Deaker was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2003.[2] Deaker has acted as a mentor for sports personalities such as Jesse Ryder, a New Zealand cricketer.[3]
His radio programmes consistently rated number one.[citation needed] Deaker was known for getting interviews on his radio and television shows with sports people that were famous and/or topical but also gave time to minority sports. He worked with producers such as Greg Billings[4] and his show helped raise the profile of new and rising sports presenters such as Melodie Robinson and the return to the television screen of Tony Veitch.[5] He conducted a number of high-profile interviews, including the last interview with Tiger Woods before his tabloid controversies of 2009.[6] Deaker fell into his own bunker of controversy in 2011,[7] with a racially sensitive slur in reference to a colleague. Despite the NZ Race Relations Commissioner describing the turn of phrase as "Not appropriate" and a weight of public outrage reminiscent of fellow broadcaster Paul Holmes' "Cheeky Darkie" saga and Paul Henry's derogatory comment about an Indian Diplomat with the surname "Dikshit", Deaker's network described the phrase as "widely used". Deaker later apologised, stating "It was a bad choice of words and I apologise unreservedly".
In March 2012, Deaker again became enmeshed in another controversy after allegedly offensive remarks about All Black and MuslimSonny Bill Williams[8]
At the end of 2013 Deaker, then aged 68 years, announced he would move on from his position at Newstalk ZB and from his Sky TV programme, Deaker on Sport.[9] "Timing is everything in sport and life. I want to get out while I'm still at the top of my game. There are fresh challenges that I am keen to have a crack at," says Deaker.