Brian Edwards

Brian Edwards has spent time as a television interviewer, radio talkback host, media advisor and author. In the late sixties he made his name on television with his hard-hitting style of interrogating public figures, which polarised viewers and won him awards. His style was new and different to the orthodox interviewing manner of the time, which was reserved, non-confronting and spoken in ‘correct' BBC English.

Edwards was born in Northern Ireland. His father abandoned him after an argument with his mother when he was two years old. Edwards chronicled his first 25 years - and the search for the truth about his mysterious father - in the 2008 book Daddy was a German Spy and other scandals.

The book recounts how during a return trip to Northern Ireland as an adult, Edwards ran into an old teacher, who asked how he had been doing all those years.

Edwards' reply began "well... went to Queen's University (in Belfast), then to Edinburgh for my doctorate, emigrated to New Zealand, taught at Canterbury University, got into TV, became famous, wrote a book about my experiences, stood unsuccessfully for parliament, became a media adviser to a couple of Labour prime ministers, wrote a book about the '72 general election, worked for a trade union, found myself unemployable, went relief teaching at a local high school, became a radio talkback host, was tried for contempt of court for revealing the suppressed names of three SIS agents in a famous New Zealand spy trial..."

A PhD on Franz Kafka behind him, Edwards made his television debut as a presenter on the Christchurch edition of sixties magazine show Town and Around. In 1968 producer Des Monaghan called Edwards to Auckland, to join the reporting team on the oft-controversial current affairs programme Compass. There he quickly began attracting the attention of both audiences and critics. 

In 1969 Edwards was one of a trio drafted to interview American evangelist Billy Graham, for a show called Point of View. Although Graham later told journalists that he had enjoyed talking to the group of "devil's advocates", many viewers complained about the supposedly impolite style of the interview.

Such probing interviews had been seen in overseas shows, but were new to Kiwi television. When Edwards began to practice this more confrontational style on current affairs show Gallery in 1969, it helped make his name. There were controversial interviews with the head of the SIS, and heart transplant surgeon Christian Barnard. The latter won Edwards a Feltex award, and more complaints from the public.

The conversation which would win Edwards lasting fame occurred in September 1970. Post office workers were on a go-slow in a bid for higher wages, and communication between unions and managers had completely broken down. Gallery got representatives of both sides into the studio, and as the interview neared its end, Edwards managed to get both men to agree to go back into negotiation. The go-slow was called off that night. The episode won Edwards another Feltex Award.

A few months after the post office interview, the pilot episode of The Brian Edwards Show was recorded. The show included music, satire and a dramatic conversation between then Finance Minister Robert Muldoon and three young critics (one of them Tim Shadbolt). Reporter David Beatson called it "the finest television programme you never saw".  Possibly fearing pending decisions involving a possible second channel, the NZBC administration would later can plans for a series, arguing the pilot was not good enough.

Edwards left Gallery soon after. His 1971 book The Public Eye details many of the interviews he had done up until that time.

In 1972 Edwards "nailed my colours to the mast", by making a failed attempt to win election as a Labour candidate. From then on political interviews would be the exception, rather than the rule.

1977 saw the launch of consumer rights programme Fair Go, which would become one of the longest running shows in the history of New Zealand television. Edwards played a key part in first bringing the show to air, and was a presenter for many years. 

In 1979 he was seen on the programme Sons and Daughters, in which he interviewed children of famous New Zealanders.

Edwards began running media training courses in the early seventies. Between them, he and third wife Judy Callingham have been advisors to four Prime Ministers, including Helen Clark (who Edwards has written a book about).

Edwards has also spent time as a columnist and radio host, including a five year stint in the nineties, hosting high rating National Radio show Top of the Morning.

In the nineties Edwards hosted a run of one-off documentaries (including Scorched Memories and Life Sentence - The Crewe Murders), and had a regular interview slot on magazine show Sunday.

Edwards returned once more to television interviewing in 2003 with Edwards at Large, a show which included controversial interviews with Rodney Hide and author Lynley Hood.

In 1999 he was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM), for services to Broadcasting and Journalism.