New Breakfast host Kamahl Santamaria has quit after just over four weeks in the role. An email went out to TVNZ staff today from head of current affairs Paul Yurisich announcing the news.
In a statement, the network told the NZ Herald: “TVNZ has accepted the resignation of Breakfast presenter Kamahl Santamaria. Kamahl has been on leave the last week, while he dealt with a personal matter which required his full attention, and he has now advised that he wishes to take an extended break with his family.
“Kamahl is focussed on his family at this time, and we ask that everyone respects their wish for privacy.”
New Zealand-born Santamaria left a 16-year career at the Doha-based news channel Al Jazeera to return home for the Breakfast job, replacing John Campbell. His first appearance on the morning show was in late April, but had not been on air for the past nine days.
The week before Santamaria began on Breakfast, Toby Manhire spent a day with him in the TVNZ news studio for a story headlined ‘From Middle East to middle New Zealand: Kamahl Santamaria on joining Breakfast’.
“Santamaria has just come from a rehearsal and he’s in a buoyant mood,” Manhire wrote. ‘He repeatedly says he can’t wait to get started, almost as often as he bookends an answer with the caveat that he’s barely stepped off the plane and it’s all very new – ‘ask me again in three months’.”
