experience live TV.

My big break ...

Growing up in Dunedin, I got my first TV break on a kids’ show called Squirt. I went in once a week after school, did a little movie review and caught the TV bug.

My worst work habit is ...

Thinking that “on time” means approximately 5-10 minutes late. I’m sure the clock is lying!

My most memorable moment ...

Going to work the day lockdown started. It felt like I was in an episode of The Walking Dead, the closed-up shops and empty roads were heartbreaking.

Outside of work ...

Dog walks, touring Auckland’s playgrounds and cafés with my daughter, and currently watching

House of the Dragon. 

I chose Uptown because ...

It’s home! I’ve worked up here, on and off, for 10 years now. I love the pockets of creativity, the food and the faces.

My plan B ...

I quite fancy being a potter. If TV fell over, I could lease a little Uptown studio with a shop in the front and make wobbly bowls and wonky cups.

I fall asleep ...

Listening to thunderstorms on a sleep app. The rain has to be heavy and the thunderclaps have to be distant and not enough to frighten me back awake. I know summer is coming, but nothing beats a rainy night to send you off to sleep.