Westies crowned as NZ’s sexiest

Press Release
Thursday 19 March 2009

Westies crowned as NZ’s sexiest

Simon Dallow has finally been knocked off his perch as New Zealand’s Sexiest Man with Outrageous Fortune’s sexy westie Antony Starr taking his place.

Starr, who sizzles on screen in the hit TV show, has been voted Sexiest Man in the 2009 TV Guide Best on the Box Awards, the magazine’s annual people’s choice poll. His on-screen mum, Robyn Malcolm, has been voted Sexiest Woman for the second year.

The 25 winners of the TV Guide Best on the Box Awards were decided by almost 14,000 television viewers over three weeks in February and March in a public vote.

“It’s pretty surprising,” said Starr. “I’m not really the kind of person who walks around thinking of myself as anything like sexy. I’m sure my family will think it’s hilarious and completely disagree.

“The industry awards are one thing,” he says, “but to have this response .. the audience is the most important thing. I’m blown away.”

Exactly which of the chalk-and-cheese twins, both played by Antony, wooed Kiwi women is in question. Was it loveable but dim-witted handyman Van or smart, scheming lawyer Jethro - both have their share of on screen romps and dalliances.

“Whichever West it may be, Antony is the first person in seven years to take the sexiest male title from Simon Dallow. However, I suspect Simon has always been a bit bemused as to why he won in the first place” says Julie Eley, editor of the TV Guide. Dallow came in second equal with TV One weather hottie and current Dancing with the Stars contender Tamati Coffey in the 2009 Awards.

Forty-something Malcolm believes she won the Sexiest Woman title against stiff competition because of her bootie.

“There are some sexy birds out there,” she says. “I’ll put it down this year to my one nudie walking scene in Outrageous Fortune – maybe that was it. I’ve got an OK kind of bum.”

Sex appeal translates into genuine talent in the eyes of viewers. Starr also took the title of Best Actor and Malcolm took Best Actress, for the fifth time. It was a clean sweep for Outrageous Fortune, also scooping Best Drama for the forth year in a row. The hit show finishes filming its fifth season this week.

In news and current affairs, TV One took the Best News award over previous title holder TV3. This may be the first year since 2002 that Simon Dallow hasn’t been voted the sexiest man, but that didn’t stop him scooping Best Presenter, News. Breakfast and Close Up’s ‘love him or hate him’ host, Paul Henry, was crowned Best Presenter Current Affairs and Jim Hickey took Best Weather Presenter.

In sport, Tony Veitch was voted New Zealand’s Best Sports Presenter for his role as the TV One sports frontman for the first six months of 2008.

Entertainer Jason Gunn was crowned Best Presenter General for the second year proving the Son of a Gun hasn’t lost his touch, and family favourite Dancing with the Stars was voted Best Variety Show. Best Kids Show went to What Now – a children’s favourite from a long time back and also produced by Jason’s Christchurch based film company Whitebait TV.

While they may not have won the elections, funny men and wannabe politicians Bill & Ben gained the much needed public support in TV Guide’s Best on the Box Awards. The duo took the Funniest Person on TV category – their first TV Guide award, and their show Pulp Sport also took out the Best Comedy award.

The full list of winners are announced in this week’s TV Guide (on sale 19 March).

ENDS

TV GUIDE BEST ON THE BOX 2009 – Winners

NEW ZEALAND PEOPLE

SEXIEST WOMAN
Robyn Malcolm (Cheryl West - Outrageous Fortune –TV3)

SEXIEST MAN
Antony Starr (Jethro/Van West – Outrageous Fortune –TV3)

BEST ACTOR
Antony Starr (Jethro/Van West – Outrageous Fortune - TV3)

BEST ACTRESS
Robyn Malcolm (Cheryl West - Outrageous Fortune - TV3)

BEST PRESENTER, NEWS
Simon Dallow (TV1)

BEST PRESENTER, CURRENT AFFAIRS
Paul Henry (Breakfast/Close Up - TV1)

BEST PRESENTER, GENERAL
Jason Gunn (Dancing With The Stars/The Rich List/Wheel Of Fortune - TV1)

BEST PRESENTER, LIFESTYLE SHOWS
Petra Bagust (What’s Really In Our Food? –TV3)

BEST PRESENTER, WEATHER
Jim Hickey (TV1)

BEST PRESENTER - SPORT
Tony Veitch (TV1 & Game Of Two Halves)

RISING STAR
Jack Tame (Breakfast –TV1)

FUNNIEST PERSON ON TV
Bill & Ben (Pulp Sport – TV3)

NEW ZEALAND SHOWS

BEST NEWS
One News

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS
60 Minutes (TV3)

BEST SPECIAL EVENT
Funeral Of Sir Edmund Hillary (TV1)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Intrepid Journeys (TV1)

BEST VARIETY SHOW
Dancing With The Stars (TV1)

BEST GAME OR QUIZ SHOW
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (TV1)

BEST KIDS SHOW
What Now (TV2)

BEST DRAMA
Outrageous Fortune (TV3)

BEST COMEDY
Pulp Sport (TV3)

BEST REALITY SERIES
Sensing Murder (TV2)

BEST LIFESTYLE SHOW
Country Calendar (TV1)

BEST ADVICE SHOW
Fair Go (TV1)

BEST SPORTS SHOW OR EVENT
ONE Sport: Beijing Olympics (TV1)

ENDS

© Scoop Media