A whole new Hayley I'VE FINALLY FOUND MY HAPPY PLACE'

Welcoming us into her new home, the beloved TV star reveals how she’s healed from tragedy and grief

- Emma Clifton

Wrapped in a cosy jumper in the lounge of her new home, Hayley Holt is finally in her happy place. After a painful 18 months, which saw the TVNZ sports reporter and her partner Josh Tito deal with the sudden and tragic stillbirth of their son Frankie when Hayley was six months pregnant, the pair have shared a difficult path together.

But a year down the track, life is better and brighter, and Hayley and Josh have something to celebrate – the purchase of their first home together. As she takes Woman’s Day on a tour, long-term renter Hayley laughs that it took her a full week to feel like she wasn’t squatting in someone else’s home. But now, a couple of months in, she and Josh are finally feeling settled.

The lovebirds first started looking for houses in Auckland just as prices were peaking.

“That was really fun,” Hayley says dryly. “It’s just down to timing. If you don’t have enough money for your deposit, you can’t get in.”

So they started looking further afield, which led them to Warkworth, an hour north of the city, where they have a ready-made community with Hayley’s parents and many extended family members.

Even with the daily commute to Auckland for her presenting gig on 1 News, Hayley says she has immediately adjusted to the new pace of life.

“Although I need to go and get glasses now because I’m driving at night,” she grins. “That’s what happens when you get old – you move to the suburbs and you buy glasses.”