Clarke Gayford

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Clarke Gayford
Clarke Gayford 2021 (cropped).jpg
Gayford in 2021
Partner of the Prime Minister of New Zealand
Assumed role
26 October 2017
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byMary English
Personal details
Born
Clarke Timothy Gayford

(1976-10-24) 24 October 1976 (age 45)[1]
Gisborne, New Zealand
Domestic partnerJacinda Ardern (2013–present)
ChildrenNeve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford
ResidencePremier House, Wellington
ProfessionBroadcaster

Clarke Timothy Gayford[2] (born 24 October 1976[1]) is a New Zealand radio and television broadcaster, presenter of the fishing documentary show Fish of the Day. He is the fiancé of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Education and career[]

Gayford was raised on a farm outside Gisborne.[3] From the age of 11 he boarded at Palmerston North Boys' High School. In 1995, he matriculated at Otago University to study for a Bachelor of Arts, before transferring to the New Zealand Broadcasting School in Christchurch.[3] After he graduated from broadcasting school, Gayford successfully pitched student-life show Cow TV (1999) to Dunedin's Channel 9.[4][5]

In 1999, Gayford appeared as a contestant on Treasure Island,[3] a reality television game show. In 2003, he began broadcasting on the C4 music channel, presenting youth programmes. In 2010, Gayford presented the third season of Extraordinary Kiwis, a biographical documentary series.[3] Gayford also presented several radio shows, including morning and afternoon drive time shows on More FM and George FM, respectively.[5]

In 2015, with producer Mike Bhana, Gayford created fishing show Fish of the Day, for Choice TV.[3][6] The documentary series is also broadcast on National Geographic Channel, and has screened in over 35 countries.[3]

He made a guest appearance as himself in the first season 2 episode of Wellington Paranormal.[7][8]

Personal life[]

Gayford is the eldest of three siblings.[6] He is the partner of Jacinda Ardern; the couple began dating in 2013.[5] In August 2017, Ardern was elected as Leader of the Labour Party and, following a general election, she became prime minister on 26 October 2017.[5] Gayford has been referred to as the spouse of the prime minister, although the couple are unmarried. He has accompanied Ardern on international visits, including the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, UK.[9]

On 19 January 2018, it was announced that the couple were expecting their first child in June.[10] Their daughter Neve Te Aroha was born on 21 June at 4:45 pm in Auckland City Hospital.[11]

In May 2019, it was reported that he and Ardern were engaged to be married.[12][13]

Views and public image[]

In mid-April 2020, Gayford appeared on a short Wellington Paranormal video encouraging people who were looking after young children during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, National Party Member of Parliament Brett Hudson expressed concerns during an Epidemic Response Committee meeting in early May 2020 that the video risked politicising the New Zealand Police. Police Commissioner Andrew Coster defended Gayford's presence on the grounds that he was a well-known television personality who had participated in the television series.[14]

On 12 March 2021, Gayford attracted media attention when he posted a Tweet stating that the New Zealand Cabinet had made an "in principle decision" pending final test results in relation to the lifting of a COVID-19 Alert Level 2 lockdown in Auckland. In response, his partner Prime Minister Ardern stated that Gayford had not been briefed on Cabinet's "preliminary decision" to move Auckland to Alert Level 1 that day.[15][16]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Clarke Gayford – Genealogy". Geni.com. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Prior to dating the PM Clarke Gayford thought Danger was a 'rad' middle name for a child". The New Zealand Herald. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Clarke Gayford". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  4. ^ "COW TV". Channel 39. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d "Who is Jacinda Ardern's TV presenter partner Clarke Gayford?". Stuff. 2 August 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  6. ^ a b Knight, Kim (17 July 2016). "Clarke Gayford: Jacinda Ardern is the best thing that's ever happened to me". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  7. ^ Ramsey, Teresa (16 October 2019). "Clarke Gayford makes cameo appearance on Wellington Paranormal". Stuff. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019.
  8. ^ Harvey, Megan (17 October 2019). "Clarke Gayford features in Wellington Paranormal's season two". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  9. ^ Jacobi, Stephen (22 April 2018). "PM's London visit not just 'pure nostalgia'". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  10. ^ "Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces pregnancy". The New Zealand Herald. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  11. ^ "It's a girl! Jacinda Ardern gives birth to her first child". Newshub. 21 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern engaged to partner Clarke Gayford". Radio New Zealand. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford engaged". New Zealand Herald. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Police Commissioner questioned over Clarke Gayford video". Otago Daily Times. 1 May 2021. Archived from the original on 15 March 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  15. ^ Deguara, Brittney (12 March 2021). "Covid-19: 'Not at all true': Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern rejects claim fiance Clarke Gayford knew alert levels decision ahead of announcement". Stuff. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Barry Soper on Clarke Gayford's controversial alert level tweet". Newstalk ZB. 12 March 2021. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.

External links[]

Honorary titles
Preceded by
Mary English
 Partner of the Prime Minister of New Zealand
2017–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from ""