April Ieremia

{{short description|New Zealand netball player and television host}}

{{Infobox netball biography

|name = April Ieremia

|image = April Ieremia in 2006.jpg

|caption = Ieremia in 2006

|updated = 30 March 2010

|fullname =

|maidenname =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|10|31|df=yes}}

|birth_place = Apia, Western Samoa

|death_date =

|death_place =

|height =

|school =

|university = University of Canterbury

|occupation = Television broadcaster

|relatives =

|spouse = Andrew Bruce (2002-2006)

|marrieddate =

|children = 2

|positions = GA, GS, WA

|clubyears1 = 1983–92

|clubteam1 = Canterbury Netball

|domesticcaps =

|nationalyears1 = 1988–90, 1992

|nationalteam1 = {{nb|New Zealand}}

|nationalcaps1 = 9

|coachyears =

|coachteams =

}}

April Ieremia (born 31 October 1967){{cite web | title = April Ieremia and Brent Todd | url = http://www.throng.co.nz/celebrity-treasure-island/april-ieremia-and-brent-todd | accessdate = 2 June 2008 | archive-date = 19 May 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110519110919/http://www.throng.co.nz/celebrity-treasure-island/april-ieremia-and-brent-todd | url-status = dead }} is a New Zealand former netball player and television host.

Netball career

April Ieremia was a New Zealand attacking player from Christchurch who represented Canterbury from 1983–1992. In 1985 she made the Young Internationals before being selected for New Zealand Under 21 in 1986 and then again in 1988 at the inaugural World Youth Cup. At 20, Ieremia represented the Silver Ferns (New Zealand's national netball team) from 1988–1990 and again in 1992.

Sports Presenting career

In 1993, after retiring from international netball, Ieremia co-hosted the magazine sports show, Moro SportsExtra on TVNZ with Greg Clark, Stu Wilson, Jeff Crowe and Brent Todd. She became the main sports anchor for ONE NEWS from 1994 until 2003.{{cite news|last1=Casserly|first1=Paul|title=Nude D'Audney tops legendary NZ TV moments|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10870774|accessdate=16 September 2015|work=The New Zealand Herald |publisher=The NZ Herald|date=12 March 2013}} In 1994, she presented for ONE Sport hosting at the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games, 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Ieremia was the face of netball for ONE Sport hosting national and international netball competitions from 1995 including the 1999 and 2003 Netball World Championships, the regional National Bank Cup, Fisher and Paykel test Internationals and National Provincial Championships.

In 2002, Ieremia hosted ASB Tennis Classic international in Auckland featuring Anna Kournikova and the men's Heinekin Open with Marat Safin and Goran Ivanisevic. From 1994–2003, Ieremia co-hosted the Halberg Sports Awards. In 1997, Ieremia won the coveted Qantas Award for Best Presenter. She finished sports presenting in December, 2003.

General career

Ieremia hosted a number of major television specials like the 'Opening of Te Papa', 'The Big Jump' and the TV2 show, April's Angels, in 1997 and 1998.{{cite web|title=April Ieremia|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/pirates-of-the-pacific/april-ieremia-982287|website=TVNZ|publisher=tvnz.co.nz|accessdate=16 September 2015}} In 2001, Ieremia joined The Radio Network (TRN) as a breakfast show radio host with Mark Leishman on "Easy Listening i". Returning to television in 2007, she joined the Living Channel and Food TV on Sky TV.{{cite web|title=April Ieremia |url=http://www.nzonscreen.com/person/april-ieremia|website=NZ On Screen |accessdate=16 September 2015}}

April hosted a television talk show on SKY TV's The Living Channel called April in the Afternoon. The show started on 1 April 2008. She also developed her career behind the scenes in production and sponsorship in programmes for Food TV, the Living Channel and Eyeworks NZ. In 2012, Ieremia joined the new lifestyle channel Choice TV as a presenter and producer. Ieremia co-hosted a Choice TV daily chat show called Brunch with Josh Kronfeld in 2012.{{cite news|last1=Schouten|first1=Hank|title=Kronfeld, Ieremia to host morning show|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/culture/television/7609972/Kronfeld-Ieremia-to-host-morning-show|accessdate=16 September 2015|publisher=The Dominion Post NZ|date=4 September 2012}}{{cite news|last1=Johns|first1=Bryce|title=Parallel parking in tight streets tests the nerves|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10843401|accessdate=16 September 2015|publisher=The New Zealand Herald |date=28 October 2012}} Ieremia also began working with HGTV (Home and Garden TV) in 2016.

Personal life

Born in Apia, Western Samoa, April moved to Christchurch with her family in 1970. In Canterbury, she developed her deep love of sport and in particular, netball which has laid the foundation for most of her career as a player, broadcaster and coach.{{cite news|title=College Sport: The wrap|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11469936|accessdate=16 September 2015|publisher=The New Zealand Herald |date=28 June 2015}}{{cite news|title=TV star April won't stay mum over cancer|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-news/latest-edition/20218/TV-star-April-won-t-stay-mum-over-cancer|accessdate=16 September 2015|agency=Fairfax Media NZ|publisher=Sunday News NZ|date=23 September 2009}} She graduated from the University of Canterbury with a BA in History and a Diploma of Teaching at the Christchurch College of Education in 1991. She taught at Avonside Girls School in Christchurch before moving to Auckland for a career in television.

In 2012, Ieremia published her first book, "April Loses It" on weight loss, which went on to feature on the best seller list for 4 weeks.{{cite news|last1=Crosbie Z|first1=Sandra|title=April aims to inspire|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/your-manawatu/feilding-herald/6895870/April-aims-to-inspire|accessdate=16 September 2015|agency=Fairfax Media|publisher=Manawatu Standard|date=10 May 2012}}{{cite news|last1=Fannin|first1=Jocelyn|title=April's weight loss struggle inspires|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/your-manawatu/central-district-times/6888907/Aprils-weight-loss-struggle-inspires|accessdate=16 September 2015|agency=Fairfax Media NZ|publisher=Manawatu Standard|date=9 May 2012}}{{cite news|last1=Foy|first1=Sarah|title=Street food|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/lifestyle/6796126/Street-food|accessdate=16 September 2015|agency=Fairfax Media NZ|publisher=Taranaki Daily News |date=24 April 2012}}{{cite news|last1=Bertrand|first1=Kelly|title=April Ieremia's weight-loss wisdom|url=http://www.nzwomansweekly.co.nz/celebrity/april-ieremias-weight-loss-wisdom/|accessdate=16 September 2015|publisher=The New Zealand Woman's Weekly|date=12 January 2015}}

{{cite news|title=April Ieremia's on a mission|url=http://www.nzwomansweekly.co.nz/current-issue/latest-issue/april-ieremias-mission/|accessdate=16 September 2015|publisher=The New Zealand Woman's Weekly|date=5 January 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Johnstone|first1=Tessa|last2=Hickland|first2=Amie|title=April 'gets off her butt' to lose 30kg|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/wairarapa-times-age/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503414&objectid=11061898|accessdate=16 September 2015|agency=NZME|publisher=The Wairarapa Times Age|date=3 May 2012}}{{cite news|title=Ieremia a scale model|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10401650|accessdate=16 September 2015|publisher=The New Zealand Herald |date=16 September 2006}}