{{Short description|New Zealand radio broadcaster}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Infobox presenter | name = Polly Gillespie | image = | image_upright = | caption = | birth_name = Pauline Gillespie | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | show = [[The Polly and Grant Show]] | station = [[More FM]], [[rova (app)|rova]], [[Today FM (New Zealand)|Today FM]] | network = [[MediaWorks New Zealand]] | timeslot = 6–10am Monday – Saturday on [[More FM]], 6–9am Weekdays on [[rova (app)|rova]] | show2 = | station2 = | network2 = | timeslot2 = | style = [[Disc jockey]], [[comedian]] | country = New Zealand | prevshow = | parents = | spouse(s) = [[Grant Kereama]] 1989–2016 | children = | website = {{URL|http://www.morefm.co.nz/home/shows/polly---grant-on-more-fm.html}} {{Dead link|date=July 2022}} }} '''Pauline "Polly" Gillespie''' is a [[New Zealand]] former radio presenter. She co-hosted ''[[The Polly and Grant Show]]'' on Saturday mornings from 6-10am and the All-Day Breakfast show on [[rova (app)|Rova]] with her ex-husband, [[Grant Kereama]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2017/06/polly-and-grant-reveal-new-all-day-breakfast-radio-show.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627071605/http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2017/06/polly-and-grant-reveal-new-all-day-breakfast-radio-show.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 June 2017 |title=Polly and Grant reveal new all-day breakfast radio show|work=[[Newshub]] |date=25 June 2017|accessdate=1 July 2017}}</ref>
Gillespie and Kereama hosted the [[ZM (New Zealand)|ZM]] breakfast show from 1991 to 2014, making them the longest-serving breakfast duo in New Zealand. The show rated well in [[Wellington]], and enjoyed success across New Zealand after it was launched nationwide in 2001.
On 28 April 2014, Gillespie and her ex-husband launched a new show on [[The Hits (radio station)|The Hits]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Twelve Questions: Polly Gillespie |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/twelve-questions-polly-gillespie/VWGY3QPKABXCWRXU5KHTPW6IPI/ |access-date=30 May 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=30 April 2014}}</ref> owned by NZME.<ref name="NZ Herald 2020">{{cite news |title=More FM's Polly Gillespie and Grant Kereama among MediaWorks cost-cut proposals |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/more-fms-polly-gillespie-and-grant-kereama-among-mediaworks-cost-cut-proposals/SIRBQFNDUXEYBLI37J5UQTLZRE/ |access-date=30 May 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=28 May 2020}}</ref> They left The Hits in 2017,<ref>{{cite news |title=Polly Gillespie and Grant Kereama announce definitive departure from The Hits |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/polly-gillespie-and-grant-kereama-announce-definitive-departure-from-the-hits/V5QCNFTO7SLOVL7XKHOMERTWK4/ |access-date=30 May 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=24 March 2017}}</ref> and moved to a Wellington weekday breakfast show on More FM that ended in June 2020.<ref name="NZ Herald 2020"/><ref>{{cite news |title=MediaWorks redundancies: More FM's Polly Gillespie, Grant Kereama confirm job losses |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/mediaworks-redundancies-more-fms-polly-gillespie-grant-kereama-confirm-job-losses/NHUBHO6ZIK26OKN6DREPOMBDWI/ |access-date=30 May 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=7 June 2020}}</ref>
Gillespie also wrote an [[advice column|agony aunt]] column for ''Woman's Day New Zealand'' until the magazine closed in April 2020.<ref name="Molyneux 2020">{{cite news |last1=Molyneux |first1=Vita |title='It's not the end': Polly Gillespie opens up after More FM job cut |url=https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/its-not-the-end-polly-gillespie-opens-up-after-more-fm-job-cut/ar-BB15bxPz |access-date=30 May 2021 |work=MSN |agency=[[Newshub]] |date=6 August 2020}}</ref> She has written an autobiography,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Julian |title=Radio host Polly Gillespie's autobiography journey an emotional rollercoaster of self-reflection |url=https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/radio-host-polly-gillespie-s-autobiography-journey-emotional-rollercoaster-self-reflection |access-date=30 May 2021 |work=1 News |agency=[[Seven Sharp]] |date=6 April 2021}}</ref> titled ''The Misadventures of Polly Gillespie''.<ref name="Kidd 2021">{{cite news |last1=Kidd |first1=Rob |title=The Misadventures of Polly Gillespie |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/books/misadventures-polly-gillespie |access-date=30 May 2021 |work=[[Otago Daily Times]] |date=12 May 2021}}</ref> She had previously outlined her family history in an opinion article published in ''[[The New Zealand Herald]]'' in 2016.<ref name="Gillespie 2016">{{cite news |last1=Gillespie |first1=Polly |title=Polly Gillespie: New Zealand no longer land of opportunity |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/polly-gillespie-new-zealand-no-longer-land-of-opportunity/6L4FWUY6UUBTEFK6SJE7O7SUIE/ |access-date=30 May 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=10 July 2016}}</ref>
In November 2021, Gillespie was announced as part of the lineup for MediaWorks' brand new talk radio network, [[Today FM (New Zealand)|Today FM]] which launched in March 2022 but ceased broadcasting a year later.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-10|title=Mark Richardson, Polly Gillespie join MediaWorks' unnamed talk radio station|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/126956965/mark-richardson-polly-gillespie-join-mediaworks-unnamed-talk-radio-station|access-date=2021-11-11|website=Stuff|language=en}}</ref> Gillespie was retained by station owners Mediaworks to present a series of short-form podcasts, under the brand name ''The Polly Podcast Network'', which launched in June 2023 and ended in early 2024.<ref>[https://www.rova.nz/home/podcasts/the-polly-podcast-network.html The Polly Podcast Network], rovz.nz, 1 June 2023</ref>
She has since left the broadcasting industry, and retrained to become a counsellor and therapist.<ref>https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/polly-gillespie-on-life-after-radio-and-new-career-its-never-too-late-for-a-fresh-start/7CH573UBJNB77PV47SINMVVF4M/</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillespie, Polly}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:New Zealand radio presenters]] [[Category:New Zealand women radio presenters]] [[Category:New Zealand columnists]] [[Category:New Zealand women columnists]] [[Category:Advice columnists]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
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