TV presenter over the moon at Pride Week homecoming

Broadcaster Matty McLean can’t quite believe a high school is holding its own Pride Week.

That it’s his old high school has the openly-gay TV personality beaming from ear to ear.

ASB flew McLean to his hometown on Monday to speak to students at Wakatipu High School about ‘Pride’, acceptance, and his own experience with coming out.

The school is holding a student-organised Pride Week to tie-in with Queenstown’s Winter Pride festival. McLean calls the event “incredible”.

“I’m gay, and when I was at high school 15 or 16 years ago, it wasn’t always the easiest of times.

“But to have a school embrace something like that, and have its own Pride Week, is absolutely incredible. It sends such a positive message and gives me hope that we’re moving forward and moving in the right direction, and people are embracing people who are maybe a little bit different.”

During his speech he joked about his experiences coming out to friends but also told students about the bad times – like having to climb out of a bathroom window at a friend’s party in Arthurs Point because a group of teens wanted to beat him up.

“It wasn’t always easy, even though I had a great time at Wakatipu High.”

But things have turned out pretty well for McLean, who now lives in Auckland with his boyfriend and presents the weather on TVNZ’s Breakfast.