One of New Zealand's best loved after dinner entertainers. Gary McCormick has become a media icon in bringing a philosophical sanity to current events in New Zealand. Gary is a great MC an outrageous debater and a very funny after dinner speaker.

Radio presenter and commentator, television star, corporate speaker, comic, published poet. Renowned for his long-running documentary series on life in the New Zealand hinterland, Heartland, and on-the-road talk show McCormick, Gary is one of the country’s most popular celebrities.

He is also one of the most sought after speakers on the corporate circuit, providing his own topical brand of humour as an after-dinner speaker and conference MC.

The former gardener, surfboard manufacturer and merry-go-round operator from Titahi Bay (subject of the award-winning BAY BOYS documentary) Gary was whisked from his job as a gardener at Porirua Hospital to the life of a touring performer, when his first book of poems Naked and Nameless won a Pen Poetry Award. He has since had another 6 books of poems published, the last being Lost at Sea (Hodder Moa Beckett 1995).

Years of touring with rock bands followed, as well as comedy tours and a growing number of corporate speeches. He also promoted and appeared in a series of Celebrity Comedy Debates that filled town halls throughout New Zealand.

Invited to front One Television documentary Raglan by the Sea, his offbeat, amusing style won his first television outing the ‘Documentary of the Year Award’. In 1997 he was named New Zealand Entertainer of the Year.

A delight in language and the cut and thrust of debate, make Gary one of the finest and most amusing speakers in the English language.

“ I like to improvise. Use a hand-held radio mike, talk to people and be truly creative in my performances.
I like excitement.I want the speeches to be fun – for me AND the audience.”

In 2002, as a result of a speech to international airline companies, Gary was approached by Auckland International Airport Company’s then CEO, John Goulter and invited to become a Roving Ambassador for the Company. In that capacity he has made numerous speeches and appears at functions on their behalf. He has also had a ride in the airport's fire engine!

At the beginning of 2003 Gary took on the “serious job” of co-hosting the MORE FM breakfast show with Simon Barnett .
“ I have never had a full time job commitment like this before and it was initially a difficult decision. I have so much fun touring with the likes of David Lange, Mayor Tim Shadbolt, Sam Hunt, Kim Hill, Ginette McDonald, Tom Scott and recently with former English rugby captain Martin Johnson,Col Meads on The Big Night Out tour, I was a little worried about how I’d handle staying in one place. But the Station is happy for me to keep doing the live performances and I love the morning job with Simon – so its all worked out perfectly.”

Gary is fifty something years of age, ‘sartorially-challenged’ by his own admission, the owner of a single thin tie (circa 1963) and has ambitions are to write more and spend more time with his lovely partner Katherine,who is trying to teach him some kind of dress sense !