Mon 25 Jan 2010 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
"This is a very hard thing for me to talk about, and for years I've never really mentioned it... but I think it is time that I came clean. Yes... I am gay," radio host Mike Puru told his listeners live on The Edge radio this morning. Coming out: Mike Puru A long-time radio host and former kids TV presenter, Puru, 34, had previously spoken on-air about nights out in gay bars like K' Road's Family, and mentioned his "partner" a few times, but had never spoken openly about his sexual orientation until this morning. "I have been for a long time in a relationship with Regan," he said on the nationwide Morning Madhouse radio show. "I never talked about it too much on air because I never thought it was a huge deal. "As you trip through life, you realise time is passing you by fast, and you've got a lot of life to live. And to be honest with you, I don't need to hide it anymore, because I'm comfortable with who I am. I have brilliant friends and family around me, and I thought today was the day that I let you all know that," he added. "Sorry if it upsets some of you. Sorry if it comes as a bit of a surprise as well, but I just thought that to make life easier for everyone, we should be honest, open, and just get it out there." 'GOOD ON YA, MATE!' Puru's comments surprised some of his listeners, who posted shocked but supportive messages on The Edge radio's website. "Mikey Boi, that's the best news I've heard for the past year," wrote one fan. "Still waiting for the day my best friend opens his closet door! Hope this inspires him." 'Mike Puru partner' and 'Mike Puru boyfriend' are now popular searches on Google. A video showing Puru's coming out broadcast is now available on YouTube (shown below), with his co-hosts describing the video as: "Mike reveals the truth live on air, we're so proud of him!"
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Monday, 25th January 2010 - 11:56am