Country-music loving Christopher Luxon has offered to wear a cowboy hat in an upcoming The AM Show interview to "cover up my missing hair" as well as help the show's hosts with water-skiing, another of the new National leader's favourite hobbies.
Luxon, the former Air New Zealand chief executive, was elected unopposed to the top National Party job on Tuesday, a role he's been speculated to have wanted since before entering Parliament last year.
While Kiwis come to learn Luxon's political stances - on Wednesday morning he ruled out changing abortion laws as Prime Minister and said police should listen to officers' views on arming - they are also getting to know the other side of Luxon.
He revealed on Tuesday afternoon that he was a country music fan and his theme song was Tim McGraw's Live Like You Were Dying, which he told The AM Show on Wednesday was a "classic".
"I am so embarrassing myself, right? I have got to explain myself. I had eight years living in America and I just got a bit sick of hip hop after a while and in America they have endless country music stations and I just got into it that way. I apologise to all New Zealanders, I know it is not cool, but it is what it is."
Luxon said he loved "all sorts of music".
"I've just been a big music fan for a long time. It's sort of one of the things that fills the bottle up after you have had a big day, and particularly with my daughter who is a bit of a musician and we just horse around and listen to lots of different music.
"I love waterskiing and I've got an old classic Riley Elf, a little 1960s Mini and I like doing a bit of DIY projects around the place as well."
The leader said he was given a cowboy hat from the Mayor of Houston when Air New Zealand launched services to the US.
"It's in a box somewhere. I haven't got it on. But if you'd like me to, I could. It could cover up my missing hair, if that was helpful for you. I could wear it next interview if you want."
On Luxon's love for water-skiing, The AM Show host Ryan Bridge explained he water-skied, sports reader Mark Richardson had a jet ski, and "we just need the paddles to actually stand on".
Luxon said he had some skis that he could lend out.
"Mark driving would be a bit of a problem though, aye," he said.
Richardson, who leans right politically, jumped in to say him driving was a metaphor "for what the next few years are like with me sort of pulling you along".
Luxon replied: "And me falling flat on my face as you smash me over on the skis."
Richardson is departing The AM Show next week and asked Luxon if he had a job for him, to which Luxon laughed.
"He is a hard talent to manage, isn't he guys," Luxon said.
