Dai Henwood’s career highlights show how a comic became a Kiwi favourite

For more than 25 years, Dai Henwood has been a familiar face in New Zealand comedy and entertainment. Known for quick wit, self-deprecating humour and an easy warmth, he built a career that stretched from stand-up to television, radio and live events. A look back at his milestones reveals how early promise grew into a much-loved presence on screen and stage. Henwood’s comedy path began while he was studying Theatre and Film at Victoria University in Wellington. He has recalled that nerves hit so hard in his early days that he would throw up before shows. Fellow comedian Michelle A’Court helped him see those feelings differently, telling him that nerves and excitement can feel alike. Henwood said changing the way he interpreted the sensation made performing easier. His first major recognition came in 1999, when he won Best New Face on TV2’s Pulp Comedy. Three years later, he received the Billy T Award for The Story of Funk, a show featuring his wrestling-inspired character P Funk Chainsaw. He went on to win the Fred Award, one of New Zealand comedy’s top honours, in 2007 and again in 2015. Henwood also took his act overseas, touring Australia, Britain and Japan and becoming a regular at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. A notable career moment arrived in 2008, when he was invited to perform at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival. He has described the happiness of finishing a successful show and feeling grateful to have shared the experience with an audience. Television broadened his profile further. His first screen role came in 1999, with a small part in the youth drama The Tribe; he later became a familiar member of the 7 Days team alongside Paul Ego and Jeremy Corbett. In 2025, he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the entertainment industry. Henwood has also spoken publicly about being diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in 2020, news he shared more widely in 2023. He said the diagnosis clarified what mattered most: making memories and valuing small moments with his wife, Joanna Kelly, and their children, Charlie and Lucy. His openness during the illness has resonated with many New Zealanders.