Will Johnston

Meet UNO’s new columnist – a veteran radio announcer who now wields a hammer. Want a new home?

Not only will he seal that deal, he’ll marry you, too.

It was the 4th of August 1983 when I was birthed. Ok, no, we aren’t going to do my whole life story… Fun fact though, I have one sister, she’s eight months older than me. Let that land. She’s adopted. Not that weird in the end. However, when they adopted her, my parents had no idea they were a month pregnant with me. Surprise! Jury’s still out on whether that was a good surprise.

Until recently, I was mainly a radio announcer on The Hits, for 20 years. I say mainly because who has just one job anymore? I still have a local Saturday morning show (9am-12pm on 95FM… shameless!) But I’m now a real estate auctioneer. What a learning curve THAT has been for the last eight months! 

I took a leap and changed career because I thought, if I don’t do it, I’m always going to wonder what it would’ve been like. When you have those thoughts, you’ve already sub-consciously made the decision, right? I’m also a big fan of helping someone achieve something, being in front of a crowd and connecting, so it makes sense that I’m a celebrant, and MC, too. I have great work stories. I did a wedding two weeks ago where someone had to be taken away in an ambulance because they were passed out drunk at the table… before dinner! But enough work chat. 

Let me give you a snapshot of my personal life. In my spare time I like to do literally nothing. My ideal night right now would be on the couch, pizza in one hand, beer in the other watching something varying between sport or MTV’s Catfish. I’m a simple man, the key is making peace with that and then outsourcing anything in your life that is complicated, right?

I have a two-year-old ginger cavadoodle named Bear. He’s motivated by two things only; ball and food. Much like me.

Every Tuesday, I MC a quiz at The Tauriko Pub Company and have two glasses of red wine and some waffle fries while I’m doing that. On a school night, I know! CRAZY. And I’m not even sorry!

I got married last year to Tiffany. Yes, she’s nine years younger than me. Yes, I love that. Yes, she’s the best person I know and makes my life one million times more worthwhile. Gush, gush. We live at the Lakes, but I wish we lived by the beach. Or at the very least by an actual lake.

I had a chat with my wife this morning about me being the most likely person I know to get Covid; auctioneer, celebrant and MC… I probably interact with over 200 people on a quiet week. Downside = Covid. Upside = all those people have awesome, hilarious, unique and important stories. Those stories and my experiences are what I’ll cherry pick just for you in every issue of UNO forever… Or until they get sick of my drivel and sack me. Catch you next issue!