Mike McRoberts: The Toll of the 6pm News

For years, Mike McRoberts was the most recognisable and trusted face on New Zealand television, sitting at the 6pm news desk, delivering the biggest stories in the country. What most people never saw was where that job took him.

In this episode of Between Two Beers, Mike opens up about reporting from war zones, covering humanitarian disasters, and what it actually took - mentally and emotionally - to be the face of the news for so long.

He reflects on moments that still stay with him years later, including being detained overseas, witnessing the aftermath of devastating earthquakes, and why the job became “a special kind of hell” at times. But this conversation goes deeper than war stories.

Mike also speaks candidly about identity, growing up “culturally malnourished,” and how learning te reo Māori later in life forced him to confront parts of himself he’d long ignored. It’s an honest discussion about responsibility, belonging, and the personal toll of carrying other people’s stories for decades.

This episode is brought to you by our proud sponsors TAB. Got a hunch? Get your bet on. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers.

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