SCANDAL-prone television presenter Paul Henry will co-host Ten's new Breakfast show.

Henry, 51, a popular New Zealand broadcaster, has been embroiled in a string of controversies across the Tasman, including perceived attacks on Susan Boyle, gay adoption and facial hair on women.

"I bring an edginess and honesty," he said yesterday. "I call things as I see them."

He certainly does. When a Greenpeace campaigner appeared on his show, Henry focused on her facial hair.

"She came on the show with a moustache," Henry said yesterday. "She got up in the morning, knew she was going to be on television and that's how she was."

Henry was also lambasted for saying Boyle is retarded. He remains unrepentant. "Officially, when she was at school, Susan Boyle was described as retarded. Officially," Henry said.

And the homosexual lobby attacked him after he said gay adoption was unnatural.

Indeed, Henry has been accused of being racist, a bigot and everything else under the politically incorrect sun.

But Henry, who did breakfast television in Auckland for seven years, said he was not a shock jock.

"A shock jock sets out to shock and offend. I never do that," he said. "I want to entertain and inform. But I'll always point out the elephant in the room."

Ten's Breakfast, co-hosted by Andrew Rochford, will launch next year.