David Farrier

Television

Farrier has been a staple for 3 News, and was New Zealand Nightline's entertainment reporter from 2006 until the show's end in 2013. Notable interviews have included Trent Reznor, Karl Pilkington and Serj Tankian. In 2015 he became co-host (with reporter Samantha Hayes) for the TV3 show Newsworthy.

He often travels to Los Angeles to cover movie premieres and events such as the E3 videogame convention. He covered musician Lorde's Grammy wins from the Staples Center.

In 2011 Farrier made a documentary for TV3 about the origins of the New Zealand national anthem.

In 2014 he played the interviewer in Rhys Darby's mockumentary series Short Poppies.

Film

In early 2014 Farrier began production of the feature-length documentary Tickled, in collaboration with Dylan Reeve. The project began when Farrier sought to do a "light entertainment" piece about videos purported to depict "competitive endurance tickling". His inquiry to Jane O'Brien Media, the videos' producer, was met with a hostile refusal to talk with him, prompting Farrier and Reeves to investigate further, and the film relates their efforts to find out more about the people involved in making the videos, and the person or persons behind them. The film premièred in January 2016 at the Sundance Film Festival and received critical praise. It was acquired by Magnolia Pictures and HBO for an undisclosed sum, and released to cinemas in June 2016.

Podcasting

Farrier has an interest in cryptozoology, hosting podcast and radioshow The Cryptid Factor with comedian Rhys Darby.

In 2009 Farrier travelled to Mongolia to investigate the legend of the Mongolian Death Worm, and in late 2013 visited Texas with Darby to film an undisclosed project about the Chupacabra.

Writing

Farrier works as a freelance writer, covering pop culture and travel. A November 2016 article about individuals with various sexual fetishes issuing "challenges" or dares to children on YouTube, encouraging them to make seemingly innocent videos of themselves, led to several accounts being banned.

Personal life

Farrier was raised in Bethlehem, Tauranga where he was home-schooled before attending Bethlehem College. He graduated from the Auckland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Communication Studies degree in 2005.

In 2012, during the Government sitting of New Zealand's Marriage Equality Bill, Farrier came out as bisexual, identifying his relationship with Grayson Coutts, the son of yachtsman Russell Coutts; the couple has since broken up.