Samantha Hayes

Samantha Hayes (born 25 April 1984) is a New Zealand journalist and newsreader, best known for co-anchoring Three's flagship news programme Newshub Live at 6pm.

Early life
Hayes was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, to a New Zealand father and a South African mother. The family relocated to Milton in Otago, New Zealand when she was six months old. She has a younger sister and an older brother.

She received her education at Tokomairiro High School. She studied at the University of Otago and finished her degree, a Bachelor of Arts, Media & International Relations, at Victoria University of Wellington in 2007.

Hayes played representative netball for South Otago while at high school and competed in dressage, showjumping and eventing.

Career
Hayes has worked in the media industry as a broadcast journalist and news anchor in New Zealand since 2001.

Hayes first appeared at TV3 aged 17, gaining work experience. During her first week at the programme, she was sent to interview heavy metal band Megadeth and came back with an international scoop when lead singer Dave Mustaine revealed for the first time why he left his previous band Metallica, telling Hayes "I'd like to say I quit, but I got fired because I was a violent drunk".

During her studies at Otago University, Hayes worked at the student radio station Radio One 91fm as an on air DJ, news editor and newsreader. In 2005, Hayes relocated to New Zealand’s capital city Wellington to finish her Bachelor's degree, where she hosted, produced and announced news on Radio Active 88.6FM, including the midday Sam 60 show and the arts and culture-focused Caffeine and Aspirin.

Alongside broadcasting, Hayes worked as an event organiser for popular cultural events One Love music festival and Handle the Jandal music video competition. Hayes’ appearance in a media interview for the 2006 Handle the Jandal event on TV3’s Nightline brought her back into contact with news bosses at TV3, and she was offered a reporting role on Nightline soon after in September 2006.

In 2007, Hayes was offered the full time presenting role on Nightline, for which she moved to Auckland to become New Zealand’s youngest-ever newsreader at that time, aged 23.

She has since worked on the programmes Newshub Late, 3rd Degree, Newsworthy and Firstline. She is currently the news anchor, alongside Mike McRoberts, at Newshub Live at 6pm. She commenced this role on 30 May 2016 after Hilary Barry's resignation.

During her career at Three, Hayes was appointed the network’s Australia correspondent based in Sydney, and anchored Newshub special programmes, including the 2023 New Zealand General Election, the 2016 and 2020 US Elections, the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and ten days of live coverage from London after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 including a special programme on Her Majesty's funeral.

She’s also reported for the flagship documentary series Newshub Investigates: Generation Covid investigating the long term impact of the Covid-19 lockdowns on babies and children, and for Paddy Gower Has Issues, investigating Gisborne’s deadly problem with forestry slash washing downstream and onto beaches.

Hayes was one of the first reporters to cover the emergence of international music star Lorde when the latter was 16 years-old, and has reported from places as diverse as Antarctica (on three separate expeditions) and Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve during the Great Migration.

After Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed plans to liquidate its Newshub news service in April 2024, Stuff reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery to produce Three's 6pm news bulletin. In early May 2024, Hayes and six other former Newshub journalists were recruited into Stuff's replacement 6pm news bulletin, with Hayes to anchor the programme.

Other media and public roles
In July 2018, Hayes won series 7 of the New Zealand version of Dancing with the Stars with her professional partner Aaron Gilmore. The victory raised over $120,000 for the charity New Zealand Riding for the Disabled, for which she is now an Ambassador.

Hayes is an event compere and speaker, hosting events such as the annual New Zealand Business Hall of Fame Gala Dinner (2016–19, 2021–22), the New Zealand Hi Tech Awards (2021), An Evening with Sir Richard Branson (2017), Kea World Class Awards (2015), Air New Zealand Sustainability Breakfast (2018), and Auckland University of Technology Excellence Awards (2018, 2021, 2022).

Hayes is on the New Zealand board of the Australasian charity So They Can.

Personal life
Hayes has been a vegetarian since she was 11 years old for ethical reasons.

Hayes has two children, born in 2019 and 2021, with former partner Jeroen Blaauw. Hayes suffered pre-eclampsia during her first pregnancy, leading to caesarean section.

In November 2023, Hayes announced on Instagram that she and Blaauw had ended their relationship.

Hayes is a recreational mountain climber, including completing ascents of Ruapehu and Taranaki in New Zealand, and Mt Aconcagua in Argentina. She has also completed the Kenya Half Marathon in the Masai Mara and Waitomo Trail Run in New Zealand.

Hayes is the niece of helicopter pilot Sir Richard Hayes, former CEO of Southern Lakes Helicopters, who is known for prominent search and rescue operations.