Jay-Jay Feeney
Feeney in 2019 [1]
Born
Jacqulyn-Joanne Barbara Feeney

(1974-03-28) 28 March 1974
SpouseDominic Harvey
​
​
(m. 2004)​
- (sep. 2017)
PartnerHoani Molnar (2021 - present)
Career
ShowJay-Jay & Flynny Driving You Home
Station(s)More FM
NetworkMediaWorks Radio
Time slot3 pm – 7 pm
CountryNew Zealand

Jay-Jay Feeney (previously Jay-Jay Harvey; born 28 March 1974) is a radio host on More FM's drive show, Jay-Jay & Flynny Driving You Home, with Paul Flynn. She has spent the majority of her career at The Edge, mostly on its breakfast show, until she left in December 2017.[2]

Early life

Feeney was born Jacqulyn-Joanne Barbara Feeney on 28 March 1974, to Robynne Andersen.[3][4] Her mother Robynne married Gary Feeney who brought her up as his own daughter even though Robynne and Gary separated when Jay-Jay was just four years old. When she was 37 she found her birth father on Facebook. Since meeting him, she has acquired 5 more half-siblings. She now has ten siblings in total. She grew up in Hamilton and New Plymouth but moved around frequently due to an unsettled home life. She changed her name via Deed Poll in 2014 from Jacqulyn-Joanne to Jay-Jay.

Career

Feeney began her radio career doing six weeks of work experience at Energy FM in New Plymouth at the age of 15. Over the next two years, she helped out with station promotions. At one point, she donated $50 to charity to go on air with Heemi Hill on Radio Taranaki for half an hour, and ended up staying on air for four hours. She left school at the end of sixth form and studied towards a certificate in Media Studies at Taranaki Polytechnic, while continuing to work at Energy FM; she had her first on-air break in February 1991, when the usual 1 am – 7 am weekend host didn't show up. She was later given the Monday-Friday midnight – 6 am shift, then a couple of weeks later, promoted to 7 pm – midnight.[4]

In 1994, she moved to The Breeze in Hamilton, where she hosted the drive show. She then left four months later, to host the drive show (2 pm – 7 pm) on the new station The Edge, where she started on air on 26 September 1994. In May 1995, she moved to host breakfast (6 am – 10 am) with Malcolm Paul, and drive (10 am – 2 pm) by herself.[4]

In 2015, she appeared in the sixth series of Dancing with the Stars, where she placed fourth.[5] In 2017, Feeney left The Edge after hosting for 23 years,[6][7] with her last day on air being 22 December 2017.

In April 2018, she began on More FM, hosting the drive show, Jase & Jay-Jay Driving You Home, with Jason Gunn.[6][8] Paul "Flynny" Flynn joined the show in May 2019, which became Jay-Jay, Flynny & Jase Driving You Home. Gunn subsequently left the show, and it is now known as Jay-Jay & Flynny Driving You Home.[9]

Honors and awards

Feeney won her first two radio awards, for Best Individual Air Personality, in 1995 and 1996.[4] In 2012, the show won Best Morning Show at the New Zealand Radio Awards.[10] In 2014, Feeney hosted the New Zealand Radio Awards and the show won Best Morning Show, The Sir Paul Holmes Broadcaster of the Year award, and the 'Blackie' award (named in honor of broadcaster Kevin Black).[11] In 2018, she received a New Zealand Radio Award for Outstanding Contribution to Radio.[12]

Works

In 2013 she published an autobiographical book about her struggle with fertility, Misconception: A True Story of Life, Love and Infertility.[3][13] In 2016 she published a memoir, Life on the Edge.[4][14]

Personal life

Feeney married co-host Dominic Harvey in 2004.[15] They became Legal Guardians of Feeney's nephew, Seven, in 2007. Seven lived with them until the guardianship expired in 2017. [16]

She changed her name to Harvey in 2014 as a ten year anniversary gift to her husband Dominic Harvey, before changing it back to Feeney early 2018.[17] In 2017, Feeney and Harvey announced their separation[18][15] and she reverted to her surname of Feeney.[17] Since 2021 Feeney has been in a relationship with former army man Hoani Molnar.[19] Feeney kept his identity private until revealing him through social media in 2022.[20][21] Feeney was previously in a long-distance relationship with an Algerian man, Minou.[22][23][24]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/117261199/jayjay-feeney-shares-headless-photo-of-shy-new-boyfriend
  2. ↑ McConnell, Glenn (22 December 2017). "Jay-Jay Harvey leaves The Edge – after 13 years thinking she was about to be fired". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  3. 1 2 Feeney, Jay-Jay (2013). Misconception: A True Story of Life, Love and Infertility. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 9781743435342.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Harvey, Jay-Jay (2016). Life on the Edge: Radio Star Reveals All. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 9781952535024.
  5. ↑ "Joking Jay-Jay Harvey leaves Dancing With the Stars". 13 July 2015. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  6. 1 2 Van Beynen, Jack (6 May 2018). "New job, new city, no husband: Jay-Jay Feeney's brand new life". Stuff. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  7. ↑ "Jay-Jay Harvey discusses her 23-year career". Newshub. 14 November 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  8. ↑ "Jay-Jay Feeney to take 5000 selfies on New Zealand road trip before starting at More FM". 14 March 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  9. ↑ "Jay-Jay & Flynny". morefm.co.nz. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  10. ↑ Hewitson, Michele (12 May 2012). "Michele Hewitson interview: Jay-Jay Feeney". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  11. ↑ "The Edge cleans up at NZ Radio Awards". The New Zealand Herald. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "2018 New Zealand Radio Awards winners". Radioinfo. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  13. ↑ Borissenko, Sasha (5 September 2013). "DJ shares anguish of long battle to conceive". Stuff. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  14. ↑ "The naked truth: Jay-Jay Harvey tells all". Woman's Day. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  15. 1 2 Burrows, Matt (8 April 2017). "'That magic spark is gone' - The Edge's Jay-Jay and Dom announce separation". Newshub. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  16. ↑ Zwan, Sebastian van der (2 February 2018). "Jay-Jay Harvey heartbroken over leaving her husband and her job". Woman's Day. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  17. 1 2 Zwan, Sebastian van der. "Jay-Jay Feeney on depression, Dom and dating again". Now To Love. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  18. ↑ "Jay-Jay and Dom Harvey separate after 18 years". Stuff. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  19. ↑ Audio, Stuff (2 August 2023). "Jay-Jay Feeney: Dom still brings me coffee every morning". Stuff. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  20. ↑ "Dom Harvey and Jay-Jay Feeney's holiday foursome". NZ Herald. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  21. ↑ "Jay-Jay and Hoani's romantic getaway". Now To Love. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  22. ↑ "Watch the moment Jay Jay Feeney's 'secret international boyfriend' leaps into her arms". Stuff. 15 December 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  23. ↑ "More FM host Jay-Jay Feeney breaks up with Algerian boyfriend Minou". Stuff. 7 June 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  24. ↑ "Jay-Jay Feeney opens up about heartbreaking decision to end relationship with Minou". Newshub. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
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