News co-anchor Wendy Petrie is no stranger to asking the hard questions, so when asked to take part in New Idea's You've Got Mail she was more than happy to have the role reversed. The experienced reporter has covered some of the biggest stories of the past decade, including the September 11 attacks, the Queen Mother's death and the Boxing Day Tsunami. Wendy has presented One News at 6pm with Simon Dallow since 2006, and has become a firm favourite with New Zealand viewers.

Princess preferred
Q Do you think your kids will follow you into journalism? Are they more like you or your husband? S. D., Dunedin.

A My daughters are four and two so they're more interested in princesses, fairies and dressing up than journalism. I suppose they're like me in that they love singing and dancing up and down the hall to a favourite song.

Tears in check
Q How do you manage to keep your emotions at bay when you're reading sad stories? M. S., Auckland.

A It's hard. It's important to be professional no matter what, but I find it particularly tough when dealing with tragic stories involving children or babies.

North vs South
Q How is being on the news in Canada different from in New Zealand? A. S., Auckland.

A North Americans are very good at television news and I learnt a great deal about anchor etiquette in Toronto. But there isn't much difference. You need good self-esteem as it can be cutthroat.

Thrill of the chase
Q Do you miss being a news reporter? S. H., Hamilton.

A I love the thrill of the chase and the process of crafting a story essentially from scratch.

Dressed for success
Q Do you get to choose your on-air clothes? If not, who picks them? A. L., Hawke's Bay.

A My fantastic stylist knows what suits my shape and sources jackets from Kiwi designers. I rely on my stylist but I do have a say.

Little-known facts
Q Can you name three things people don't know about Wendy Petrie? H. F., Fielding.

A My husband calls me ‘Once Over Lightly' Petrie because I don't have a great eye for detail. I wish I had kept up my gymnastics and could still do some tricks on the beam and vault. I love Pilates.

On the big screen
Q Who would play you in a film about your life? P. J., Nelson.

A Asking around the newsroom, Charlize Theron seems to be the pick, which I'm happy about.

Career choice
Q If you weren't a newsreader, what would you be? A. K., Wellington.

A All I've ever wanted to do was work in news. Straight out of uni, I was banging on the door of television networks begging for a job and working for free on the weekends. If I wasn't a newsreader, I'd return to working as a reporter.

Comfy shoes
Q Do you secretly wear slippers under the news desk? R. S., Waituna West.

A Nope, but Tony Veitch is the one you should be asking!

Simon says
Q What it's like to work with Simon? Do the two of you socialise together? T. S., New Plymouth.

A I see Si every day of the working week, and after two and a half years we are a well-oiled machine. We know each other's quirks and how we each operate on air, which is important when things don't go quite to plan - as of course sometimes happens in live news. Off-air I think it's fair to say we give each other plenty of stick. We generally have Friday night drinks after work that go down a treat with the whole One News team.

Whoops!
Q What has been your most embarrassing blooper while on-air? L. K., Rotorua.

A I once forgot to put on my microphone and had to scramble under the desk to find it. Not a good look.