New Zealand radio star who created cult children’s character Buzz O’Bumble dead at 78

Veteran New Zealand radio star Lindsay Yeo died on Tuesday at the age of 78 after a long illness.

The iconic broadcaster hosted Wellington’s top-rated breakfast show on commercial channel 2ZB for 25 years, from 1972 to 1997.

His cheerful attitude and hilarious jokes became a fixture on New Zealand radio.

He regularly dominated in the ratings and at one point appealed to more than 50 percent of listeners.

Born in 1946 on the South Island, Lindsay began his radio career in 1964 as a copywriter, but soon discovered that his real talent lay in presenting.

He also created the iconic children’s character Buzz O’Bumble, a human-sized bee known for his cheeky antics, who began appearing regularly in station advertisements in 1973.

The character became a big hit among the channel’s younger listeners, with people regularly dressing up in Buzz costumes for children’s parties.

In 2022, the Wellington Museum commemorated the iconic character with a permanent exhibition.

Buzz was so popular nationwide that plush toys and soundtrack albums were released featuring the character.

Several of his relatives followed him into show business, including his eponymous cousin Lindsay, a popular singer and actress throughout New Zealand.

For a quarter of a century he engaged listeners with his hilarious and engaging talk shows.

Throughout his celebrated career he also presented programs on Classic Hits FM and TVNZ’s Top Dance, and often toured the country performing live shows.

The iconic broadcaster presented Wellington’s top-rating breakfast show on commercial channel 2ZB for 25 years, from 1972 to 1997. In 1973, he also created the iconic children’s character Buzz O’ Bumble, a human-sized bee known for his cheeky antics.

However, in 1997, Lindsay was told that 2ZB was switching to a harder news format.

The radio legend chose to retire early at the age of 51.

Lindsay is survived by his wife Jan and their four children.