Nigel Latta | |
|---|---|
 Latta in 2012 | |
| Born | Nigel Raymond Latta 1967 (age 57–58) Oamaru, New Zealand |
| Occupation(s) | Psychologist, author, broadcaster |
| Spouse | Natalie Flynn [1] [2] |
| Website | goldfishwisdom |
Nigel Raymond Latta ONZM (born 1967) is a New Zealand clinical psychologist, author, and broadcaster. He has been described as "New Zealand's best-known psychologist". [2]
Nigel Raymond Latta was born and raised in Oamaru, New Zealand. [3] [4] [5] [6] His father was a builder and his mother was a housewife. [7] He attended Waitaki Boys' High School, [8] and briefly considered becoming a police officer. [6] [7] When he was young he toured the South Island as part of a skiffle band. [8] [6] He studied marine science and zoology at the University of Otago, and completed a Master of Philosophy with First Class Honours in Psychology at the University of Auckland, along with a postgraduate diploma in clinical psychology. [5] [8] [7]
In 2003, he wrote Into the Darklands: Unveiling the Predators Among Us, a book that examined the psychology of criminals. [5] He has also written books about parenting advice.
Latta has worked as a consultant in his field for private companies and government social service agencies, including Department of Corrections, the New Zealand Police and Child Youth and Family. He was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2012 Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee Honours, for services to psychology. [3] [9]
In the 2010s, he became known for his true crime documentaries and psychology-based television series, as the host of Beyond The Darklands , The Politically Incorrect Guide to Teenagers and The Politically Incorrect Parenting Show , among others. [7] In 2016, Latta co-found Ruckus Films, a production company which produced several feature documentaries including Born This Way: Awa’s Story and Stan. [4] [10] He also began presenting general interest television shows, such as The Hard Stuff with Nigel Latta, which approached social and political issues, [11] and You've Been Scammed by Nigel Latta which examines common types of scams. [9]
Latta has a daughter and a son from his first marriage. [9] He met his current wife, Natalie Flynn, in 2018, when they began working together on his Parentland app. [12] [13] Flynn is also a clinical psychologist. [2] They married in 2023. [2]
In September 2024, Latta revealed that he had been diagnosed with "inoperable and incurable" terminal stomach cancer, [2] and that he was undergoing chemotherapy that had shrunk the tumour by about 60 percent. Latta was told that he had 6 to 12 months to live. [14] [15] [16] In February 2025, the prognosis was reduced to four weeks after a scan indicated that the cancer had spread to his lungs. However, Latta has since said that, because of the treatment he is receiving, he believes he will continue to live for "years and years". [17] [18] In March 2025, he confirmed that he was no longer terminally ill. [19]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2008–2012 | Beyond the Darklands | Presenter [5] |
| 2009 | The Politically Incorrect Parenting Show | Presenter [20] |
| 2011 | The Politically Incorrect Guide To Teenagers | Presenter [20] |
| 2011 | After the Quake: Helping Children Cope | Presenter [20] |
| 2012 | The Politically Incorrect Guide To Grown Ups | Presenter [20] |
| 2014 | Nigel Latta | Presenter [21] |
| 2015 | Nigel Blows Stuff Up | Presenter [20] |
| 2015 | On Thin Ice - Nigel Latta in Antarctica | Presenter [20] |
| 2016–2018 | The Hard Stuff with Nigel Latta | Presenter [11] |
| 2017–2018 | Mind over Money with Nigel Latta | Presenter [20] |
| 2017–2019 | What Next? with Nigel Latta and John Campbell | Presenter [20] |
| 2018 | The Curious Mind | Presenter [20] |
| 2020 | Kids: An Instruction Manual with Nigel Latta | Presenter [20] |
| 2023 | You've Been Scammed By Nigel Latta | Presenter [22] |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
