Ryan Bridge
{{Short description|New Zealand broadcaster}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ryan Bridge
| image =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1987|11}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| citizenship = New Zealander
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Broadcaster
| years_active = 2010{{endash}} present
| employer = Warner Bros. Discovery New Zealand
| organization =
}}
Ryan Bridge (born November 1987){{cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/ryan-bridge-to-leave-am-co-star-melissa-chan-greens-tribute-as-he-moves-to-new-7pm-show/4FL2I6IQERG2TJTFRL6MZXP6FE/ |title=Ryan Bridge to leave AM: Co-star Melissa Chan-Green's tribute as he moves to new 7pm show |date=8 December 2023 |work=New Zealand Herald |first=Lillie |last=Rohan}}{{Cite web |last=Jack |first=Amberleigh |date=2023-12-16 |title=Ryan Bridge looking ahead to wedding bells and a new show in 2024 |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/301026213/ryan-bridge-looking-ahead-to-wedding-bells-and-a-new-show-in-2024 |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=Stuff |language=en}} is a New Zealand broadcaster who previously co-hosted the breakfast show AM on Three alongside Melissa Chan-Green and Bernadine Oliver-Kerby.{{Cite web |title=Ryan Bridge |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/author-pages/ryan-bridge.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309160642/http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/author-pages/ryan-bridge.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 March 2017 |access-date=28 May 2023 |website=Newshub |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Ryan Bridge |publisher=NZ On Screen |url= https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/ryan-bridge |access-date=28 May 2023 |website=www.nzonscreen.com |language=en}} Before this he previously hosted the Ryan Bridge Drive Show on Magic Talk radio.{{Cite web |title=Newsroom {{!}} Independent New Zealand news and current affairs |url=https://www.newsroom.co.nz/profile/ryanbridge2021/posts |access-date=28 May 2023 |website=Newsroom |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |last=Nealon |first=Sarah |date=15 September 2021 |title=The AM Show host Ryan Bridge reveals debt to Duncan Garner |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/126384665/the-am-show-host-ryan-bridge-reveals-debt-to-duncan-garner |access-date=28 May 2023 |website=Stuff |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Ward |first=Tara |date=17 September 2021 |title=It's official: The AM Show has gone just as bonkers as Breakfast |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/pop-culture/17-09-2021/its-official-the-am-show-has-gone-just-as-bonkers-as-breakfast |access-date=28 May 2023 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}
Early life
Bridge grew up in the Kāpiti Coast District, where his first job was delivering newspapers.{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/125091119/ryan-bridge-talks-tears-joy-and-being-outed-on-national-television |title=Ryan Bridge talks tears, joy and being outed on national television |date=12 May 2021 |work=Stuff |first=Kerry |last=Harvey}} He was involved with the Youth Council and served as Youth MP for Darren Hughes.{{cite web |url=http://www.myd.govt.nz/media/pdf/youthparliament04.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041213085636/http://www.myd.govt.nz/media/pdf/youthparliament04.pdf |title=Fourth Youth Parliament, 2004 |archive-date=13 December 2004}}
Career
When Bridge was 22 years old, he began working as a political reporter in the press gallery of the New Zealand Parliament.{{Cite web |date=7 July 2010 |title=Youth press gallery coverage of Parliament |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/36727/youth-press-gallery-coverage-of-parliament |access-date=28 May 2023 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}{{Cite news |date=28 May 2023 |title='Free to be me': Broadcaster Ryan Bridge on being outed as gay on live TV |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/broadcaster-ryan-bridge-on-being-outed-as-gay-on-live-tv-i-am-free-to-be-me/ATQ7NWOYLFPHWGXKZRFTF4DN5A/ |access-date=28 May 2023 |work=The New Zealand Herald}}{{Cite web |last=apac-admin |title=New Zealand Law Awards |url=https://www.lawawards.co.nz/index.php/component/content/article/2-uncategorised/123-ryan-bridge |access-date=28 May 2023 |website=www.lawawards.co.nz |language=en-gb}} He was also Three's Beijing correspondent and business newsreader for Morning Report on Radio New Zealand.{{Cite web |last=Sowman-Lund |first=Stewart |date=15 April 2023 |title=For the first time in 20 years, Ingrid Hipkiss is the 'new girl' |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/15-04-2023/for-the-first-time-in-20-years-ingrid-hipkiss-is-the-new-girl |access-date=28 May 2023 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}
Bridge has also worked on Three's previous current affairs show Story as a reporter and presenter, as well as Newshub on the same channel.
In 2021, Bridge replaced Duncan Garner on AM, a New Zealand morning breakfast show.{{Cite news |last=Bevan |first=Darren |date=5 September 2021 |title=Ryan Bridge to replace Duncan Garner as AM Show host |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/126293307/ryan-bridge-to-replace-duncan-garner-as-am-show-host |access-date=28 May 2023 |work=Stuff}}{{Cite news |title=AM Show's Ryan Bridge brought to tears reliving moment Mark Richardson outed his sexuality live on air |language=en |work=Newshub |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2021/12/am-show-s-ryan-bridge-brought-to-tears-reliving-moment-mark-richardson-outed-his-sexuality-live-on-air.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225030451/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2021/12/am-show-s-ryan-bridge-brought-to-tears-reliving-moment-mark-richardson-outed-his-sexuality-live-on-air.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 February 2022 |access-date=28 May 2023}} He left the show in December 2023.{{Cite web |last=Jack |first=Amberleigh |date=2023-12-14 |title=Matty McLean and Ryan Bridge sign off from breakfast television: 'I will miss you terribly' |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/301027326/matty-mclean-and-ryan-bridge-sign-off-from-breakfast-television-i-will-miss-you-terribly |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=Stuff |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=6 September 2021 |title=Peter Williams to leave Magic Talk |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/450846/peter-williams-to-leave-magic-talk |access-date=28 May 2023 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}
Bridge had been expected in late 2023 to host an upcoming current affairs show, Bridge on Three.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-20 |title=They lured a legend to NZ, now a TV firm is in spotlight over bills; 7pm show's new name |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/media-insider-tv-company-in-spotlight-over-bills-revealed-name-of-ryan-bridges-new-7pm-show-fair-go-host-i-ended-up-exhausted-former-air-nz-agency-moves-to-qantas-rnz-ratings-standoff/IVOYCPBHUJFSNNU24AG6GQ3NHU/ |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240215163920/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/media-insider-tv-company-in-spotlight-over-bills-revealed-name-of-ryan-bridges-new-7pm-show-fair-go-host-i-ended-up-exhausted-former-air-nz-agency-moves-to-qantas-rnz-ratings-standoff/IVOYCPBHUJFSNNU24AG6GQ3NHU/ |archive-date=2024-02-15 |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ}} It had been intended to replace The Project which finished in December 2023, although plans to launch the show fell through due to the closure of Newshub in 2024.{{Cite web |last=reporters |first=Stuff |date=2023-12-07 |title=Ryan Bridge to replace The Project with new 7pm show |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/301023223/ryan-bridge-to-replace-the-project-with-new-7pm-show |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=Stuff |language=en}}
Personal life
Bridge lives with his partner Fergy along with their beagle Fanny.{{Cite web |date=28 May 2023 |title=AM show's Ryan Bridge: 'Getting this job came out of the blue' |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/am-show-host-ryan-bridge-on-his-new-morning-tv-role-getting-this-job-came-out-of-the-blue/RG6GZDWL7JV35KOTZDUECZ2FMU/ |access-date=28 May 2023 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ}} It wasn't until 2021, when previous AM co-host Mark Richardson questioned his sexuality on live television that Bridge shared publicly that he was gay.{{Cite web |date=28 May 2023 |title=Watch: 'What have I done!' – AM Show host in tears, Richardson apologises |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/am-show-host-ryan-bridge-reduced-to-tears-as-mark-richardson-apologises-for-outing-sexuality/RF7MTC5ULJ3JN2A2XTK6UJ6XVA/ |access-date=28 May 2023 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ}}{{Cite web |last=Bevan |first=Darren |date=23 October 2019 |title='This is as bad as I've ever felt': Mark Richardson accidentally outs Ryan Bridge on air |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/116861095/this-is-as-bad-as-ive-ever-felt-mark-richardson-accidentally-outs-ryan-bridge-on-air |access-date=28 May 2023 |website=Stuff |language=en}} In June 2023 Bridge announced he was engaged.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-12 |title=Kiwi TV news star announces 'risky' engagement live on air |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/am-shows-ryan-bridge-announces-engagement-live-on-air/2HCEWFAVSBBGTIH4QINZ2NPQHQ/ |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bridge, Ryan}}
Category:People from the Kāpiti Coast District
Category:New Zealand television presenters
Category:New Zealand television talk show hosts
Category:New Zealand radio presenters
Category:New Zealand talk radio hosts
Category:New Zealand LGBTQ broadcasters
Category:New Zealand gay entertainers