Melissa Stokes is the lead presenter of 1News at Six on TVNZ 1, a job she took over from Simon Dallow on 28 November 2025. She is married to Dave, and the couple live in Auckland with their two sons. She joined TVNZ as a Breakfast reporter in 2001 and has been with the network ever since.
Next month she marks a year in the weeknight anchor chair, after six years fronting the bulletin at weekends. She took that job in 2019, after a stint as TVNZ’s Europe correspondent and years on Breakfast, Midday and Tonight. Here is her career in order, followed by what she has shared about her family.
Melissa Stokes’ TVNZ career timeline
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| Teens | Grew up in Tauranga and moved to Christchurch with her family at 16 |
| Before 2001 | Studied law for a year at the University of Canterbury, then switched to the NZ Broadcasting School in Christchurch |
| 2001 | Joined TVNZ as a reporter on Breakfast, later working on Midday and Tonight |
| 2006–2008 | 1News Europe correspondent based in London, covering conflicts including Israel and Syria |
| December 2018 | Named weekend presenter of 1News at Six, replacing Peter Williams |
| 26 January 2019 | First weekend bulletin as permanent presenter |
| September 2022 | Flew to the UK to present TVNZ’s coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s death |
| 3 November 2025 | Announced as Simon Dallow’s successor on the weekday 1News at Six |
| 28 November 2025 | Took over as lead weekday presenter |
When she was first given the weekend bulletin in 2018 she said: “Being in New Zealanders’ homes is not something we ever take for granted.”
Is Melissa Stokes the new 1News at Six anchor?
Yes. TVNZ announced on 3 November 2025 that she would replace Simon Dallow, who signed off on 28 November after nearly 20 years as lead presenter. TVNZ chief executive Jodi O’Donnell called her Dallow’s “natural successor” and said, as Newstalk ZB reported: “We are incredibly fortunate to have someone of Melissa’s calibre appointed as our lead presenter for 1News at Six.”
Her weekend slot went to Jack Tame, who also kept hosting Q+A on Sunday mornings.
Who is Melissa Stokes’ husband?
Her husband is Dave. A 2022 Newstalk ZB profile said she lives in Auckland “with her husband, Dave, and their two sons.” She keeps her married life largely out of the spotlight, and has not published their wedding date or wedding photos.
Does Melissa Stokes have children?
Yes, two sons. In a January 2024 essay for 1News she wrote that they were 9 and 11 at the time. She has shared little else about them.
Melissa Stokes’ mother and family
Her mother was Gillian Briar Stokes, known as Gill. In a personal essay for 1News, Stokes wrote that her mother had lived with terminal cancer for almost seven years and chose assisted dying, and that she died on 15 June 2023. Her parents had been married for 52 years. Stokes wrote: “Mum was gone. For what it’s worth, it looked like a peaceful way to go.”
She has a sister, Olivia. As a teenager she worked in her parents’ fabric shops, and her first job was in the deli section of a New World supermarket. She has said her uncle, the former TVNZ political journalist Spencer Jolly, was part of the reason she wanted to work in television.
How old is Melissa Stokes?
TVNZ has not published her date of birth, and the public sources we checked disagree on her birth year (1978 or 1979). We are not guessing. Her height has not been published either.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Melissa Stokes?
She is a New Zealand journalist and the lead presenter of 1News at Six on TVNZ 1 since November 2025. Before that she presented the weekend bulletin from 2019 and was TVNZ’s Europe correspondent from 2006 to 2008.
Is Melissa Stokes married?
Yes, to Dave. They live in Auckland with their two sons.
Who replaced Simon Dallow on 1News?
Melissa Stokes, from 28 November 2025.
Where is Melissa Stokes from?
She grew up in Tauranga and finished high school in Christchurch after her family moved there when she was 16.
Who reads the 1News at Six on weekends now?
Jack Tame took over the weekend bulletin when Stokes moved to weeknights.
