Murray Deaker

Who is Murray Deaker?

Murray "Deaks" Deaker, ONZM, is a New Zealand sports radio and television talk show host, acclaimed sports author and New Zealand household name.

Deaker was educated at Dunedin's King's High School, the same school in which fellow broadcaster Peter Montgomery attended.

Deaker was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2003. Deaker has acted as a mentor for sports personalities such as Jesse Ryder, a New Zealand cricketer.

Deaker has conducted a number of high profile interviews, including the last interview with Tiger Woods before his tabloid controversies of 2009. Deaker fell into his own bunker of controversy in 2011, with a racially sensitive slur in reference to a colleague. Despite the NZ Race Relations Commissioner describing the turn of phrase as "Not appropriate" and a weight of public outrage reminiscent of fellow broadcaster Paul Holmes' "Cheaky Darkie" saga and Paul Henry's derogatory comment about an Indian Diplomat with the surname "Dikshit", Deaker's network described the phrase as "widely used". Deaker later apologised, stating "It was a bad choice of words and I apologise unreservedly".

In March 2012, Mr Deaker again became enmeshed in another controversy after allegedly offensive remarks about All Black and Muslim Sonny Bill Williams