The Project Meets 7 Days Meets … ?

After record ratings for his occasional specials on societal issues, Paddy Gower has been rewarded with his own weekly, irreverent-sounding current affairs hour, which will launch this month under the direction of 7 Days vet Jon Bridges.

Here’s the media release:

PADDY GOWER HAS ISSUES TO PREMIERE ON THREE AND THREENOW

Award-winning Newshub journalist Patrick Gower is taking his pursuit for answers and action to the next level, by hosting a brand new weekly prime time current affairs and entertainment programme Paddy Gower Has Issues which premieres this month on Three and ThreeNow.

Filmed in front of a live audience, this weekly one-hour show brings us extended investigations into major issues facing New Zealanders. Amplified in studio by Paddy and the team, this will be modern and important current affairs as New Zealand has never seen it.

Paddy says: “Everywhere I go Kiwis come up to me with issues they reckon need investigating.  We are going to rip into these topics every single week.  This is the show New Zealand has been waiting for.”

Paddy along with leading Newshub reporters will tackle serious issues such as our poor literacy rates, gender and cancer outcomes.  Meanwhile, Karen O’Leary (Wellington Paranormal) brings a lighter touch as she travels the country to fix the everyday issues facing people and communities in Aotearoa.

As a so-called ‘community investigator’, Karen delivers reports that are as funny as they are informative, leading to some surprising and positive results for Kiwis!

Paddy and Karen are supported in the studio by comedians Eli Matthewson and Courtney Dawson who bring fast-paced laughs about the global and local issues of the week.

Paddy Gower Has Issues Executive Producer, Jon Bridges says, “This show is unashamedly current affairs, but not as New Zealand audiences have ever known it. With Paddy at the helm it is gritty and real but never shy of a laugh.”

Karen O’Leary

With over two decades experience as an early childhood educator, Karen O’Leary made her acting debut in Taika Waititi’s cult-classic feature What We Do in the Shadows. Her head-turning performance as Officer O’Leary led to comedy spin-off series Wellington Paranormal, a show that is now broadcast around the world in 70 countries, including on HBO Max in the US. Karen will draw on her quick wit, empathy, and charismatic charm to explore the issues Kiwis face as Paddy’s roving reporter across Aotearoa covering everyday issues bothering Kiwis.

Eli Matthewson

Actor, comedian and radio host Eli Matthewson can talk the talk and walk the walk. A leading voice in the Kiwi comedy scene he is a two time Billy T Awards nominee, and double winner of Auckland Fringe’s Best Comedy Award. He’s spent many a year writing for comedy shows such as Funny Girls and Jono and Ben and is a regular on Three’s 7 Days. Eli shines on the desk alongside Paddy as he brings us a funny take on the week’s news and keeps Paddy in line.

Courtney Dawson 

Courtney (Ngāti Kurī, Waikato-Tainui) is an award-winning Auckland-based comedian, mother, and occasional, begrudging biography writer.  She is also co-host of Māori Television’s Rags are Riches, and has co-written a sitcom that is currently in development. Courtney will join Eli at the news desk where they will dissect the issues of the world with a comedic take, giving a breath of fresh air to the harder hitting issues being addressed in the show.

Paddy Gower Has Issues is an original format produced by Warner Bros. Discovery for Three and ThreeNow and will be premiering in May.