Wendy's next move - THE POWER OF LETTING GO

The beloved broad caster shares how saying yes is opening new doors

Wendyl Nissen

One little word has become something of a mantra for news presenter Wendy Petrie recently: Yes!

And as Kiwis said goodbye to 2021 and hello to 2022, the mum-of-three plans to keep on responding in the affirmative to everything she’s offered.

“Even if I don’t feel qualified,” she laughs, “I try to back myself, and keep striving to upskill and try different things. You should see the things I’ve said yes to.

“I’ve been doing some hosting and MC roles, which are scary but fun. And I’ve become a keynote speaker, which is definitely outside my comfort zone!”

Life has had its fair share of ups and downs for Wendy since she lost her longtime news presenting job at TVNZ when the Covid pandemic hit in 2020.

“But,” she says, “what people kept telling me over and over is true – there is a silver lining and better things do come along.”

Indeed Wendy, who turned 50 in August, has never really disappeared from our screens, continuing to work at TVNZ as a fill-in presenter.

Last year the star, who was a cheerleader in the late ’80s and early ’90s, regularly delighted viewers by breaking out her fancy footwork on air and in November her teenaged daughter Liv even uploaded a video to social media of Wendy, her husband Ross Peebles and their family dancing up a storm in their Auckland home.