Sir Paul Scott Holmes KNZM (29 April 1950 – 1 February 2013) was a New Zealand broadcaster who gained national recognition through his high-profile radio and television journalism.

Due to his high-profile appearances and controversial manner, Holmes' personal life was often documented alongside his charitable efforts.

He spent much of his career in the spotlight, including his campaigning of the Paralympics, the birth of his son, the collapse of his marriage, his daughter's drug problems and his death.

[1][2][3][4] Owing to his success, Holmes picked up a celebrity-like status and often made appearances in other media such as long running soap opera Shortland Street.

Born in 1950 as the first son of Chrissie and Henry Holmes, a mechanic,[5] Holmes grew up in Hawke's Bay and attended Haumoana Primary School and later Karamu High School in Hastings[6] whilst the family lived in Tuki Tuki Road on a small agricultural property.

In the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours, Holmes was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to broadcasting and the community.

[9] After 15 years anchoring Holmes, he was reportedly disgusted to have been offered a six-month contract instead of an annual alternative and subsequently on 2 November 2004 he resigned from the show.

In 2005, Holmes was dropped from the New Zealand Listener's 50 most powerful people list largely because of his TV show's poor ratings and influence.

In March, TV One, Holmes's former network, announced that he would be among the celebrities on the third season of the New Zealand version of Dancing with the Stars.

Sir Paul has a cameo in the form of a portrait with him wearing knights armour in the breakfast room on The Traitors NZ.

[12][13] In November 2012 a television blog posted a story claiming Holmes only had weeks to live due to congestive heart failure.

[17] In the 2013 New Year Honours, Holmes was appointed as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to broadcasting and the community.

[26][27] Holmes' personal life was highly documented in the media in part due to his celebrity status measuring up to those he interviewed.

The first occurred in 1973 when he suffered a major car accident in which he fractured his neck and developed a brain hemorrhage which cut vision to one of his eyes.

[28] In 2004, he had two crash landings piloting his vintage Boeing Stearman biplane, on 14 January southeast of Tūrangi,[29] and on 31 December at Bridge Pa Aerodrome near Hastings.

[30] Holmes also survived numerous health scares, including overcoming prostate cancer in 1999,[31] and the heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

[24][34] Towards the end of the marriage, Holmes began a short-lived affair with co-worker Fleur Revell that eventually saw him leave his wife and children.

[39] Holmes gained media attention for a number of controversial remarks about prominent individuals and issues, including a comment made in 2003 about wahi tapu (Māori sacred places).