Heather du Plessis-Allan and Duncan Garner have big shoes to fill when the duo takes over John Campbell's time slot on TV3 on Monday. Story wants to be a "smart, fun and thought-provoking show" to take TV One's Seven Sharp. We have talked with both hosts about the challenge their new gig brings with it.

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Change is nothing new for Heather du Plessis-Allan.

"This is like deja vu for me," she says, explaining that the lead-up to the launch of TV3's Story reminds her of when TV One's weeknight current affairs show Close Up was reinvented as Seven Sharp. "I'm quite prepared for how it is going to play out. I know there will be times when it will be challenging and it will be difficult, but I think it will be ultimately successful because I've seen the team they've assembled (for Story) and they are great."

Du Plessis-Allan is putting her money where her mouth is in quitting her job as TV One political reporter – and, most difficult, leaving husband and fellow journo Barry Soper behind in Wellington during the working week. "That isn't going to be a great deal of fun," she says, "but he's pretty supportive so it should be OK."

Du Plessis-Allan has no illusions about the challenge of her new job. "It's not as simple as walking into the job and going out to air the first night and that being it and from there on it's a smooth ride," she says. "A lot of veteran journalists I work with say 7pm is one of the more challenging shows to do. It's a challenging time slot because you do have to give people more than just the news."

TV3 says Story will provide both current affairs and entertainment and Heather supports the concept. "I think entertainment is part of news now, but it's about striking the balance. I like to know what's happening in the entertainment world, but I don't want it to be the lead item on the news necessarily," she says. "But we don't want people to tune in and be bored because you're just so dry.""



Du Plessis-Allan is confident Story will deliver the goods. "I've been told there are some cracker yarns lined up."

Her co-host Garner is upfront about his reason for taking on Story, the TV3 current affairs show that fills the gap left by Campbell Live.

"I was asked to do it," he says, of what many people see as the biggest challenge on New Zealand television in the wake of the public furore over the departure of John Campbell. "I have been a fan of what John has done in the past but I've wanted to be a journalist since I was 13 or 14 years old and when someone says, 'Hey, we're going to keep current affairs at 7pm, we want you to be part of it, are you keen?' you'd be a real mug to say, 'No, I can't do that or I shouldn't do that'."

Story teams Garner with du Plessis-Allan, who has given up her job as TV One's political reporter. "She's fantastic," says Garner. "As soon as she came into the TV3 office as a student/intern, probably about 10 years ago, I thought she was hugely talented and creative and energetic and passionate – maybe a female version of me in a way – and we really gel," he says.

Together, he hopes they can present current affairs in a way that appeals to New Zealanders and win back many of the viewers who deserted TV3 after the demise of Campbell Live. "We're going to have to be different to succeed. We can't be Seven Sharp, we don't want to be Seven Sharp. We can't be Campbell Live, we don't want to be Campbell Live," Garner says. "I can't keep looking back at the great work John did. We have to create our own style and who we are. If you go and copy people there'll be no authenticity about it. I've never copied anyone in my life. I have always been who I am. If people don't like it, sorry about that, but this is what we do."

There is no chance that either Garner or du Plessis-Allan will be happy to just fill a chair and talk. "Heather and I just see ourselves as journos fronting the programme. I don't see myself as some kind of pony who turns up in a Ferrari at 6pm in a $4000 suit to host a show at 7pm and then go home to some big mansion. That's not what I do."

Story, TV 3, Weeknights.

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