The man-made brown trout of Gore is a long way from the man-made breasts of Nicky Watson, but former Good Morning presenter Hadyn Jones is intimately associated with both.
One, like thousands of others, he has posed beside for a photograph; the others he infamously declined the invitation to "feel".
"I still have people, mostly men, stop me on the street telling me I'm an idiot and they can't believe I didn't touch them," Jones laughs.
He speaks of the 20/20 interview more than four years ago, which, rightly or wrongly, made him a household name in New Zealand (and earned him the Eating Media Lunch Perv of the Year award.)
Now Jones, a proud Gore boy, has left the Good Morning couch beside Brendon Pongia and Sarah Bradley.
The 35-year-old self-described "bandy-legged white guy", handed in his resignation notice in November.
While he relished the challenge of live television - bloopers and all - he is now excited and driven by a new career opportunity.
His 10 months with Good Morning provided plenty of happy memories - and a few scars,"I burnt myself during the cooking segments a few times ... that's for real, not planned. They actually do hurt.
"And I've been told I have poor technique on the grater."
And his "reluctant" debut to the exercise segment is not a clip he is any hurry to review.
"I was being punished by some ex-SAS soldiers. I was pooped.
"I know I looked silly but sometimes that's what the viewers want - they want their pound of flesh. They love it when you're in an uncomfortable position."
Uncomfortable or not, being watched by 100,000 people every weekday morning elevated Jones to the status of "celebrity" in New Zealand - a label which does not sit easily with him.
"I'm not a real celebrity. I get the odd person who knows me. Sometimes people stare at you and that's a bit weird. So I stare back wondering if I'm meant to know them and we end up having a stare-off.
"I had one woman at the Pak'n Save checkout whisper in my ear, 'I think you're on TV'."
You know you've hit the big time in media in New Zealand when other media start writing about you and Jones' first taste of this still has him cringing.
The Sunday Star Times started an article about him by commenting on his "fresh face".
"There's more to TVNZ's rising star than his good looks. The clean-shaven, dimpled 32-year-old (his skin so flawless he doesn't need to wear makeup on TV), is the new kid on One News," the article said.
Clean-shaven? Dimpled? Good looking? And no make-up?
"Yeah, I still haven't lived that one down."
And whether fatherhood (Jones is the proud dad to 15-month-old Marley) has aged that "fresh face", or the lighting is harsher on Good Morning, he admitted to now spending a little time in the make-up room getting some "sort of powder stuff all over my face".
But with the rave reviews and adoring fans come those who consider people who work in the public eye fodder for criticism.
When Jones started on Good Morning, the show's website message board was littered with calls to "bring back Steve [Gray]", the presenter Jones replaced, and there were numerous personal attacks labelling the newbie to the show "arrogant", "a joke" and "awful to watch".
While he admits the "odd thing gets to you", especially when he first joined Good Morning, he tries to ignore it.
"I read some of it and if they make a good point, I'll adjust. But when you have 100,000 people watching and 10 people don't like it ... well, you're never going to be able to please everyone.
"You have certain people in your life - your friends and family - who know you and know what's going on in your life. They're the ones who matter the most."
Before joining Good Morning - a role he was asked to apply for - Jones made his New Zealand television debut in 2003 on Holmes (now Close Up), before moving to 20/20 in 2005He won the 2006 Qantas TV Award for Best Current Affairs reporter for his "Drugs in the Park" story, during which he was heavily guarded by ex-SAS members as he went head-to-head with gang members.
The same year, he won the Telecom Award for Sports at the TP McLean Sports Journalism Awards.
His passion, however, lies with his weekly segment at the end of One News every Sunday night - Good Sorts.
It is talking about this which gets Jones truly animated.
"I believe everyone has a story and that's always been my thing.
"You get some pretty interesting people who are considered celebrities, but I think the best stories come from the guys in the street.
"The nightly news is generally the 10 worst things that have happened in the world that day, so it's nice to be the one to provide a little bit of light relief."
His own story starts in Gore, as anyone talking to him about anything "purrrrple", can still hear.
"Gore's still home. I'm not ashamed of Gore at all. I talk about it all the time.
"I've also got my own personal publicity officer down there... Mum does a good line for me and makes sure everyone hears what I've been up to."
It was also there he got his start in journalism.
After writing a rather "frank" (some would say harsh, he admits) review on a Gore High School stage production, he was offered a job at The Ensign.
He eventually gained a graduate diploma in journalism and dabbled in radio and worked for television in Canada before returning to New Zealand where he married long-time love Zanta.
After promising Jones the interview for this story would only take 10 minutes, we wound up 52 minutes later, with what viewers really want to know.
Who is the real Hadyn Jones? What makes him tick?
"What you see is really the real me.
"I'm a little bit cheeky.
"I like a good laugh and don't take anything too seriously.
"Family is the most important thing in my life.
"It sounds boring but I want to grow old with my wife and enjoy the many kids and grandkids we'll hopefully have."
Lea Jones cooked Christmas lunch for her brother-in-law.
