Simon Dallow is a New Zealand broadcast journalist, television presenter and former barrister. He is best known as the face of TVNZ’s 1News at Six, a role he held for nearly two decades before signing off in November 2025. Beyond the news desk, he is known for his high-profile former marriage to fellow broadcaster Alison Mau and for tracing his long-hidden Māori roots on national television.
Simon Dallow Biography
| Field | Details |
| Full name | Simon Ross Dallow |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 18 June 1964 |
| Age | 62 years old (as of September 2026) |
| Place of birth | Rotorua, New Zealand |
| Current residence | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Nationality | New Zealander |
| Ethnicity | Mixed (English, Scottish, Māori – Ngāti Pūkenga, and Jewish ancestry) |
| Hair colour | Grey (formerly dark brown) |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Marital status | Married (remarried in February 2026) |
| Ex-spouse | Alison Mau (m. 1996, separated 2009) |
| Children | Two – Paris and Joel |
| Alma mater | University of Auckland |
| Profession | Broadcast journalist, television presenter, former barrister |
| Net worth | Estimated at NZ$1–2 million |
Who is Simon Dallow?
Simon Dallow is a veteran New Zealand journalist who spent more than three decades at TVNZ. He is widely recognised as the long-serving anchor of the network’s flagship 6pm bulletin, 1News at Six, a programme he fronted from 2006 until his final broadcast on 28 November 2025.
Before broadcasting, Dallow trained and worked as a lawyer. He later spent six years as a Contiki tour director in Europe, a job that shaped his calm on-camera style and where he met his future wife, Alison Mau.
How old is Simon Dallow? Age and birthday
Simon Dallow is 62 years old as of September 2026. He was born on 18 June 1964 in Rotorua, New Zealand, though he grew up mostly in Auckland.
He attended St Peter’s College and Liston College in Auckland before studying law at the University of Auckland, where he earned a senior prize on graduating.
Simon Dallow’s height and weight
Simon Dallow’s exact height and weight have never been officially published. He is often described on screen as a tall man, and he himself has joked about being a “tall, skinny number 8” during his rugby-playing days.
Any figures circulating online should be treated as estimates only. He played club rugby until the age of 40, which kept him in athletic shape well into middle age.
Simon Dallow’s career
From the courtroom to Contiki
Dallow began his working life as a litigation and insurance lawyer in Auckland. While overseas on his OE, the 1987 stock market crash hit, and a future in bankruptcy law lost its appeal. He switched paths and spent six years leading Contiki tours across Europe.
TVNZ years
Dallow joined TVNZ in 1993 after returning home with Alison Mau. His first role was presenting TV2’s late-night news magazine show Newsnight in 1994, alongside Mau and Marcus Lush.
From 1995, he and Mau co-presented the mid-evening edition of One Network News, moving to weekend bulletins in 1998. He stayed in that slot until late 2003, then fronted the Saturday morning interview programme Agenda in 2004 and 2005. He also co-hosted four seasons of the quiz show Test the Nation between 2003 and 2006 and held a mid-morning radio slot on Viva FM (later Mix) from 2005 to 2007.
1News at Six and retirement
In January 2006, Dallow and Wendy Petrie took over from Judy Bailey as presenters of 1News at Six. When Petrie departed in 2020, Dallow became the sole anchor of the bulletin.
Over two decades at the desk, he guided viewers through the Canterbury earthquakes, the Pike River mine disaster, the Christchurch mosque attacks, the Covid-19 pandemic, the Whakaari White Island eruption and Cyclone Gabrielle. TVNZ announced in early November 2025 that he was stepping down, with Melissa Stokes named as his replacement. His final bulletin aired on 28 November 2025, closing with the words “good night and good luck.”
In 2026, Dallow returned to his pre-fame roots, taking up tour guiding work again and planning a year of travel.
What is Simon Dallow’s net worth and salary?
As of 2026, Simon Dallow’s net worth is estimated at around NZ$1–2 million. No official figure has ever been published, so all estimates should be treated as approximations.
During his peak years at TVNZ, Dallow was reported to be among the state broadcaster’s top earners, with a salary package believed to be in the region of NZ$300,000 or more per year. His income over the years has come from his TVNZ salary, radio broadcasting, corporate MC and speaking work, and brand ambassador roles, including his long-running charity work with Variety – the Children’s Charity.
Is Simon Dallow married? Wife, dating history and children
Simon Dallow married fellow broadcaster Alison Mau in 1996. The pair met while working as Contiki tour directors in Europe and returned to New Zealand together in 1993.
The couple had two children together, a daughter named Paris and a son named Joel. After 19 years together and 13 years of marriage, they announced their separation in 2009, in one of New Zealand’s most talked-about media break-ups. Mau has since remarried.
Dallow kept his private life out of the spotlight for many years after the split. In May 2026, he revealed that he had quietly remarried in February 2026 and was planning “the year of his dreams” with his new wife, saying it was time to “drink it while it’s fizzy.” He has chosen to keep his new wife’s identity private.
Simon Dallow’s Māori heritage
Dallow was about 20 years old when he learned he had Māori and Jewish ancestry alongside his English and Scottish roots. Adoption records in the family had hidden the connection for generations.
In the 2011 TV1 documentary The Missing Piece, he traced his ancestry to his tūpuna Rahera te Kahuhiapo. The search led the wider Dallow family to be welcomed onto Te Whetu o Te Rangi marae in Welcome Bay, Tauranga, becoming part of Ngāti Pūkenga ki Tauranga. His grandfather Steve Watene captained the Kiwis rugby league team, and the family has ties to Māori rugby league pioneers George and Ernie Asher.
Simon Dallow’s social media presence
Dallow has never been an active social media personality, preferring to let his broadcast work speak for itself. Tributes and clips from his 32-year career circulate widely on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook through TVNZ’s official accounts, including his November 2025 farewell, which drew thousands of comments from viewers.
Fast facts about Simon Dallow
- He discovered his Māori whakapapa at around age 20 after generations of family adoptions hid the link.
- He played representative rugby at grade level and once faced future All Blacks Zinzan Brooke and Michael Jones at under-21 level.
- He worked as a lawyer before a single day in television.
- He met his first wife, Alison Mau, while both were leading Contiki tours in Europe.
- His father, Ross Dallow, was a policeman who later became a Waitakere City councillor, and his uncle Graeme Dallow also served in the police.
- He presented the news alongside his wife for years, one of the few married couples to co-anchor a national bulletin.
- In 2023, an AI-generated deepfake video of him was used to promote gambling websites, prompting a public warning from TVNZ.
- He is a long-standing ambassador for Variety – the Children’s Charity.
- He has made acting cameos in Kiwi productions including Pork Pie (2017) and Terry Teo (2016).
- He famously pronounced the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull smoothly, live on air, in 2010.
Read more: Who is Melissa Stokes? Age, husband, children, net worth, career
FAQs
Why did Simon Dallow leave 1News?
Dallow stepped down in November 2025 after nearly 20 years anchoring the 6pm bulletin, saying he wanted to enjoy life and travel after more than three decades at TVNZ.
Who replaced Simon Dallow on the 6pm news?
Fellow 1News presenter Melissa Stokes took over as presenter of the 6pm bulletin following his final broadcast on 28 November 2025.
What is Simon Dallow doing now in 2026?
He has returned to his early career roots as a travel tour guide, married his new partner in February 2026, and is spending the year travelling.
Where was Simon Dallow born?
He was born in Rotorua, New Zealand, but grew up mainly in Auckland, where he went to school and later studied law.
Does Simon Dallow have Māori ancestry?
Yes. He belongs to Ngāti Pūkenga ki Tauranga and documented the search for his whakapapa in the 2011 documentary The Missing Piece.
Who are Simon Dallow’s children?
He has two children with ex-wife Alison Mau: a daughter, Paris, and a son, Joel. Both have largely been kept out of the public eye.
Wrapping up
Simon Dallow’s story runs from Rotorua to the courtrooms of Auckland, the tour buses of Europe and finally the most-watched news desk in New Zealand.
After 32 years at TVNZ, he signed off in late 2025 as one of the country’s most trusted broadcasters. In 2026, remarried and back on the road as a tour guide, he is writing a very different next chapter.
References
- Wikipedia. “Simon Dallow”.
- NZ Herald. “Simon Dallow: From tour guide to TVNZ anchorman and back again”.
- The Spinoff. “So long and thanks for all the news, Simon Dallow”.
- E-Tangata. “Simon Dallow and his family’s once-secret Māori connections”.
- RNZ. “‘Genuine privilege’: Simon Dallow signs off 6pm news for the final time”.
- NZ Herald. “Simon Dallow’s 20+ year career at TVNZ”.
- NZ Herald. “Broadcaster’s $100,000-plus salary club grows”.
- Stuff. “Simon Dallow and Alison Mau split”.
- Stuff. “TVNZ ‘concerned’ after fake video of presenter promoting gambling game app circulates”.
- NZ On Screen. “Simon Dallow profile”.
- Celebrity Speakers NZ. “Simon Dallow”.
- Now To Love. “Simon Dallow’s family revelation”.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information purposes only. Details about public figures can change over time, so while we check our sources carefully, we recommend verifying important information independently. If you spot an error, need a correction or have any other concern about this article, please contact us at editor@celebritymagazine.nz.
