George Hook has cancelled his plans to retire.

The popular pundit and radio host tweeted earlier that he was set to make "a major announcement about my future" on his Newstalk programme.

I am making a major announcement about my future shortly on th programme — George Hook (@ghook) February 13, 2015

"I've a very serious statement to make," he said. "The position is I've cancelled my retirement...I'm not going to retire."

He said he was talking to his wife Ingrid last night and she asked him whether he still planned to retire. He said yes, to which she replied she wasn't prepared to have him "knocking around all day in the house".

He said that galvanised him to cancel his plans to retire from television after the Rugby World Cup this year and to retire completely from his Newstalk radio show at the end of September next year.

His official retirement date - now cancelled - was going to be October 1, 2016.