Captions by Lillie Balfour and Kate Parkinson. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2020 - (SPEAKS TONGAN) Welcome. I'm Indira Stewart, and tonight we are saying goodbye to the year that was 2020. It is a year that will go down in the history books, but we are glad to be ending it with you. - Certainly are. I'm Scotty Stevenson, and tonight we'll be checking in with our live teams ` Jordan Vandermade and Wendy Petrie ` throughout the evening. What's happening out and about this New Year's Eve? And a very warm welcome here in the studio to Laura Daniel, who will be chatting through a selection of big guests about the big topics this year. There's a lot to be dark on 2020 about, Laura Daniel, but there's a lot to be positive about too including you two absolute legends joining TVNZ this year, which has been great for us. Let's be honest. - Aw, thanks. - You're welcome. - (LAUGHS) - I'm just honoured to be here, really, on, you know, what I personally think has been one of the best years ever. - Well, no, it's been pretty positive. (LAUGHS) - What have been the highlights`? - I don't know, just` I got a cat. - Yep. - Yeah. - Did a lot of` a lot of cooking this year from our home. - Good. - Walked a lot. Walked a lot, and, ah, that's about it. Yeah. - Nice positives. - So, cat, cooking, walking. - Yeah. - It sounds like you can do that any year, quite frankly. - Yeah. Yeah. - Anyway. - Maybe it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. - (ALL LAUGH) - Well, there is a lot to get through. There's a lot that has happened this year so it's a packed show tonight, but there is so much to wrap up on 2020. Where do we begin? How do we do it? Well, we thought we'd start with a song. - Excellent. (BILLY JOEL'S 'WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE') # Harry, Meghan stepping down, # exit Brexit, grinning clown, # Kobe Bryant, Aussie fires, # Iran and the US, fight! # Locust swarms, world warms, # murder bees, Iraq freeze, # Weinstein, crime scene, and that's just in January. # No snow in Moscow, # Taika Oscar ` Jojo, # drone sound shot down, # Flight 752. # Treatment, impeachment, # Wuhan bat or lab rat? # Soleimani, Giuliani, # Christchurch one year on. # We didn't start the virus, # but since COVID-19, yeah, the world's been fighting. # We didn't start the virus. # isolation, lockdown ` 2020's gone down. # COVID dominates, pandemic outbreak. # In your bubble. Wash your hands. # Clusters, Bloomfield. # Boris Johnson, Jen McGee, Sweden herd immunity. # Who cares? Teddy bears. Swab shoved up my nose! # Sport is a no-go, Olympics postponed. # Pumas beat All Blacks, America's Cup still on track. # Houseparty, TikTok, Zoom meets, swelling feet. # Face mask, Beirut blast. Toilet rolls, while they last. # We didn't start the virus, # but since COVID-19, yeah, the world's been fighting. # We didn't start the virus, # isolation, lockdown, 2020's gone now. # Nine minutes, George Floyd, population's unemployed. # Protest riots, catching fire, police brutality. # Statues coming down, discrimination all around. # Take a knee, conspiracies, respect and apologies. # Netflix, dinner's chips, on demand is in demand. # Work from home, but not alone. # Wear your trackie pants all week. # Election year, they're in here. # Labour wins, Biden grins, quarantine, Kakapo wins. # Vaccine reality. # We didn't start the virus, # but since COVID-19, yeah, the world's been fighting. # We didn't start the virus, # isolation, lockdown, 2020's gone now. # - Phew! - Hey, that was a clever way to wrap up the year. And, honestly, there's so much there that you forget. It was such a packed year. I mean, we had COVID, obviously, we had the elections ` US, New Zealand elections, but so much more. Black Lives Matter movement. - Oh, mate. Totally. And that was Big Red Day, by the way ` TVNZ's house band ` who cleverly put that track together for us. Speaking of clever, our first guest tonight is certainly that. It's a big, warm welcome to Dr Siouxsie Wiles. Welcome. - (ALL APPLAUD) - Thank you. - Good grief. What a year you have had. - Well, what a year we've all had. - Can I take the opportunity, on behalf of all of us, to thank you for your leadership and guidance... - Thank you. - ...through what was a really confusing and confronting year for people. And I know you have received many an accolade, but it's great to have you here personally, - so we can thank you. You must be exhausted. - Yeah. (LAUGHS) I think that's possibly an understatement, but I think we're all exhausted, right? I mean, in many respects, I've kind of become a bit of a public face for COVID, but, you know, we're here because all of us did what was needed of us. So I feel like we all deserve a big pat on the back. - Did you ever think you were going to be the public face of a virus? - Well... - Is this something that you aspire to in your profession? - No, but you know, I have` I have done this role before for other things, right? So, when the Ebola outbreak happened, or outbreaks have happened, when Zika happened ` I've always been happy to pick up the phone and say, 'Yeah, how can I help explain this?' I never realised that, you know, it would take over, obviously, the whole year when I first picked up my phone, back in January. Gosh. But I guess people, I mean, you know, knew a pandemic was going to happen. - Yeah. - But I never really thought what it was going to be like to live through one, and now we know. And, um, phew! It's quite something. - When you picked up your phone in January, when you started talking to media back then, that this year would, obviously unforeseen, would turn out the way that it did. I mean, we hadn't even been officially declared a pandemic until later on ` February, March. - Yeah. Ah, no. No. I mean, honestly ` you know, back then, we obviously didn't know very much and it was a sort of, well, let's watch and wait. I think what's been the most astonishing thing has been to see how the virus has played out differently in different countries. You know, some countries have done an amazing job; others haven't. And I guess for me, as a microbiologist who's a bit obsessed with the microbes, it's just shown how important the humans are, and that really, you know, we only get where we` Well, we've only got where we are because of really good leadership and because everybody came together and did what was needed. And other countries where that hasn't happened, you know, they're facing a horrible Christmas and New Year. Right? - And can I just say, before we move on, the other ways that you made a huge impact ` you really taught us all how to properly wash our hands. Some of us didn't know how to do that, actually, how you really do. Demonstrating for us on TV. But also the transmission graphs that you and Toby made that were basically plagiarised by other countries and other organisations. - Oh, not plagiarised. Yeah, so Toby Morris and I did all of these incredible graphics, and we released them under a Creative Commons licence that allowed everybody else to use them. And that was because we just wanted everybody to understand, you know, what was happening with the virus. We didn't want people to be confused. And so it's been fantastic to see them, you know, used by the WHO and other organisations. It's incredible. - Laura, you've got your moment here, because I know you love a chat with Dr Siouxsie, and you're sitting there in the hot seat. - I am sitting in the hot seat, and I'm like` There's all these questions I want to ask you. And I'm going to go for the one that` that's probably` look, I just want to say congratulations on also becoming a fashion icon this year. - (LAUGHS) - Totally. - I mean, the amount of people I've seen with pink hair now has just gone whoo! And can I ask, did you always have pink hair, or did you` were you trying it out, and then all of a sudden, COVID hit and you're like, everyone knows me as this now. - It's been pink for about 20 years,... - ALL: Wow. - ...so this is dedication. - Fabulous. - And I did, like, purples and things when I was a teenager, and then, yeah. It got to this colour and stayed. Like, I'm basically probably as I was, only slightly larger than, you know, 20 years ago. - It's absolutely stunning. I've heard so many people say, 'Trust the lady with pink hair.' - That's exactly right. You're recognisable, for sure. Hey, I want to ask you ` the microbial world is a part of us too, right? I mean, our microbes make us tick in many ways. - Yeah. - Have you seen, or do you think you will see, a resurgence in interest with youngsters coming through schools and thinking, 'That might be a pathway for me as a career? 'I wouldn't mind being a microbiologist too.' - That would be awesome. I mean, you know, yes, microbes are kind of` I think they're amazing, but they're everywhere, right? So, we are more microbe than we are human. You know, just` just putting that out there. - Yeah. - And, you know` and they do all sorts of things. I mean, we wouldn't be able to digest our food without them. But, you know, that's` you know, potentially playing a role in how we even` How our body reacts to medicines, right? You know, if they` They can basically digest things that can effect Parkinson's drugs and all sorts of things. And so I think for a long time we focussed on things like cancer and everything, which are obviously very, very important, but we've sort of neglected our microbes. And so, yeah, I hope we get a whole generation of new microbiologists. - Exactly. - You can't neglect your microbes. We need to turn our attention to 2021. We are here because of a lot of collective effort and a lot of good leadership. Not out of the woods yet, but there are vaccines now on the market. So what can we expect as COVID continues? - Yeah, well. So what I would hope is that we see in 2021 ` a really equitable distribution of those vaccines around the world. There is some sort of bad behaviour going on at a moment where big countries are swallowing them up. And we have to remember that, you know, none of us are safe until we're all safe. And so what I hope is that we're going to see lots of different vaccines coming online, and that they're going to get taken` you know, get sort of distributed around the world and used by lots of different people. And we're also going to have to deal with the fact there are lots of people who are concerned about taking vaccines, and they're going to feel like this is all being done very rushed and very` You know, this` It's all been very quick. So there's going to be a lot of work next year involved in making sure that everything's safe and that people feel secure in taking them. - Siouxsie, thank you for joining us to wrap up, you know, what you've done this year. You've done amazing work, and we really appreciate everything you've done, and being here to chat to us about it as well. We're going to cross to Jordan Vandermade, our brother on the ground. I think he's at the Viaduct. Kia ora, Jordan. KIA ORA. HELLO TO YOU IN THE STUDIO AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR. 2020 WHAT IT HAS BEEN. I AM DOWN HERE IN AUCKLAND. HELLO TO EVERYBODY WHO TUNED IN. YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME THAT THE PARTY HAS REALLY STARTED. IF THERE IS ANYTHING, PLENTY FOR THE KIDS TO DO. THE MUSIC IS PUMPING AS WELL. BUT IF YOU ASK ME, ONE THING THAT THESE GUYS BEHIND ME AND THE NARRATIVE UNDERLYING ALL OF THIS AS WELL AS THESE GUYS ARE REALLY HAPPY THAT WE CAN DO THIS CONSIDERING WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER COUNTRIES AROUND THE GLOBE ARE DOING. IF YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, HERE IS A BIT OF ADVICE. DO IT. COME DOWN HERE, ENJOY THE MUSIC, ENJOY BEING AROUND OTHER KIWIS AND BE THANKFUL THAT WE LIVE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. GO TO THE AUCKLAND CITY TRANSPORT WEBSITE, CHECK THE DETAILS, COME CELEBRATE BEING A KIWI. PARTY CONTINUES RIGHT AFTER THIS. TJ: Have I done enough to wear the jersey? Gotta sweat out that fear because this is bigger than me. I do it for my fans and my family. ION4 hydration. Sweat it out witih Powerade. * (MOURNFUL GUITAR) # They say love can move a mountain. Well, yours is here forever, # waiting just to claim you. # And you can climb as high as you must go # to see the ocean meet the sky. # Oh, and sometimes we are dreamers. # Now and then believers. # Hold on to memory and hope. # And please # remember # to hold # your head high. # If you fall # or falter, # like sunshine on the water, you were golden ` # no matter where you are. (SINGS IN MAORI) # Like sunshine on the water, you were golden ` # no matter where you are. # Are. # Are. # - Well, it's been a year of heavy losses, especially due to the pandemic, but there was one death that made waves across the world for a very different reason. On the 25th of May, you may remember African-American man George Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. This was in the US. His death sparked a global movement of protest marches seeking justice for Black people. And here in Aotearoa, more than 10,000 people turned out for the Black Lives Matter marches on June the 1st. We've got Will 'Ilolahia here with us ` a long time activist, co-founder of the Polynesian Panthers ` to talk about that. You made a speech at the Black Lives Matter march here in Auckland. Did you think that, you know, you've been an activist for so long, there'd be a turning point like this? It was a huge movement. - (SPEAKS TONGAN) Yeah, no, it's a` I think, you know, people don't realise that our nation is a nation of revolution. You know, we've done a lot of things throughout our term, for New Zealand, and us having this massive march and that kind of stuff, a massive gathering, just showed the world that even though it was in the States, but we showed concern. And, you know, there was a lot of things that have changed since then, here in Aotearoa. - There were more than 10,000 people that turned up to the Auckland march, and then in the other main centres, a few thousand more. Did you expect that kind of a turnout from something that happened overseas? - Um, yes, cos, you know, we've been involved with the Springboks tour and all that, and that's what I meant ` that, you know, us New Zealanders, when there was an issue that's happening in the world, we show the world that we care, Black Lives Matter, or any lives matter, and we try to demonstrate to the world that this has got to stop. - Yeah. Well, just how profound was the George Floyd incident for our Polynesian and Maori people in New Zealand to think, then, about the greater issues of systemic racism that have faced our people throughout many, many decades here in New Zealand? How profound was that moment and that shift for Maori and Polynesian people, here in New Zealand? - Yeah, I felt it when I was speaking then, and inside of me too ` just a vibe coming out from just ordinary Kiwis. And to the extent now, you know, that since then we've had some major changes here ` the local TV station here. And, you know, and all that` And not just TVNZ, but all media ` like, saying more Te Reo words, and that. That's a major shift, you know? And so, like I said at the beginning, you know, we're a country that can show the world a lot of things, and we felt it. You know, we also have our own systemic racism and that kind of stuff. You know, the fact that Stuff's come out admitting that their institution needs to be rocked. So, it did have a marked effect ` not only on the world, but it made us` made us look at ourselves. And I think we've come out better, even though we were locked away in COVID. - Yeah, yeah. - What do you want to see New Zealanders doing in 2021? Kind of, like, to keep this movement going forward, because we've made it` You know, we have made a great start and there's been great changes, but what can we do as New Zealanders to just keep the conversations going, going forward into 2021? - Yeah, and I think the fact that, you know, we acknowledge now that we're` We talk about being a multicultural country, but the fact that we, on our mainstream TV, we are speaking different languages. The fact that I can say to Indira in Tongan here, before getting cut by the editor ` - (LAUGHS) - That's a shift in its own, you know? And I think we're growing up, you know? We've grown up to show a lot of things to the world ` that we can do it here. We're probably lucky in some ways that we're slightly isolated, small in population. But I know a lot of corporates actually use New Zealand as an experiment ground for their products. So in regard to racism and that kind of stuff, we've got the ingredients here to make the world a better place. - Thank you very much for your time. And New Zealand politics also rocked by COVID this year. The Labour landslide win. Winston Peters gone after 40 years. The National leader changed three times. - Are you still confident you have the numbers? - Yes, I am. - Literally tomorrow, we will have the leadership question out of the way. - I'm not interested in opposition for opposition's sake. We're all tired of that kind of politics. - And to breaking news, National Party leader Todd Muller has resigned. - Oh, I might have said a rude word. - Which word? - Ooh, quite a big one. - But you know what the best thing was? - What? - Laura's cakes. - Laura's cakes. - (CHUCKLES) - Yes, speaking of politicians, and we've got to throw to this, look, you've got to have a look at these cakes. So, Laura, I'm going to actually ask you first. You did Winston. - Yes. - You did Judith Collins. You did Jacinda Ardern. Explain to us` Because I know you apologised about Jacinda Ardern's, why it was so disturbing - What set you off on that? - Well, it started off in lockdown. I did a bake off against Hillary Barry, and I needed to make a New Zealand icon. And I thought who's more iconic right now than our prime minister that's been leading us through the pandemic. And, you know, with time restraints, and I think I had a little bit too much confidence. I tried to recreate her, and I accidentally baked a meme that went, you know` It was on the BBC, CNN the next day, and it just` it happened all overnight. And then I woke up the next day, being like, 'That wasn't supposed to happen.' (CHUCKLES) 'It wasn't supposed to be spread that wide.' And then it felt like, as we were leading up to an election, that I needed to redeem myself a bit. So` I mean, I didn't take any baking lessons or anything, but I just tried again and did it with every leader. And it was a nice way to get to know our political leaders, is sit down and have cake. - Yes. - Yeah, totally. - Many, many layers of cake. And many, many different images, some of which is still used to frighten children. - Quite haunting. - Have a look, you at home. (DRAX PROJECT'S 'CATCHING FEELINGS') - Oh, not bad! It actually looks like it's edible. - Oh my gosh! - Stunning, right? (CHUCKLES) - That's actually pretty good. Can I just say I feel like you've improved. - (LAUGHS) - It's you. - Is it? - It's you in a cake. - I'm frightened by some of those images. I'm frightened. - Not saying I wanna eat that cake, but yeah, clever work. - Yeah. - And a labour of love. - Well, it was a labour of love. Thank you. - Well, it was also an 'Act Party' of love. It was also a 'National' of love. Let's not be all about Labour. They've already won the election. You don't have to pump them up here. - Good one, Scotty. - All right. - Very good. - Speaking of elections,... - Oh yeah. - ...another big election this year. - Oh, yes. It's still going on too. The US election, of course. Trump, his dance moves, TikTok, dancing at campaign rallies. Just one big rally for Donald Trump. But meanwhile, the story of the year, Time's Person of the Year, two people ` - Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. - Totally. Kamala Harris, her historic victory speech, which was really significant. Obviously being the first African-American woman, Asian-Indian woman too, to be elected as vice president. - Every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities. - I have to say, though, one of the things that came out of that election, which is obviously still going. They will have the inauguration soon. But Trump's TikTok dance moves. Did you guys see that? It went viral. It was hilarious. You have to watch it. - I don't know what TikTok is. I'm just going to admit. - (LAUGHS) - I don't know how to access it. And the last thing I really want to be seeing is a head of state doing TikTok videos. To start with, I think there's some bigger issues in the world, Indira. - Yes. - But I understand that this is about the zeitgeist, - and 2020 was a crazy year. - It did go global around the world, and that's how people got into the elections. I mean, he` he was dancing at his campaign rallies, and his moves are so awkward. - Didn't he try to ban TikTok from America? - Yeah, he did. - Yeah. - Well, they were trying to buy it, but, um, eventually people just took his dance moves and went viral, making` you know, making a dance craze. So, yeah, another big thing that happened this year related to the US elections. But yeah, really interesting, wasn't it? - I love how we talk about the spiritual home of democracy in terms of TikTok videos and campaign dancing. - I mean` - It's all political. This is just the way that the whole year has been bent rather out of shape. We're going to cross to Wendy Petrie, who is at the America's Cup Village. So we're going to take a look at what's going down there. Kia ora, Wendy. KIA ORA. GOOD EVENING. HOW GOOD IS THIS? IT IS ALL GOING OFF IN THE VIADUCT. WE ARE THE ENVY OF THE WORLD. YOU CAN SEE LOTS OF PEOPLE ALL WAITING TO CROSS OVER THE BRIDGE. BECAUSE, OF COURSE, AS IN THE VIADUCT, THERE IS A BOAT COMING THROUGH BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE CITY OF SAILS. IF YOU WALK WITH ME THIS WAY, WE HAVE GOT HALO ABOUT TO START MUSIC THIS NIGHT ON NEW YEAR'S EVE. OVER THIS WAY, THERE IS WYNYARD QUARTER. THRONGS OF VERY EXCITED PEOPLE MIXING AND MINGLING. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS HERE IN NEW ZEALAND. LOTS OF OTHER COUNTRIES ARE LOCKED DOWN, BUT WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO SEE OUR FRIENDS AND TOAST TO THE NEW YEAR. YOU CAN HEAR THAT THE MUSIC IS STARTING TO KICK OFF. LATER ON TONIGHT, WE HAVE GOT SOME VERY EXCITING THINGS. OF COURSE, AUCKLAND'S HARBOUR BRIDGE IS GOING TO BE A STAR PLAYER IN TONIGHT'S PERFORMANCE. YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THE AUCKLAND HARBOUR BRIDGE COMPLETELY LIT UP WITH A SOLAR DISPLAY. WE HAVE A NEW SEARCHLIGHT DISPLAY THANKS TO THE AUCKLAND HARBOUR BRIDGE THAT WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO AT 9 O'CLOCK TONIGHT. THEN A BIT LATER ON, AT AROUND MIDNIGHT, OF COURSE, THE SKY TOWER IS GOING TO BE HAVING SOME FIREWORKS. 500 KG FIREWORKS THAT WILL BE LIGHTING UP AUCKLAND. A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT AND ABOUT, FINDING VANTAGE POINTS TO SEE THE FIREWORKS. IF YOU CAN'T, DON'T WORRY, BECAUSE TVNZ 1 WILL BE SHOWING IT. TVNZ 2, DUKE, AND ON DEMAND. SO EVERYBODY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE. BEHIND ME, YOU CAN SEE THE AMERICA'S CUP VILLAGE, WHERE SO MUCH OF THE ACTION HAS KEPT GOING. THE AMERICA'S CUP VILLAGE WILL GO ON A COUPLE OF WEEKS TIME. * (ENERGETIC ELECTRONICA MUSIC) Here he goes. - Yes, what a year it was for home sports. I don't know what it was like for ACC, but plenty of people got into the spirit of things. With not a lot of professional sport going on in 2020, everyone took up the challenge at home. - But... - Well, joining us to look at what happened in sport this year and also what didn't happen is Olympic medallist Eliza McCartney. - Great to have you with us, Eliza. - Kia ora. Thank you for having me. - Let's touch on that, the Olympics, though. They didn't end up happening. You were hoping to go. - Mm, yes. Funny thing, eh? (CHUCKLES) It was really bizarre because I think` what happened first on, I think it was a Monday maybe, it was announced that we were going into lockdown for the first time. And it must have been the Tuesday that they postponed the Olympics. So thankfully for us in our situation, we weren't going into a lockdown and then still thinking we had to try and train for an Olympics. - Yeah. - Yes. - Cos that was not going to go well. But I mean, some sports, sure. - It'd have been tough in your backyard, wouldn't it? Trying to pole-vault in the backyard. - Yeah, cos then you'd end up` Lots of people lose their balls in the neighbour's fence. - But you'd probably just lose yourself. - (LAUGHS) Fling myself way too far. - And like, 'Sorry!' - 'Bob, Eliza's in the backyard again! 'I'll pick her up, throw her back over.' - Yeah, no, I haven't tried that yet, but you'll be pleased to know that some people do have set-ups for pole-vault in their back yard. - Really? - Not in New Zealand that I know of. But there's a few people overseas, and I think it's come in handy this year. - Can I cut in here and just say that currently every one of us on this couch has something in common, then, because none of us have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. - Yay. - No. - 2020 was going to be my year as well. - Not qualified yet, though. - What's your sport? - Um, drinking. - Hey, look, breakdancing is in in 2024. There's hope for power drinking yet. - But you've gotta qualify. - Put it on a T-shirt. - Yeah. - You're still` You're still on the mission. - I'm not qualified just yet. - You're going to. - You've got time to. - But I think I've got, I think, six months or so to qualify, and we've got a whole lot of competitions leading up to there. I'm feeling really good with where I'm at at training at the moment. And so there's all the reason for optimism at the moment. So I'm just kind of doing day-by-day. It's getting warmer now, you know. It's just so much easier to get out there, get down the runway and feel quite good when it's warm and you're training, so I'm feeling pretty happy and pretty confident about the year ahead. But, you know, you just got to get out there and do your best. That's all you can do with the Olympics. - So, yeah. - Yeah. - It's a silver lining scenario for you then with COVID, really, isn't it? - Yeah, it's a funny one, eh? Because I feel like I'd convinced my brain to be very at peace with the fact that, you know, I might qualify; I might not qualify. And you know what? I'm just going to put everything out there and what happens happens, and I'll be at peace with that because I tried my best. And then the Olympics got postponed, and it was a strange mindset. I was like, 'Well, this could be really good if I can use this whole year and into next year - 'to get stronger, compete more.' - Yeah. It's such a technical event, so just the more time you spend pole-vaulting, the better. Um, and so it could be a real advantage if, you know, I'm hoping to get out there next year and qualify and turn up at the Olympics, and we'll see whether it was an advantage or not for me. But we're really lucky. - More time to recover from the injury. - Yeah, exactly. - And, look, if you need a training buddy, I'm here. A real go-getter. - Yes! I think in that dress you'd be the perfect cheerleader. - Might be a different kind of pole sport, but anyway. - (LAUGHTER) But, look, there were other sports that did happen, thankfully, cos we're in a great, safe country. Did you attend any other matches? We had the rugby on. - Yeah, no, I didn't. - There's cricket. - I've done my classic 'sit on the couch and watch' instead. - Good. - Just as if nothing's happened. - Is it that kind of thing, 'leave work at home'. You don't want to watch other sports. - 'That's my day job!' - Yeah, sometimes you just need a little bit of a break, eh? You're so immersed in it all the time. But it's been so cool to see how we've been able to cope in New Zealand. It's just been incredible. I mean, even just for us to train normally, that's just a really big deal. And so, um, I'm certainly not taking it for granted. It's just been really amazing. - We're lucky enough to have live sports as well like we had. - Well, we were. Yes. Plenty of it, and still going. You know, even on` a couple of weekends ago sitting in Wellington at the full Basin Reserve, and people around the world into cricket looking at it going, 'How?' - Yeah. - 'How can you do this?' So good. - A sold-out stadium for an Auckland Blues game. - That would take longer than this show to digest that information. But as we mentioned at the top, there was a lot of lockdown sports on offer. And most shows would have a top 10. But we can't be assed. So here's our top nine. (SIX60'S 'THE GREATEST') - Oh. Oh! Yeah! - (WHOOPS) - (APPLAUDS) Well played, everyone. Well played. - Amazing. - And a big nod too to TVNZ Sport's own Chris Chang who managed to get everyone to send in their clips. - We were very well entertained, even though we couldn't do a lot of live sport in the sports team at TV1 News this year, we got a lot of home sports. - (LAUGHS) I love it. - Olympic Games. You've been there. You've done that. I remember in Rio just` Well, you still haven't wiped the smile off your face, Eliza. It's one of the great things about you. It was such a fun games and such a great moment for you. Does that get you amped up to do it all again? Just understanding, being on the dais, getting that medal around your neck. - Oh, it's just incredible. I mean, even just taking it right back to being in an Olympic Village. It's a really cool thing. I mean, it's just so different. You're like` It's like a massive gated community where you have to go through security every time you want to go somewhere. But there's this huge food hall where everybody eats together, and you see athletes everywhere. - And you're with athletes. - Yeah` - They're all very peak physical condition. - And you're in close proximity. - I feel so small. - There's you know, like, the big basketball players. - (LAUGHS) - You need to stop now. - (LAUGHTER) - Laura's losing control. They are an incredible experience. Even as an outsider covering the Olympic Games, there's so much joy as a journalist, but the athletes, I know, it's just such a buzz for you guys to know that you are the best of the best and representing your country. - Do you still get a thrill wearing that silver fern? - Absolutely. I mean, I remember the very first time I did a major overseas competition, and at the end of it, I just, like, broke down. I almost burst into tears, cos it's just` It's just the experience of being there in a country far away from New Zealand with a group of you who have trained really hard to be there. And you get out there, and you do your best, and almost always there's at least one Kiwi somewhere in the crowd, that's like, waving a flag or cheering. And so it's just` it's, um, a very humbling experience every single time. I mean, even the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, the cheer that us Kiwis got over there was just phenomenal. So it's just` It's always just so heartwarming and a little bit addictive in a way, you know? You're just so keen to get out there again. - It's so exciting for you, Laura, going to the Olympics in 2028... - We're so proud of you. - ...as a professional drinker, especially when there's 'cheers' involved. Eliza McCartney, thank you so much. Best of luck for Tokyo. We know you're going to give it your best shot, and your best will be enough. - America's Cup has been going great guns so far. Here are the highlights. Let's take a look. - COMMENTATOR: Look at the picture we're seeing here. - COMMENTATOR: Wow. Whoo! - The summer is off to a start. Here we go. - Who's going to get to the zone first? - The hunt is on here from Emirates Team New Zealand. - And they will hold the action high. Overlap. That could be a lead change as long as they don't fall off the foils. (MOMENTOUS ROCK MUSIC) Beautifully orchestrated by Emirates Team New Zealand, and they will take this regatta. - Oh, so good to have your company as we count down to the end of this terrible, terrible year. - Jordan's out and about, though. - (LAUGHS) - How's the Marbo, Jordan? HOW'S THE MARBO? THE VIBE IS VERY GOOD DOWN HERE. HEAPS FOR EVERYBODY TO DO. THEY ARE HAVING A BREAK ON THE MAIN STAGE, BUT THE FAMILY HAVE BEEN CHILLING AS WELL. PLENTY OF THE KIDS. GEORGE, YOU ARE A STAR. HOW COOL IT IS IT TO BE HANGING OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS ARE NEW YEAR'S? WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO? I HAVE BEEN PLAYING A LOT OF MAGIC TRICKS AND HANGING OUT WITH MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD ME YOU KNOW WHERE THE BEST HOT CHIPS ARE. RIGHT HERE. * (BENEE'S 'SUPALONELY') # I know I stuffed up. # I'm just a loser. # Shouldn't be with ya. # Guess I'm a quitter. # While you're out there drinkin', I'm just here thinkin' # 'Bout where I should've been # I've been lonely, mm, ah, yeah. # Water pouring down from the ceiling # I knew this would happen... # - The jam of the year. - Oh! How good! - (LAUGHTER) - How good. I'm out. I'm going. It's got me in the mood. - Love it. - Yes. - Yeah. We've got Benee in the studio with us. - Whoo! - Whoo! - I'm a fan. - Yeah. - And this year,... - (LAUGHS) Thanks, Laura. - ... the Auckland Pop sen` You're sitting on a couch full of singers, actually. So we'll be doing our own rendition later on. But this year, the Auckland pop sensation went viral on TikTok for the second time with her song Supalonely, - which you just heard, and became a global lockdown anthem. - Whoo! - Benee, welcome to the studio. - How good. How good! - Did you expect that? - No, no, no, no. - Not at all. - I've just admitted I don't know what TikTok is. Did you? - Not at the start of the year I didn't. - You didn't? - Nah. - But you went viral on TikTok last year too. - Yeah. - (LAUGHTER) - You're just like, 'My Spotify plays have gone way up.' - 'Don't know what that is.' - Oh, honestly, I actually didn't know what it was, eh, and I was, like, getting sent these videos, and I was like, 'What is this? Is this like Vine?' - Yeah. - But it's like Musical.ly. - Didn't it start as Musical.ly? - Yes. Yeah. - Yes, it is like Musical.ly. - It did. Yeah. But I mean, you had people like J.Lo doing the dance TikTok to Supalonely, which was really, really cool. So how did it feel to see so many people around the world getting on board? And then it what? It pushed up your Spotify plays? But not every hit on TikTok actually translates into a hit in the music industry, but yours did, didn't it? - Yeah. Um, I mean, it was pretty surreal, and especially, you know, I was watching, like, YouTubers that I used to be obsessed with, like, making little dances to my songs. So I was like` - You're like, 'Me? Me?' - (LAUGHTER) - Me! In lockdown as well. Like, whoa. - You went on the Jimmy Fallon Show. - Yes. - How was that? - It was very cool. I mean, we got to film it here, which was kind of nice. I feel like it maybe took off a bit of the pressure. Um, I would have probably been a lot more stressed out if I was actually performing it in front of an audience, in front of him. Um, but, nah, it was pretty cool to be a part of that. - Now, I've already said I'm a huge fan of yours, and I've loved watching you over the last few years as well, from watching you at 2019 Music Awards and then the Music Awards this year and just seeing your performance again and just how much you've grown. I also think that maybe some of the success behind Supalonely - is it's a really good song. Structurally it's a very good song. - Thanks. - And I love what you've done with it. You know, it's quite a sad content, but it's done in such a bright, happy kind of way. What was it like writing the song? - Um, yeah, I wrote it on a trip that I went on last year to LA to make music. - Yeah. - And I was sad as heck. I had, like, just broken up with my boyfriend, and I was like, 'Shoot. Like, I don't like any of this.' But, nah, I mean, it was the first session I did on the trip, and I was kind of just... You know, when you're just like so, like, over it that you are just,... - Yeah. - ...are, like, taking the mick out of everything? That was what I was like, and I did all these ad libs and ended up swearing and using lots of autotune in the verses because I was trying to do the, like, rapper kind of thing. But I mean, I don't know. I was it was a lot of fun, and it was just experimenting, but I came out with a song that, you know, we were all happy with, that I didn't think people would like, but... I don't know. - It's always the ones you like that people don't like, so. - We love other people's misery! - You know? You get to understand that when you get older. - Exactly! - It's relatable, right? - But there's a whole generation now of New Zealand musicians your age, even younger, making incredible music that is gaining traction around the world. Do you feel that you're at the sharp end of a really pointy stick here, - from a New Zealand music point of view? - (CHUCKLES) - LAUGHS: What the heck? - I don't know. - I don't know what you're talking about. - I don't know what that metaphor was. I got lost halfway through. - I liked it. - But yeah. - I don't know, eh. I don't know. - Well, you've managed to do what all pop stars hope for, which is becoming, you know, globally recognised and just being an international sensation. But during a global pandemic. Like, no one's ever done that before. - I mean, people obviously connected with the song during lockdown, with Supalonely and those lyrics. - Yeah, it's nice to kind of think about that. I feel like, you know, that's kind of the feedback I've been getting is that it's helping people, which is nice, cos it was a kind of funny weird song. But I don't know. Yeah, it's all very weird. But I can't compare it to anything, which is also kind of nice. Like, everyone's like, 'Are you sad that you missed out on all of this when you had a big song?' I'm like, 'Well, I've never really had a song that's gone off like that, so ya gal's quite happy.' - Can I just ask, cos we're all trying to get to know TikTok as well, - do you make any money off TikTok plays? - No, I don't think so. - Nah. - Does it boost`? It'd boost your Spotify plays, doesn't it? - Because people go to listen to the song more. - Yeah. I think that's kind of, like` They don't pay artists, but it's like... They do pay the actual Tokers, though. - Do they? - Yeah. - Like, some of those 15-year-olds, for reals, are, like, buying mansions in LA. Like, it's insane. - Get out. - Good on them, but, like,... - You should probably start TikToking to your own songs. - We should all start dancing. - I know. Oh my god. - (CHUCKLES) Get in on that. - We've got another Kiwi star who, like you, made headways because his track was on TikTok ` Jawsh 685. - That was really awesome too. Have you guys met at all? - I have met him a couple of times. I met him the first time with his mum, and he's just the sweetest ever, And his mum was so cute. Oh my gosh. But I was like` Nah. But he's the sweetest, like, most humble guy, and he's totally just, you know, your classic Kiwi. I feel like we're all kind of` And it's the same with Ella and everyone here, I feel like, you know, you're not so, like,... You're not so, like, 'Yeah, I'm a star!' It's like, 'Dude, you've got the biggest song in, like, the UK right now. You're so humble.' But, I mean, that's why I love New Zealanders, to be honest. But, nah, he's a great guy. - (OTHER PANELLISTS AGREE) - Congrats, cos that's sick. - Benee, I'm just going to shear this question of any potential metaphor conflictions here, but, um, 2021 ` what does it have in store for you? - If 2020 was a big year for you, is it going to get bigger still? - Um, I think touring-wise, yes. We've kind of` You know, we're setting up plans right now. It's also kind of weird, though, because we don't really know what's going to happen. But so far, like, talking about shows here, possibly in Australia. - Oh! - Oh! - BOTH: Oh! Oh! Oh! - (CHUCKLES) That'd be nice. - Hopefully. - Eh? Eh? Eh? - But I'm not actually` I don't mind being stuck here cos I think this is the best country ever, so. - Yeah, and lucky us. - Am I right? - I mean, if you can't go anywhere, you'll have to just do all your shows here. - Well, there are also so many brilliant artists here, low-key as well, who I think are going to get a lot of, like, being to play festivals with, you know, no international artists. - I think it's be really great for the industry. - Yeah. - But, hey, it's gonna be a fun summer. - And for anyone that has had the pleasure of seeing you perform live, - you've got some pretty crazy, sick dance moves. - Stop it. - Do you come up with that yourself or do you have a choreographer? How do you do it? Does it just come to you naturally? - I think I need to do dance lessons now because I'm getting called out constantly. - (LAUGHTER) - Like, this feels weird. But, nah, maybe one day. - That's awesome. - Thank you. - Look, Benee, congratulations on your Silver Scroll awards, your Tui awards at the Aotearoa Music Awards too. It's been great to have you with us. Look, we're going to cross to Wendy Petrie, who is beaming in from downtown Auckland. Kia ora, Wendy. HI! IT IS ALL SUCH TO KICK OFF DOWN HERE. 'BEAT IT' IS PLAYING. WE ARE SAYING 'BEAT IT' TO 2020 NOW. THE BAND HALO IS PLAYING. WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE SMILING AND HAPPY, WALKING UP AND DOWN THE VIADUCT. RIGHT OVER THERE TO WYNYARD QUARTER. OF COURSE, WE ARE IN THE VIADUCT AND THE CITY OF SAILS. YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE SOME BEAUTIFUL SUPER YACHTS AND A FEW LUCKY PEOPLE ON BOARD. MAYBE EVEN LATER ON, WE MIGHT BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET ON ONE IF WE TALK TO SOME PEOPLE TO COUNT DOWN TO THE NEW YEAR. WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO A BEAUTIFUL LIGHT SHOW KICKING OFF ON AUCKLAND'S HARBOUR BRIDGE, AND THEN WE HAVE THE * - I've never been out of a job since my first job ever, until COVID. - My son was born when I was in year 13. Two weeks before he was born, I dropped out so we could take care of him. I have him every weekend. I pick him up from school on Friday and take him to school on Monday morning. - I make it to the interview stage and then get shortlisted. And then, you know, when you get an email from Seek, and it says you don't get the job. Then it will say at the bottom, '1067 people applied for this role.' So it's like, 'Oh, shit.' - Welcome back. Junior Mita is one of many New Zealanders who lost their job due to COVID and was forced to go on a benefit. But after his story was shared by Re:, hundreds of Kiwis donated more than $10,000 to the young dad to help him get back on his feet. And he also received several job offers. This is really a feel-good story that's brought a lot of hope in a year that's been really tough for a lot of Kiwis. And we've brought Junior in to find out just how much his life has changed. I've got to say thank you for joining us, but also, - you look mighty fly, brother! - Whoo! Yes! - Thank you very much. - Tell us, what's the reaction been like since your story? Oh, it was good. I wasn't even sure it was online until Maggie told me that it was on Instagram. And then I had a look, and... - A lot of tears were shed between my son and I. - Mm. Just how moving was it for you, Junior, first of all, to go through the struggle of losing work and then to see what Kiwis were willing to do for you to help you out of a bind? - I was all right because growing up, our life was rocky anyway, so I was prepared for that downfall, but, um,... Oh, the support from New Zealanders was just overwhelming. We didn't know how to thank everyone. - Yeah. - Mm. - I mean, they were literally contacting the producers, saying, 'We want to give back to this guy.' They had to set up a give-a-little page for you. Almost $10,000. It's closed now. Probably would be more if it was still open. - And you got job offers. - Yeah. - So what's happened with that? - Um, so I took a painting one. - Great. - Yeah, turned down quite a few cos the guy that rung me just,... I don't know. I felt the honesty in his voice when he was telling me about the job. So I waited. And yeah, it's turned out really good. - And you've started the job? - Yeah. - And are you enjoying it? - Yeah, I am, actually. - Now, tell me, how do I cut in? Because I'm no good at DIY, Junior. Have you got the cutting in skills sorted out yet, or...? - Oh, sort of. - (CHUCKLES) - Some tape. Some masking tape. - Yeah. Yeah. - And what about your boy? How's he getting on? - How's the rest of his year been? - It's been great. - Yeah. - But we saw the way you were really good at budgeting with what you had. But how has this new job changed your life now? - Has it made a huge difference? - Yeah, massive difference. And I mean, with the page being closed a week` I closed it myself. Like, that's far too much money anyway. - That's how you felt? - Yeah, so I closed it. - And like besides the page, people were donating food and... - Wow. - ...um, I felt greedy taking too much. Yeah, so we closed the page. - I can tell you, Junior, that none of us would think you were being greedy at all, and everyone who helped you wanted to help you because they can see what a great person you are. And I think you are so illustrative of everyone trying their hardest in really tough circumstances. And you never have to be apologetic for reaching out and for other people reaching out to help you. So we know you're going to go on to great things. We know your son's going to have a really happy life with you as his father, and that's the main thing, mate. It's so good to have you with us. - We're all really appreciative of you being so brave sharing your story as well, cos there's a lot of people out there in New Zealand that are in similar circumstances. - So it opens everyone's eyes. - Yeah. Your story brought hope at the end of a year which has been tough for many and also showed the very best of New Zealand, how giving some of the Kiwis are, so we're really proud of you, and we cheer you on for next year. And from all our TVNZ whanau, it has been great to have your company this year. We hope that 2021 is kind to you, and we're wishing you a safe and a happy new year. Take a look. - From the whole 1 News team, thank goodness that year's gone. Have a wonderful 2021. Happy New Year, everyone. - Fraser here. Happy New Year, New Zealand. - Hey, everyone. I'm Peter Burling from Emirates Team New Zealand, and I'd just like to wish everyone a happy new year. - Hey, New Zealand. Happy New Year from all of us here at Emirates Team New Zealand. Have a great one. Cheers. - BOTH: Happy New Year, New Zealand, from all of us here at Team New Zealand. (LAUGHTER) - Hari Tau Hou ki a koutou katoa. Happy New Year to you all, and so looking forward to coming back and seeing you again. - (CHUCKLES) No, we're not! No, we're not. - Are we? (CHUCKLES) No? Are we not? - And we're having a holiday! You're having a holiday. We're having a holiday. We hope you're having a holiday. Once we've had a holiday, a couple of gin and tonics,... - I'm looking forward to seeing you. - ...a few afternoon naps, 400 packages of fish and chips, - (CHUCKLES) 209 steak-and-cheese pies,... - Anyway, mihi aroha` - ...one of those sleeps where you dribble down your own face in front of your relatives. - Once we've done that, we'll be ready to come back. - OK. Are you sure? - Yeah, no. - No. - Yes, we will. - Arohanui ki a koutou katoa. - Hi. I'm Hilary Barry, and he's Jeremy Wells, and we're here to wish you a happy new year. - Now, this is clearly a pre-recorded message, and there's a simple reason for that. We are too twangered to turn up and deliver this message live. - Some people will wonder whether we're actually spending New Year's Eve together. - No. - I was keen, - but Hilary said we'd been in each other's bubbles too much this year. - Mm-hm. We have. So a very happy new year to you all. Good riddance to 2020. It can bugger off. - Have a great night, and we look forward to seeing you live in a few weeks time. - See ya. - Bye. - Oh, such good people. John, Jenny-May, and Hilary, and Jerry, thank you for your messages, as well to the guys at Emirates Team New Zealand. We've loved your company. - We really have. Indira, you're a star... - So are you. - ...getting us through this New Year's Eve show. - Laura Daniel, how good to have you. - So lovely to be here. - Let's get this year in the bin, eh? - Yeah! - Throw it in. Throw it in the trash. - Throw it in the bin! We hope you enjoy the fireworks, and Happy New Year. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2020