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'How lucky am I?' Briscoes lady' celebrates 30th year as Kiwi advertising legend

May 17, 2018

Tammy Wells should be instantly recognisable to any New Zealander after three decades on our screens.

This week marks the 30th anniversary of a Kiwi advertising legend - the Briscoes lady.

Tammy Wells, the face of the discount chain store, says, "I just remember thinking, 'Oh my gosh'".

Briscoes chief executive Rod Duke, remembers the moment he first came across Ms Wells' audition tape.

"She came from Christchurch. We'd already been through Auckland and Wellington. I came to that particular tape and we had, probably, six or eight presenters. It was instant," Mr Duke said.

"I don't think you're going to find another presenter on TV of any sex, with any company, who can endure that. I think it's extraordinary."

Ms Wells said she was "so wired, so 'weeeee' that it was just like, 'Oh, just tone it down' which, fortunately, I've been able to do as I've got older which is lovely".

"It's more 'me' now than that sort of wired lady. I suppose the Briscoes lady sometimes gets more excited about some of the things that I wouldn't perhaps be quite so excited about," she said.

Ms Wells learned her tricks of the trade from 1973 game show It's in the Bag's Heather Eggleston.

"I just did what she did and she was so full of beans and so full of energy and I just thought, 'Oh, wow!' and so it's just continuing her wonderful legacy."

"The wonderful thing is it's paid the mortgage and educated our kids and how lucky am I?"

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