Veteran broadcaster Paul Holmes is awake and chatting with family on Monday morning, after being put into an induced coma following open heart surgery last week.
Holmes, 62, is off life support and is expected to leave Auckland Hospital's intensive care unit, his employer Newstalk ZB said in a statement released on behalf of Holmes and his wife Deborah Hamilton-Holmes.
"The family are obviously relieved and would like to thank everyone once again for their encouragement and support since the operation," they said.
On Friday, Holmes was put into an induced coma, following the open heart surgery on Wednesday.
He was being treated for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which results in the heart muscle becoming thick, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood.
Holmes has covered many major New Zealand stories, including the Aramoana massacre, and also international stories such as terrorist attacks against the US and the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
