Barry Soper

Soper is from Gore. In 1969, after finishing high school he attended the Royal New Zealand Police College at Trentham for six months before he withdrew from studying.{{Cite web|date=9 November 2011|title=A press gallery institution|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/5939735/A-press-gallery-institution|access-date=2021-11-22|website=Stuff |first=Joseph|last=Romanos|language=en}} Soper returned to Gore, and started to work for The Southland Times.

After working at The Southland Times, Soper worked for a number of media organisations: Mataura Ensign, Otago Daily Times, New Zealand Truth, and the Waikato Times. Following this, he worked for the New Zealand Wool Board as a speech-writer. Soper joined the Parliamentary Press Gallery in 1980 working for APN, before moving to Newstalk ZB, where he currently works.

Soper covered both the 1987 Fijian coups d'état, and the 2000 Fijian coups d'état, securing the first international interview with George Speight.{{Cite web|date=24 July 2010|title=Political editor silent on drink-drive case|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3955168/Political-editor-silent-on-drink-drive-case|access-date=22 November 2021|website=Stuff |language=en}}

He was approached to stand for the Labour Party at the 1992 Wellington Central by-election, but rejected the offer to do so.{{cite news |title=Soper rejects by-election bid |work=The Evening Post |date=19 October 1992 |page=1 }}

Soper covered Nelson Mandela's inauguration in 1994.{{Cite web|title=Barry Soper and Heather du Plessis-Allan on kids and critics|url=https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/celebrity/celeb-news/barry-soper-and-heather-du-plessis-allan-on-the-divide-in-their-personal-and-professional-lives-2116|date=17 January 2017|access-date=22 November 2021|website=Now To Love|first=Clare|last=de Lore|language=en}} In 2001, Soper was named Individual Radio Journalist of the Year at the Radio Awards.{{cite web|title=2001 Radio Awards Finalists|url=http://radiostationworld.com/locations/New_Zealand/radio-awards_2001.asp|url-status=dead|work=RadioStationWorld|accessdate=13 December 2007|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210201753/http://radiostationworld.com/locations/New_Zealand/radio-awards_2001.asp|archivedate=10 December 2007}}

Soper himself made the news in July 2006 during the visit of Foreign Minister Winston Peters to Washington, DC, where Peters singled out Soper from a group of journalists who questioned Peters during the trip. Soper reported that Peters' own behaviour was outside what would reasonably be expected of a politician during an international visit.{{cite web|last=Houlahan|first=Mike|date=20 July 2006|title=US senator caught in Peters' media war|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10392123|work=New Zealand Herald |accessdate=13 December 2007}}

Previously, he was also one of the "You've Got Male" panellists on TV One's Good Morning.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}

Currently, Soper's main role is political editor at Newstalk ZB, a radio network in New Zealand. Through its agreement with Prime Television, he appears as the political editor for the TV network on its nightly broadcasts.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}

Soper married journalist Heather du Plessis-Allan in 2009. In October 2021 Du Plessis-Allan announced she was pregnant.{{Cite web|title=Newstalk ZB's Heather Du Plessis-Allan announces she is expecting her first child, with husband Barry Soper|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/newstalk-zbs-heather-du-plessis-allan-announces-she-is-expecting-her-first-child-with-husband-barry-soper/ZLQXVMYNYR262Q2GXW5SKI272Y/|date=12 October 2021|access-date=22 November 2021|website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}} The baby boy was born on 26 February 2022.{{cite web |url=https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/newstalk-zb-welcomes-a-new-face-congratulations-heather-and-barry/ |title=Newstalk ZB welcomes a new face, congratulations Heather and Barry |date=26 February 2022 |work=Newstalk ZB }}

Soper has five children from his two previous marriages.{{Cite web|title=All the best stories at Barry Soper's place|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/all-the-best-stories-at-barry-sopers-place/246UWDZ3E5DEUBSHBLEGMJOCPI/|date=19 July 2002|access-date=23 November 2021|website=The New Zealand Herald |first=Michele|last=Hewitson|language=en-NZ}} His daughter Alice Soper is a rugby player, television analyst, and kids' television show host.{{Cite web|title=Alice Soper {{!}} New Zealand Rugby History|url=https://www.rugbyhistory.co.nz/player/alice-soper|access-date=3 May 2021|website=www.rugbyhistory.co.nz|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=19 May 2020|title=The unshakable voice of Alice Soper|url=https://www.newsroom.co.nz/lockerroom/page/the-unshakable-voice-of-alice-soper|access-date=3 May 2021|website=Newsroom|first=Ashley|last=Stanley|language=en-AU}}{{Cite web|title=Extreme Cake Sports|url=http://www.goodtimes.nz/extreme-cake-sports|access-date=21 November 2021|website=Good Times Company}} On 28 July 2017, Soper's son Henry was stabbed during an argument at a bar in Courtenay Place.{{Cite web|title=Mystery around why man stabbed broadcaster Barry Soper's son|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/mystery-around-why-man-stabbed-broadcaster-barry-sopers-son/UW4SUGWYD4LYY2FOXOMBZLKTDE/|date=7 July 2018|access-date=22 November 2021|website=The New Zealand Herald |first=Melissa|last=Nightingale|language=en-NZ}} Months later, his younger son Hugh was severely injured after falling down a steep bank on a walking track near Karori.{{cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-say-broadcaster-barry-sopers-second-son-fell-down-bank-was-not-attacked/KKPI3735QFZGIPE4Q7TGHWBOPU/ |title=Police say broadcaster Barry Soper's second son 'fell down bank', was not attacked |date=26 October 2017 |work=The New Zealand Herald |first=Meghan |last=Lawrence}} In 2021, Hugh was convicted of assault for a 2019 attack on two Wellington bar owners.{{Cite web|date=26 November 2021|title=Unprovoked attack leaves Wellington bar owners with permanent injuries|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/127099809/unprovoked-attack-leaves-wellington-bar-owners-with-permanent-injuries|access-date=26 November 2021|website=Stuff |language=en}}

In 2010, Soper was fined and disqualified from driving for six months for drink-driving.

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Category:1951 births

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Category:People from Gore, New Zealand

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