Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford have left their days of radio hi-jinks behind. Photo supplied.Returning to radio has been a great experience, not just for himself, but also wife Jodi, says Simon Barnett.

The celebrity host, originally from Ashburton, has been out of the broadcasting studio for more than a year following Jodi suffering a seizure and requiring surgery and treatment for brain lesions.

“It’s been a pretty torrid year with my wife’s health,” the 52-year-old said.

“We are getting through it, we are convinced she’s going to get through it.”

He had been by Jodi’s side for 14 months at their Christchurch home, and had not really left her at all.

“That was probably the biggest hurdle for me, just being apart from her,” Barnett said of his return last week to radio.

He is broadcasting from Newstalk ZB’s Christchurch studio, alongside his former co-host Phil Gifford in the afternoon slot, midday to 4pm Tuesday to Friday.

Barnett said Jodi was getting stronger but still not at the stage of being left on her own, and other family members were at home with her while he worked each afternoon.

Barnett said Jodi listened every day, barely missing a single minute of their show.

And if she was not at home, such as the other day when she was in the supermarket with their daughter, she would still be listening, through earphones.

“She’s enjoying me being back on air and really loving it,” Barnett said.

“She’s always just been such a massive support in my life, I would not be the man I am and certainly would not achieve anything like the success I have, if it wasn’t for Jodi,” he said.

And it was fantastic to be working back alongside Gifford, who had moved from Auckland to Christchurch to do the show.

The pair joined More FM in 1997, coming there from 91ZM.

They built up a loyal base of fans, entertained by their hi-jinks and banter.

For Barnett and Gifford it is a completely different role this time round on talk radio.

The ZB mission is to discuss and debate the issues that matter to New Zealanders.

It’s news-based, because that is what people are talking about, but not news-heavy or adversarial, Barnett said.

And Barnett is enjoying not having to get up at 4.30am, as he had to do for almost three decades in breakfast radio.

“Every single second was precious at that hour of the morning, you were really pushed for time,” Barnett said.

By Susan Sandys © The Ashburton Guardian - 12 July 2019