Polly Gillespie confirms end of Polly and Grant More FM radio show

Polly Gillespie has confirmed she and her More FM co-host Grant Kereama have hosted their last breakfast show, a victim of the job cuts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gillespie confirmed the sad news on her Facebook page on Monday afternoon, saying the news was definitely hard but not the end of her and Kereama's careers.

"It certainly doesn't mean the end career-wise for me or Granty - I can't actually speak for Grant 'cause he'd probably rather be an astronaut!" she said.

Gillespie was also hit hard when Bauer magazines closed in April - she had an Agony Aunt column in Woman's Day New Zealand.

She said when the magazine folded, she thought "at least I still have my radio job".

Despite the hard news, she says there are no "hard feelings" towards MediaWorks, which owns More FM.

"We loved doing the breakfast show but it's not normal times," she said.

"It's a hard time for a lot of people. And who are we to complain when there are so many people who are going through the same thing, if not worse?"

Gillespie added she's working on new projects including a "very saucy book" and two new podcasts. She also teased another secret project, saying it's "really exciting".

A spokesperson for MediaWorks said the organisation is "extremely grateful" for Gillespie and Kereama's hard work over the years.

"Unfortunately COVID-19 has forced us to make some hard decisions and in the current environment, the show is no longer sustainable," they said.

"We are excited to continue to work with and support Polly and Grant with their next adventure, as they launch new podcasts that will be on Rova and other platforms in the near future."

MediaWorks' proposal to cut 130 jobs followed a drastic decline in advertising revenue due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Chief executive Michael Anderson called the cuts a "worst-case scenario" when they were announced in May.

"As you know, COVID-19 has simultaneously changed the world and impacted our business in ways that we could not predict or prepare for," he said at the time.

"It has also completely changed the market that we operate in and this means that we must adapt to ensure our survival and sustainability in the coming months."