TV host Henry smashes Yahoo!Xtra poll record

TV host Henry smashes Yahoo!Xtra poll record

26 February 2010

TVNZ ‘Breakfast’ co-host Paul Henry may be controversial, but he’s still the best way to start the day, according to a poll on Yahoo!Xtra.

Love him or hate him, Henry picked up a stunning 20,366 votes in favour of his return on Monday when Yahoo!Xtra asked “Do you want Paul Henry back on ‘Breakfast’?”.

Proving he is still a massive drawcard a total of 36,796 votes were cast in response to the question this week - the highest response ever to a Yahoo!Xtra daily poll.

Henry has been on leave from his position since late last year, with his chair being filled by a roster of other TVNZ talent.

In recent weeks Alison Mau stepped into the presenting role and has garnered considerable public support.

However, 55 per cent of poll respondents are ready to welcome Henry back, saying “Yes, he’s funny”, while just 12 per cent said they preferred the current pairing of Mau and Pippa Wetzell.

Twenty-five per cent did not want Henry back on their screens, saying he was offensive, while eight per cent said they didn’t care.

Henry’s provocative comments tend to polarise his viewers, causing widespread outrage at times, but garnering support from many who enjoy his “non-PC” outlook on life.

“As New Zealand’s biggest portal, Yahoo!Xtra offers an immediate and often surprising insight into the attitudes of the nation through its daily polls” says Laura Maxwell-Hansen, General Manager.

As well as the record-breaking poll, the story also stirred debate in Yahoo!Xtra’s message boards, with passionate posts from users on both sides of the argument.

ENDS

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