Melissa Stokes is a New Zealand television presenter and reporter who fronts 1News at Six, the country’s flagship weekday evening news bulletin. She took over the main anchor seat in November 2025 after Simon Dallow stepped down, following seven years as the programme’s weekend presenter. Away from the newsroom, she is a mother of two boys and is married to TVNZ cameraman Dave Pierce.
Melissa Stokes Biography
| Field | Details |
| Full name | Melissa Tania Stokes |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | 1978 or 1979 (exact date not public) |
| Age | 47–48 years old (as of September 2026) |
| Place of birth | New Zealand |
| Current residence | Auckland’s North Shore, New Zealand |
| Nationality | New Zealander |
| Hair colour | Dark brown |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Dave Pierce |
| Children | Two sons, Hugo and Freddie |
| Alma mater | New Zealand Broadcasting School, Christchurch |
| Profession | Television presenter, reporter |
| Net worth | Not publicly disclosed |
| @melissastokes.nz |
Who is Melissa Stokes?
Melissa Stokes is the lead presenter of 1News at Six, the most-watched news bulletin in New Zealand. She assumed the weekday role on 28 November 2025, replacing broadcasting veteran Simon Dallow after his long run in the seat.
She is one of the most experienced journalists at TVNZ, with more than two decades at the state broadcaster. Her career has taken her from a Christchurch newsroom to London and Brisbane, and finally to the top presenting job in New Zealand television.
How old is Melissa Stokes? Age and birthday
Melissa Stokes is 47 or 48 years old as of September 2026. She was born in 1978 or 1979 in New Zealand. She has kept her exact birth date private, so her zodiac sign is not publicly known.
Melissa Stokes’ career
Melissa grew up in Tauranga, where her parents ran fabric shops. Her first job was working in the deli section of a New World supermarket. At age 16, she moved with her family to Christchurch and finished high school there.
She spent one year studying law at the University of Canterbury, planning to become a lawyer. She found the subject dull and switched paths, enrolling at the New Zealand Broadcasting School in Christchurch. Her uncle, Spencer Jolly, worked as a TVNZ journalist during Robert Muldoon’s time as prime minister and later worked for Channel 9 in Brisbane. He partly inspired her move into television.
While studying, she landed an internship at the Prime TV newsroom in Christchurch in 1999. She has credited her boss there, Steve Bloxham, as an important mentor.
TVNZ and foreign correspondent roles
Stokes joined TVNZ in 2001 as a reporter on the morning show Breakfast. Between 2006 and 2008, she served as the TVNZ Europe correspondent, based in London. She covered major stories across the continent and travelled widely for the network. She also spent two years as TVNZ’s Australia correspondent, based in Brisbane, before returning to Auckland.
Over her career, she has covered some of the country’s biggest events, including the Christchurch earthquake. When Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, Stokes travelled to the United Kingdom to front TVNZ’s rolling coverage.
1News presenting roles
Stokes began presenting across several TVNZ news programmes in 2010. In December 2018, it was announced she would replace Peter Williams as the presenter of the 6pm weekend bulletins, a role she held from 2019 to 2025.
In early November 2025, TVNZ announced that Stokes would replace Simon Dallow as the main weekday presenter of 1News at Six. She started in the role on 28 November 2025. As of 2026, she continues to lead the flagship bulletin on weekdays and Sundays, marking 25 years in front of the camera.
What is Melissa Stokes’ net worth and salary?
Melissa Stokes’ net worth is not publicly disclosed, and no verified figures exist. TVNZ does not publish individual presenter salaries, so her exact earnings are unknown.
Her income comes mainly from her long career at TVNZ, where she has worked since 2001. She also earns money as a sought-after master of ceremonies and event host, booked through speaker agencies for corporate and public events. As the lead anchor of the country’s top-rated news bulletin, she sits among the higher-paid broadcasters in New Zealand television, though any specific salary number would be speculation.
Is Melissa Stokes married? Husband, children, and family
Melissa Stokes is married to Dave Pierce, a TVNZ cameraman. The pair met through work and have described themselves as the classic journalist-and-cameraman pairing. Dave worked as her cameraman during her time as Europe correspondent between 2006 and 2008.
The couple has two sons: Hugo, born around 2011, and Freddie, born in January 2013. Hugo is a teenager who enjoys school, mountain biking, and kayaking. Freddie is a keen football fan who has been lobbying his mum to let him play rugby. Melissa has spoken openly about parenting Hugo, who has ADHD.
Her mother’s death
Melissa’s mother, Gillian Stokes, died on 15 June 2023, aged 72, after living with lung cancer for seven years. When the cancer spread to her brain shortly before Christmas 2022, Gillian chose to die by euthanasia under New Zealand’s assisted dying law. Melissa has spoken publicly about the experience, calling her mother brave, and has shared the diary she kept after the diagnosis.
The family lives on Auckland’s North Shore. They spend holidays at Mount Maunganui, where Melissa enjoys walking up the maunga, paddleboarding, and surfing with her boys. She has also been learning te reo Māori for more than five years, taking classes with broadcasters Stacey and Scotty Morrison.
Social media presence
As of 2026, Melissa Stokes has around 16,000 followers on Instagram under the handle @melissastokes.nz. She uses the platform to share newsroom moments, family life, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of 1News. Her bio describes her as a reporter, newsreader, and mother of boys.
Fast facts about Melissa Stokes
- Her first job was in the deli section of a New World supermarket in Tauranga.
- Her parents ran fabric shops, and she worked for them as a teenager.
- She studied law for one year at the University of Canterbury before quitting because she found it dull.
- Her uncle, Spencer Jolly, was a TVNZ journalist during Robert Muldoon’s time as prime minister.
- She got her start through an internship at Prime TV’s Christchurch newsroom in 1999.
- She has Chinese ancestry through her family heritage.
- She met her husband Dave Pierce at work, and he filmed beside her during her Europe correspondent years.
- She flew to London to lead TVNZ’s coverage when Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022.
- She has been learning te reo Māori for more than five years, partly to improve her on-air pronunciation.
- Her mother Gillian chose an assisted death in June 2023 after a seven-year cancer battle, a story Melissa has shared publicly.
- She celebrated 25 years in front of the camera in the same week she began anchoring the weekday 1News at Six bulletin.
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FAQs
Who is Melissa Stokes?
Melissa Stokes is a New Zealand television presenter and reporter. She is the lead anchor of 1News at Six, TVNZ’s flagship weekday evening bulletin, a role she began in November 2025.
How old is Melissa Stokes?
She was born in 1978 or 1979, making her 47 or 48 years old as of September 2026. Her exact birthday has not been made public.
Who is Melissa Stokes married to?
She is married to Dave Pierce, a TVNZ cameraman. They worked together overseas during her time as Europe correspondent from 2006 to 2008.
How many children does Melissa Stokes have?
She has two sons, Hugo and Freddie. Hugo is a teenager with ADHD, and Freddie was born in January 2013.
Where did Melissa Stokes go to school?
She attended the New Zealand Broadcasting School in Christchurch. Before that, she spent one year studying law at the University of Canterbury.
Who did Melissa Stokes replace on 1News?
She replaced Simon Dallow as the weekday presenter of 1News at Six in November 2025. She had previously replaced Peter Williams as the weekend presenter in 2019.
What is Melissa Stokes’ net worth?
Her net worth has not been publicly disclosed. She earns her income through her TVNZ presenting role and work as an MC and event host.
Wrapping up
Melissa Stokes has spent more than 25 years building her career in New Zealand television, rising from a Christchurch intern to the country’s top news anchor. As she settles into the 1News at Six seat through 2026, she balances the pressure of live television with family life on Auckland’s North Shore and her ongoing commitment to learning te reo Māori.
References
- Wikipedia. “Melissa Stokes”
- 1News. “‘Live TV can be terrifying’: Melissa Stokes on 25 years in front of the camera”
- Woman’s Day. “1News presenter Melissa Stokes opens up about grief & life”
- 1News. “Melissa Stokes: The day my much-loved mother chose to die”
- Stuff. “TVNZ presenter Melissa Stokes on balancing working mum life”
- 1News. “‘Her Majesty’: The story Melissa Stokes will never forget”
- NZ On Screen. “Melissa Stokes”
- Celebrity Speakers. “Book Melissa Stokes as your MC”
- Australian Women’s Weekly NZ. “Melissa Stokes”
- The Press. “Gillian Stokes Obituary (2023)”
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