Paul Henry at mother Olive's hospital bedside

  • 27/10/2016
Paul Henry and his mum Olive (NZ Women's Weekly)
Paul Henry and his mum Olive (NZ Women's Weekly)

MediaWorks broadcaster Paul Henry was absent from his morning show on Thursday, after spending the night in hospital with his mother Olive Hopes.

The Paul Henry programme has been inundated with messages of support after fill-in presenter Ali Mau announced the 87-year-old's hospitalisation on Thursday morning.

Paul Henry at mother Olive's hospital bedside

Paul Henry and his mum Olive (NZ Women's Weekly)

Henry says he's grateful for all the well-wishes and kind words.

Olive is well-known to many New Zealanders for her close relationship with her son, for her mischievous appearances on his shows, and for her daredevil nature.

In a 2013 article in the NZ Woman's Weekly, Olive said she still feels protective of her outspoken broadcaster son.

"I hate it when people say bad things about Paul," she told the magazine.

Paul Henry at mother Olive's hospital bedside

Paul Henry and his mum Olive (NZ Women's Weekly)

For his part, Henry told the magazine how much he adores his mother.

"And I'm very proud," he said.

Olive famously jumped off Auckland's Sky Tower in 2009 to mark her 79th birthday.

Newshub.