Suzy Clarkson (née Aiken)

Suzy Clarkson's time on television ranges across newsreading, live interviews for networks here and overseas, breakfast television, and travel programmes.

Clarkson (then Suzy Aiken — she married in 2006) originally trained as a physiotherapist, but began taking on presenting roles for Television New Zealand in the early 90s. In 1992 she cameoed on the very first episode of Shortland Street as an aerobics instructor having a midday rendezvous with so-called 'Doctor Love' Chris Warner (Michael Galvin). From 1991 to 1995, Clarkson created, produced and presented aerobic series The New Zealand Fit Kit 1 and 2, Fitness Plus and Move It. Her fitness guide Healthy Body Healthy Mind was published by Harper Collins in 1997.

By then Clarkson had done time as a presenter on TVNZ's two-hour, weekday show Good Morning, and begun the first of multiple seasons on travel shows Holiday and Getaway (the later show combined material from the original Australian Getaway with pieces by Kiwi presenters). In 1989 she was one of the presenters on Blind Date; two years later, she was part of chat show New Zealand Today. 

In this period Clarkson also did the first of a number of presenting slots for American broadcasters. She reported live from New Zealand for American network ABC as part of a Millennium special, and presented stories on New Zealand for ESPN during the Americas Cup.

In 2004 Clarkson joined new channel Prime Television, which launched in New Zealand in February of that year. Clarkson worked in both news and sport, presenting the channel's key 5.30pm news slot. From 2006 until November 2010 she mixed sports news with anchoring Prime's weekend news bulletins.

Clarkson went on to a senior public relations job for Coca-Cola in New Zealand. In mid 2014 she joined Fletcher Building, as Group Corporate Affairs Manager, and released Fit for Birth and Beyond — a practical guide for older women going through pregnancy — with gynaecologist Doctor Dereck Souter and IVF pioneer Doctor Richard Fisher. 

Clarkson has also studied broadcast journalism diploma at the University of Central England, and spent time working in regional news in Birmingham on a BBC scholarship.

Sources include
'Suzy Clarkson' Sporting Contacts website. Accessed 9 May 2016
'Suzy Clarkson' LinkedIn website. Accessed 31 January 2023
'Newsreader Suzy quits Prime role' - The NZ Herald, 21 November 2010