Bailey, Judy

Former news presenter for ONE News, the highest rated evening television news programme in New Zealand. She has been called the "Mother of the Nation".

Judy Bailey was born in Palmerston North and spent her childhood there and in Wellington, apart from four years in England. She studied journalism at the Wellington Polytechnic and in 1971 was a health and education reporter for radio and television.

Bailey joined the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (now Television New Zealand) in 1971 and worked as a reporter on news and current affairs programs. She presented the regional news with John Hawkesby for Auckland from 1980 - 1987 in the program Top Half. From 1988, she presented the ONE News program (along with Richard Long until 2004). A reshuffle in TVNZ following the departure of Paul Holmes in 2004 saw her become the sole news presenter on the evening news.

On October 3, 2005, Television New Zealand announced it was not renewing her contract despite her immense popularity, as it planned a rejuvenation of its news programs to combat slipping market share. Her final day fronting the 6pm news was on 23 December 2005. Simon Dallow and Wendy Petrie took over in January 2006.

Her next role on television was on Māori Television on ANZAC Day (25 April 2006), where she co-hosted the 6 am to midnight coverage of events.

Her autobiography was released in late 2006.