Paddy Gower was called "ugly" as a kid and is still bullied online for his looks, he revealed on The Project last night.
Stand Strong NZ, Newshub's anti-bullying campaign, launched yesterday and has so far received hundreds of shares, likes, and comments, particularly on a video of Paddy Gower from The Project last night.
Gower said he was called names as a child for his appearance, and this bullying carried on through his teenage years and even into adulthood.
"I suffered a lot of comments about my looks, starting with a nickname that I got, 'Paddy Carrots'," he said.
"I never liked that name, and I don't call it a nickname because it actually hurt me."
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He said he's had some conversations with young people since getting into television about bullying and how it can dramatically affect self-confidence.
"I never really talk about it, and I'd deflect it, but earlier this year I was talking to some students who said they were worried to go into television because of what people would say about them.
"I said to them 'well, imagine if one of those comments in my life had stopped me from doing what I do now."
Comments on Facebook thanked Gower for opening up with his struggles, many saying their children felt inspired by the story.
Brendon Gwynne said his six-year-old son wanted to "give Paddy a hug and tell him he's awesome!"
Annemarie Worsnop said she heard her son sharing the story with his sister, "who has recently had a tough year with bullying".
The Project NZ co-host Jeremy Corbett addressed comments he made about Gower on comedy show 7 Days.
He apologised for any time he'd used Paddy as the punch line for jokes, saying it's sometimes hard to remember that there is a real person on the other end of any joke.
"I think on 7 Days I've used you as a punch-line. It was all distance then, I didn't know you.
"Now that I know you, I'll make way more jokes about you," the comedian teased.
Newshub.
Stand Strong NZ is a series exploring the issues around bullying and what's being done to reduce the harm. Use #StandStrongNZ on social media.
