bizgirl

"I was getting a countdown and the words on the autocue were going from the left-hand side of the room, to the right-hand side of the room, and I had to use all of my conscious strength to just pull them together and read. I found that exhilarating."

Ahh, the Darren McDonald story just keeps getting better. The ex-TV3 newsreader, recently convicted of offering to supply ecstasy and conspiring to supply methamphetamine, Darren's 'fessed up to the fact that he used to get wasted before reading the news. I also read in the Sunday Star Times yesterday that TV3 news boss Mark Jennings outright denies any such behaviour taking place on his set, but, well, how would he know? Darren's own account seems pretty believable to me.

Apparently he's to avoid a prison sentence because of his fame - he'd become the 'subject of attention' on the inside, made worse (probably - totally idle speculation on my behalf) by the fact that he's openly gay, and, this is great, the fact that his addiction might be fuelled by the easy access prisoners have to drugs like P. So, it sounds like he might be locked up at home for a few years watching the afternoon soaps.

Darren's made for great copy throughout the fracas. Speaking a couple of days ago about what he intended to do in the short term while out on bail waiting for his home detention case to be considered, he said: "I'm going home to have a drink. I'll definitely be talking to my mum. My mother has been having kittens over this." Brilliant. A man who obviously has the inside knowledge on what makes a good news grab. I'll leave the last word to him too...

"I have a great many regrets . . . just don't do drugs, you know."

Indeed. Drugs are bad. Mmmkay?