Janine Rania Morrell-Gunn (née Morrell) is a children's television producer from New Zealand. She is a

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

of the

Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions. The tribe is organised into six geographical and administrative ...

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, ...

Biography

Morrell-Gunn grew up in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Canterbury; she was also the president of the university's student association. After graduating, she started work in 1985 at TVNZ's Christchurch office as a trainee director and producer, working on news and current affairs programmes such as ''Foreign Correspondent'' and ''Eyewitness News''. Later she moved on to work on other TVNZ shows such as science and technology programme ''Fast Forward,'' children's magazine show ''Spot On'' with

Phil Keoghan Philip John Keoghan ( ; born 31 May 1967) is a New Zealand television personality, best known for hosting the The Amazing Race (American TV series), American version of ''The Amazing Race'' on CBS, since its 2001 debut. He is the creator and h ...

and advice show ''Beauty and the Beast'' with

Selwyn Toogood Selwyn Featherston Toogood (4 April 1916 – 27 February 2001) was a New Zealand radio and television personality. Early life and family Born in Wellington on 4 April 1916, Toogood was the son of Henry Featherston Toogood and Ethel Lois Co ...

. In 1989 she started producing her own shows with LIFE (''Life in the Fridge Exists)'', a magazine show for teens. She later became executive producer of TVNZ's Children's Unit and met her future husband,

Jason Gunn Jason Gunn (born 26 December 1968) is a New Zealand television and radio personality. He is known for '' The Son of a Gunn Show, What Now, Dancing with the Stars, Wheel of Fortune'', and ''The Rich List'', and also afternoon shows on radio sta ...

when she was asked to produce his after-school show, ''After 2 with Jason and Thingee.'' She later created a new show for Gunn, ''

The Son of a Gunn Show ''The Son of a Gunn Show'' was a New Zealand after-school, children's television show, hosted by Jason Gunn, that aired on TVNZ from 1992, to the final episode in 1995. It was produced in the Christchurch TVNZ Building and finished when the pro ...

,'' which aired for five years. In 1998, when the Children's Unit relocated to Wellington, the couple decided to stay in Christchurch and start their own company, Whitebait Productions (now known as Whitebait Media). Morrell-Gunn has held a number of charity and community roles, including serving on the board of Women in Film and Television and the Screen Producers Guild. She has also been chair of the Cholmondeley Children’s Centre since 2015, which provides planned and emergency respite accommodation and care for children aged three to 12. She has been a board member of Maia Health Foundation, supporting the building of a new mental health facility for children and youth, and is on the Uru Manuka Education Trust supporting digital literacy for children. Following the

2011 Christchurch earthquake A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time (23:51 UTC, 21 February). The () earthquake struck the entire of the Canterbury region in the South Island, centred south-east ...

she initiated the Adopt-A-Chch Family scheme, raising more than $1 million, and erected White Lights of Hope in the city centre.

Honours and awards

Morrell-Gunn received the Entrepreneurship Award at the 2009

Women in Film and Television New Zealand Awards The Women in Film and Television New Zealand Awards, also known as the WIFT NZ Awards, are a set of awards that celebrate and encourage the achievements of New Zealand women in film, television and digital media. The awards are administered by Wome ...

, and a Television Legend Award at the 2022 New Zealand Television Awards. In the

2023 New Year Honours The 2023 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...

, she was appointed an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ren ...

, for services to children’s television and the community.

Personal life

Morrell-Gunn's first marriage was to television producer Tony Palmer; before divorcing, they had two daughters together, actresses Eve Palmer and Grace Palmer. Her second marriage was to presenter and host, now producer,

; the couple have two children together, Faith and Louis Gunn.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Morrell-Gunn, Janine New Zealand television producers Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit Mass media people from Christchurch University of Canterbury alumni Ngāti Kahungunu people Living people Year of birth missing (living people)