A true professional, by the end of the night you'll want to take him home to meet your Mum.
Jesse Mulligan is a versatile and accomplished figure in New Zealand's media landscape, captivating audiences as the weekday afternoons host on RNZ National.
A trained lawyer who pivoted into stand-up comedy, Jesse’s career has been a dynamic blend of intellect and humour. From performing as a comedian to becoming a prominent television current affairs host, he has consistently demonstrated his ability to connect with audiences. He is a former host of The Project and a regular panellist on 7 Days, roles that highlighted his wit and charm.
Originally from Hamilton, Jesse’s diverse career has seen him excel in a range of roles, including stand-up comic, television producer, writer, PR professional, food reviewer, and radio announcer. Adding to his impressive portfolio, Jesse is the restaurant critic for NZ Herald’s Viva magazine, the author of a popular weekly subscription newsletter, I Ate Auckland, and has written for prestigious publications such as The Economist.
A veteran of nearly 20,000 live broadcast interviews, Jesse has honed his craft of engaging with people and storytelling. His ability to distill complex ideas into accessible narratives extends from his media work to delivering insightful briefings, including on emerging topics like AI. His unique background in stand-up comedy and corporate communications allows him to balance humour and warmth with professionalism, making him an engaging and relatable presence.
Jesse’s passion for culture and connection is evident in his respect for tikanga Māori, including his fluency with mihi whakatau and te reo pronunciation. A true family man and media Renaissance figure, Jesse Mulligan’s multifaceted career embodies versatility, insight, and a deep connection to his audience.
Feedback from organisers and participants was that Jesse did a brilliant job and delivered an entertaining performance as well as clear communication throughout the event, introducing speake ... keep reading Auckland Tourism
Jesse, you were without a doubt the right choice for the event. Feedback from both members and clients about you has been particularly outstanding. From my perspective, your proactive and creative suggestions leading up to and during the event were received gratefully. Please be assured that I wouldn't hesitate in recommending you for any jobs in the future and will most certainly keep you top of mind for any of my own events should you be willing to take on another one.
Jesse's flexibility to meet with the client ahead of time was invaluable to the evening, and made a big difference to their overall confidence level with the awards show and event flow on the night. Jesse was perfect all the ad-libbing to lengthen it out a bit was right on target. We have had stellar feedback from our client this morning. I look forward to working with Jesse again!
We found Jesse to be extremely easy to work with. He followed our brief completely and was an entertaining and engaging MC and easily held the attention of our guests. We would certainly recommend him for similar engagements.
Jesse helped promote a relaxed and humorous atmosphere for our dinner while maintaining the brevity that the event required. Jesse was funny while being highly professional and courteous. As an MC he spoke clearly and naturally and socialised well afterwards. We are delighted with his performance and would recommend him
Jesse was fantastic, really professional and friendly. The attendees thought he was brilliant. He kept the evening to schedule and made for a fun night!
Jesse was a fantastic MC. He brought the whole day together and was willing and eager to offer suggestions to make the day flow seamlessly.
We were lucky to have Jesse hosting our awards dinner, which coincided with the official launch of Spark New Zealand. Jesse delivered on so many levels; style, humour, professionalism and "unprofessionalism" when it was called for! What impressed us most was Jesse's ability to adapt and synchronise with the other speakers on stage quickly and effortlessly. It was clear he had taken the time to research and understand the brief, the audience, our business and the future we are trying to create for our customers. Our team loved working with Jesse and we hope he'll work with us again in the future.
