This is the F#$%ing News: My Story

Paddy Gower has spent decades telling New Zealanders' stories. Now, he's telling his.

Paddy Gower has never been afraid to stand up for what he believes in. From his teenage and university years where he learnt to defend himself from cruel bullying about his looks, to the pressure-cooker years he spent in the Press Gallery holding politicians to account, to advocating for the families of the Christchurch terrorist attacks and for sufferers of cystic fibrosis, he has scrapped and fought for the truth and justice for others.

This unrelenting drive has come at a cost - culminating in a serious alcohol addiction, anger issues at times, and bouts of anxiety and depression. Ironically, it was through his own work - a documentary about the outsized role that alcohol plays in many Kiwis' lives - that Paddy's wake-up moment came. It led him to quit the booze for good, a decision he has never regretted despite the knockbacks that kept coming, including the shock of the decision to close down the entire Newshub news division.

Funny, brutally honest and packed with amazing yarns and incredible stories from a huge and varied career, this is Paddy Gower, unleashed.