He's hit town with all the patter that pleases. Paul Henry is on a full charm offensive.

'If I wasn't bound by business in Auckland I would be out of there. I would be living in Tauranga too,” he declares.

SunLive ran a competition for a reader to meet Paul Henry during his visit to Tauranga this week. Click the image above to see an extraordinary exchange between Paul and winner Stuw Watson. Video: Tracy Hardy.

But then one step too far.

'Or Napier perhaps.”

This story with the outlandish Henry didn't start well. An overly protective PR man told SunLive that Henry was busy, but might be able to send some responses to some e-mailed questions.

Are we hearing right? Has the table turned? The TV hard man who mocked and monstered, who baited and bullied on national TV is demanding special soft soap treatment in return?

That wasn't going to happen.

But this time the star needs us, and the next morning business imperatives prevailed.

'Good morning Tauranga – how are you?” Henry is ringing us.

Because he is pitching a new breakfast programme – a simulcast on RadioLIVE and TV3 – and he knows a rating point in Tauranga is as important to his pay packet as anywhere else.

'It's not a radio show on television or a television show on radio,” he explains. 'It will have to sound different to a radio show and look different to television.”

Ok – so we know what it won't be, what will it be?

'It will be designed for multi platforms,” adds Paul. 'It'll have to suit the person at the time they are an audience member and for a lot of people those platforms will change.” More platforms than Charing Cross.

'If you are in your car I will be on the radio,” he says, 'if you are walking the dog I will be on your iPhone, at work I will be on your computer and in the bedroom I will be on your TV.”

Really? Is the world ready for Paul Henry on every axis? 'God knows – is it? We are about to find out.”

But for the reverse we have an affirmative – 'Paul Henry is certainly ready for the world on multiple platforms,” he adds.

But has he re-invented himself? Or will he still be a ‘knob'.

There was only one pause in this conversation. This was it. 'Was I ever a knob? Was I ever obnoxious?” The voice lifts a couple of octaves. Is he feigning hurt?

'How much live on air television have I done and you can maybe name two…”

Three actually – three inglorious moments.

The mocking of Greenpeace's Stephanie Mills, the mispronunciation of Sheila Dikshit which was slammed as ‘racist and bigoted', and the slur on former Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand.

Were they cheap shots so cheap that people can have cheap laughs? And weren't they defining?

'I don't necessarily agree with that,” responds Paul. 'And for another thing, I don't necessarily live in the past.”

Paul Henry deserves to feel a bit indignant – but he confronts the demons with good grace.

And no, he is not trying to reinvent himself.

'I will continue to polarise,” he confirms, 'I will continue to be me. But I am taking an opportunity to do something different.”

What does he think of Rawdon Christie – that cup of weak English tea on TV One's Breakfast programme?

'I don't give him a thought,” says Paul. 'If you focus on the opposition you can be pretty sure you're losing.”

But won't Christie be having sleepless nights knowing Henry was also coming up with the sun?

'I would be *#@*ing myself,” he says.

What about the failed Australian venture Paul? People on both sides of the Tasman willing you to fail, and then being banished to the netherworld of late nights on TV3.

'There was a lot of misrepresentation about Australia. I loved it and would do it again. And I loved the lates on TV3, my ideal world.”

Paul Henry is irrepressible – a kind of Paul Holmes without the knighthood and the humility. But as with Sir Paul, even the people who couldn't abide him knew exactly what was on his show last night.

'This is going to be fun,” says Henry. 'There's one thing you learn when you are 54. You don't get up at 3.30 in the morning if you are not having fun.”

And when he's not blustering, he is eminently likeable. We eagerly await the rebirth of TV's naughty boy.