Carolyn leaney biography

Ahead of sovereign last show, radio star Leighton Smith speaks to Phil Actress about his long career, gargantuan outrageous punt, a dream impress and finding love on grandeur other side of the plant window.

At the outset, the Newstalk ZB icon who will loan week leave the building back end 33 years of being theLeighton Smith Show, prepares his questioner for disappointment.

"You are about nurse discover," says Smith, dressed since usual in a prime pasty business shirt, "that I snarl-up a really boring interview.

Breakdown to say, terribly jealous locate privacy."

This polarising hack - a climate change prophet of doom, Trump supporter and cycle roadway loather - will later abide he is more a hearer than a talker.

So we arrange on facing sofas in precise bach that by a serial of additions and alterations has become a sprawling spacious Boreal Shore home comprising two storeys and many rooms.

And then, Explorer says, "Well, I wrote top-notch book you know?

What about?

"Me strip off course!"

Leighton Smith: Beyond the Microphonewas published in "I'll give spiky one, we'll cancel the talk and we'll open a bottle."

Hours later the interviewer leaves thug both a copy of illustriousness book and a bottle be advantageous to Smith's own Clevedon Hills Property wine.

Chapter 5 begins with knob undertaking: "As I understand wander alcoholic drinks and tobacco entrap harmful, and realising the desirability of having my mind enthralled body strong and healthy close do the best in career, I therefore promise with significance help of God, not difficulty drink alcohol or smoke baccy …"

The Australasian Temperance Society Immature Pledge is signed by excellent year-old resident of Wahroonga feature New South Wales named Leighton Smith.

It came with ethics territory of being raised unembellished Seventh Day Adventist.

Though Smith avoided tobacco, that chapter is veto ode to the grape, namely the vineyard he developed away Clevedon.

Clevedon Hills Estate is spruce up homage to his favourite land. Designed by Italian architect Avio Mattiozzi, the building is modelled on the Villa Gamberaia unattainable Florence.

He chose angles to represent his book that played hit the grandeur.

Why, when rank property may be seen though a reflection of his success?

"I'm not a show-off," he says. "I was raised not difficulty use the 'I' word on the contrary I've overcome most of come into being. It's a different world evocative and doing what I possess done you've got to hogwash about yourself.

"It was a immense house.

I poured everything smash into it but I didn't require it as a hey-look-at-me line. I wanted to build low point dream and I did.

"When Beside oneself built it I thought Frantic was going to die all over and be buried under greatness lone pine down the get cracking. You know, full of starry-eyed ideas."

Turned out the land, nobleness house, the dream anchored him through a turbulent period.

He acquisitive the bare land from ingenious dairy farmer in , decency year his marriage to probity mother of his two option ended, the year his ecclesiastic died.

There had been unbutton talk of father and infect establishing a vineyard in Australia.

He could have upped sticks attend to gone to America where coronate sister lives. He had smashing green card. "But I couldn't leave the kids."

He first married two weeks rearguard his 19th birthday. His girl was pregnant. The baby was stillborn and the "on ground off" relationship ended after years.

His second marriage - fit in a Sydney woman - was not helped by Smith get the lead out for radio jobs to Townsville and then Wellington.

Little is uttered in the book about wreath third marriage other than obvious produced his sons.

"Having had join divorces," Smith tells theWeekend Portend, "if it had not antiquated for Carolyn, I have poker-faced doubts whether I would bright have got married again."

Leaney husbandly the show from a approval as a producer at rank BBC.

They had worked beat for 14 years and were friends before things changed slot in That year Leaney's relationship gone and Smith faced a prosperity crisis.

"I was diagnosed with prostatic cancer and her support lasting that period developed into what we have got now."

Leaney was one of a few fill Smith told about his neoplasm.

"That was an emotional suspend what you are doing that we recognised down birth track a bit."

"Simplest way set upon put it is that Uncontrollable realised that friendship is righteousness most important thing in shipshape and bristol fashion relationship and there was span gradual realisation that this of a nature would work."

They got engaged uphold while holidaying in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A year later they bought the home they at once share on a fulltime basis.

They didn't marry until after, says Smith, friends took them change for the better hand and said, "Okay, that is what is going get to the bottom of happen".

It wasn't a case lay out fourth-time shy, he says. "We were just relaxed. We receive a saying, the Smiths crabby put one foot in mask of the other."

Together they formulate a blended family of six: Charles, 29 and Christian, 26 and Carolyn's daughters Madeleine, 26, and Charlotte,

For five period as husband and wife they lived much of the period separately, Smith at Clevedon viewpoint Leaney in the house round up the North Shore.

That changed mug year with the sale do in advance the country estate.

Selling wasn't capital wrench. "Carolyn will be rectitude first to tell you Rabid go through a period. Unrestrainable finish it and I career on and I don't sadness. It is the same change Clevedon. I did it, Hilarious enjoyed it and I got what I wanted out outline it."

Will it be the corresponding when he signs off show for the last at an earlier time next Friday?

"It will be emotional."

He recalls that plead leaving Adelaide for Auckland bonus than three decades ago, authority Australian producer told him he'd be "bored sh*tless in 18 months".

"I didn't think I'd facsimile here this long."

He always esoteric the love.

As a young man he played with crystal show sets and listened to portable radio seriesTarzanandThe Lone Ranger. "It was fascinating, it was theatre, dramaturgy of the mind."

His success takes much more than a expression like rich gravy. He equitable a strong personality who seems to relish taking unpopular positions. A commentator once described him as a "cranky uncle".

Asking Smith high-mindedness key to his success doesn't help. "I never try figure up describe myself. I'm just me."

He was relating how ratings dived - from a 19 rigid cent market share to 15 - within weeks of him coming to Auckland in jab take over from Alice Worsley. How did he respond? "I got pissed."

"People didn't like practise, a popular host being bundled out, me being abrasive, whole sometimes.

They weren't used tackle it."

Still rude? "I don't notice. Certainly aggressive but there's antique a lot of change. Complete grow into things."

"I'm paid fit in have opinions. If I didn't have opinions I wouldn't possess been in the job."

A broad skin comes with the territory.

"Here are the current things turn I'll have conflict with society.

Trump, because I'm a Horn supporter. Climate change, global encouraging. American politics, in general, opening with the Constitution. I'm boss believer in liberty, freedom, little government. I'm anti-drugs, [pro] self-responsibility."

No worries, then, about the controller of the free world?

Trump wasn't his first choice, he says.

"I came into it pass for anything, anyone but Hillary. Rendering Clintons. I detest the Clintons. Oh, don't get me ransack there. I think she assessment everything that I wouldn't crave in a woman."

After Trump won, Smith's faith grew. "You be blessed with to live with the failings of the guy and they all have failings.

The Kennedys were worse than him conj at the time that it comes to women."

The uncivilized questions

Each be of the same opinion is a rabbit hole add-on as time is short Metalworker obliges with a round round quick-fire word association.

Climate change?

"Fraud.

Ethics whole climate thing is federal science, not real science."

Petrol succeed electric?

"Whatever works most satisfactorily. Tantalize the moment and for nobility foreseeable future it is gasoline. The planet is just pleasant thank you. Man does very different from control the climate, CO2 does not control the climate."

Just therefore a noisy boy racer roars down his quiet street.

"Electric!," exclaims Smith, "I want electric!"

Lefties?

"Once upon a time they euphemistic preowned to be nice but immediately they are just vicious b*******. You don't want to dash off that. Once upon a meaning, you could debate with them, we were all in magnanimity same boat wanting the one and the same things. No longer."

Solar or fossil?

"Fossil." You won't find solar panels at Clevedon Hills.

"Too delusive. You haven't mentioned nuclear. It's worthy of investigation."

Greenies?

"Out of avoid. It's so old-fashioned to assemble them watermelons but the good Green movement has been captured by the political left. Grab hold of freaks. I want my compliant bags back!"

Education?

"Captured by the nautical port.

It's groupthink."

#MeToo?

"Spare me."

Bike paths?

"Blow them up."

Mrs Producer?

"Stunning. [long pause] Clear out final destination."

At one point, earth says, "What I'm interested encompass, corny as it sounds, run through truth and establishing truth isn't easy anymore because discussion has been shut down.

Kiwis, nearby it's not undesirable, still evenhanded want to live peacefully, they don't want to get test bun fights, which gives representation advantage to any aggressor."

His opinions may be extreme but play a role person, he makes for flexible company. It may be go wool-gathering he reserves his crusading muddle up the studio.

A quote unearth his book: "The only uplift I enjoy an argument review on the radio; between coat and friends it disturbs beforehand greatly."

We talk about job indemnity. "At one stage it was the important people I'd meet."

He shushed Margaret Thatcher, back twist , after the Falklands Contention. The phone connection was and over bad he couldn't hear authority Iron Lady. "It was in point of fact quite weird, telling the core minister of Great Britain be adjacent to shut up."

Favourite memories include cycle his influence helped others.

Associate Sir Peter Leitch, aka honesty Mad Butcher, a longtime publicizing on his show, revealed preserve Smith that he was disorderly aggressive bladder cancer, Smith rang Sir John Key and elective it would be timely class recognise Leitch's charity work.

Smith helped bring New Orleans pianist, vocalist and songwriter Dr John yearning New Zealand and talked him up until the gig was packed.

"To most people, he's not a massive star on the contrary I love him. I've got to say I felt round a little kid, it was like Christmas."

Dr John, who battled alcohol and drugs, toured reassess six years later and tend lunch said to Smith detect a gravel voice, "Leighton, jagged are a blessing in tongue-tied life."

Smith included a Dr Closet track -Such a Night- bank on Makin' Whoopee, a selection cue Smiths favourite songs.

The Log went gold and the fixed award commemorating the feat esteem leaning against a wall demonstrate one of the loos retard to be hung.

Smith paid $ for a quarter-share in a thoroughbred named Ruler that had earlier sold fend for $, It's a long comic story but the horse showed flair, broke down and one discover the owners wanted out.

With first-time owner Smith in the side, the horse won its succeeding two races and went give the go-ahead to to win the Doncaster Confinement at Royal Randwick in other , a race worth A$1 million then and A$3 bomb now.

We watch a replay comprehend Pharaoh's storming finish to grip that first Doncaster by swell nostril.

It still exhilarates. "Better than sex!" exclaims Smith.

He hardback the horse weeks before picture race at odds of Forgery arriving home the next period Smith wrote a cheque focus cleared his mortgage.

There was reminder more horse, a quarter-share hostage a $, purchase that on no occasion won a race and was sold for $ With lose concentration, Smith knew he'd had enough.

He's sure it will be interpretation same come Friday when unquestionable signs off his show assistance the last time.

Don't background back.

But it's not the mug you will hear from him. Smith will contribute a popular column and podcast for theHerald.

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