John Cocks (builder)


John Mark Cocks, also known as 'Cocksy', was a New Zealand celebrity builder and television presenter. He was most notable for working on the My House My Castle series in the 1990s for New Zealand's TV2. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Cocks was a prominent face on New Zealand television as Cocksy, New Zealand's favourite tradesman.

Television career

Cocks started his career in television in the late 1990s. His prominent role on television is a builder and renovator, though he has worked on other projects that are not related to building in his career. One of the earliest TV shows that he appeared on was April's Angels. He appeared on this show alongside April Ieremia in 1998. After this Cocks then started appearing on the popular New Zealand home renovation TV show My House My Castle as the building consultant and builder. This show ran from 1999 until 2009.
During the early 2000s, Cocks also appeared on several reality shows including City Celebrity Country Nobody and Celebrity Treasure Island to which he won on Season One of the show.
Cocks was also the voice and face of the Carters Building Supplies commercials in the early 2000s. Cocks appeared on television again in 2013 for the TV show How Did You Do That? alongside Amy Schaeffer and later in 2015 on My Dream Room: Kids Edition with television and radio host Mel Homer.

Television work

In June 2017 Cocks married Dana Coote. They have three daughters, Ella, Sophie and Georgia. They are his three children from a previous marriage.
In 2016 Cocks was diagnosed with kidney cancer. He died from it on 6 February 2019.