Clarke Gayford

Clarke Gayford
Gayford in 2021
Born
Clarke Timothy Gayford

(1976-10-24) 24 October 1976 (age 48)[1]
Gisborne, New Zealand
OccupationBroadcaster
Spouse
​
(m. 2024)​
Children1

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 husband of Jacinda Ardern, who was prime minister of New Zealand from October 2017 to January 2023.

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, Dunedin, to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree, 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 television 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] In 2021 Gayford hosted the television show Moving Houses.[7] He made a guest appearance as himself in the first season 2 episode of Wellington Paranormal.[8][9]

Personal life

Gayford is the eldest of three siblings.[6] He was previously in relationships with musician Hollie Smith[10][11][12] and Shortland Street actress Shavaughn Ruakere.[13][14]

Gayford and Jacinda Ardern 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 had been referred to as the spouse of the prime minister, although the couple were not married at the time. He accompanied Ardern on international visits, including the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, UK.[15]

On 19 January 2018, Ardern announced that she and Gayford were expecting their first child in June.[16] Their daughter was born on 21 June at 4:45 pm in Auckland City Hospital.[17]

In May 2019, it was reported that he and Ardern were engaged to be married.[18][19] The wedding, scheduled for early 2022, was cancelled due to COVID lockdowns imposed in New Zealand.[20]

On 8 May 2022, Gayford tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, he, Ardern and their daughter went into self-isolation for seven days.[21] On 14 May 2022, Ardern tested positive for COVID-19.[22]

Gayford and Ardern were married in a private ceremony on 13 January 2024.[23]

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.[24]

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.[25][26]

Gayford said in a "scathing review"[27] of an article written by former prime minister Sir John Key in September 2021:[28] "It was such a shame that the name slinging [and] use of disinformation divided his contribution into partisan politics."[29]

In mid-January 2022, Gayford drew controversy after speaking to a pharmacist in December 2021 about obtaining rapid antigen testing for several musician friends. Gayford had claimed that there had been a change to testing guidance from the Health Ministry that would allow them to obtain rapid antigen testing instead of the more invasive polymerase chain reaction testing. Gayford was criticised by the National Party's COVID-19 Response spokesperson Chris Bishop for allegedly using his position as the Prime Minister's partner to obtain special favours for his friends. Gayford subsequently apologised for "any issues or confusion" this created for pharmacy staff.[30][31][32]

Since becoming the partner of the Prime Minister, Gayford has been the target of false rumours that he was under police investigation or due to appear in court.[33][34] In response to some of these rumours, New Zealand Police issued a statement in 2018 that Gayford "is not and has not been the subject of any police inquiry, nor has he been charged in relation to any matter."[35] In July 2022, Gayford and NZME agreed to a confidential settlement, following remarks made on NZME podcast and digital radio channel KICK that were described as "damaging and untrue". The settlement included a confidential monetary sum paid to Gayford.[36]

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. ^ Hawkes, Colleen (12 December 2021). "Clarke Gayford on Moving Houses: 'The points of drama are not forced; they all happened.'". Stuff. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  8. ^ Ramsey, Teresa (16 October 2019). "Clarke Gayford makes cameo appearance on Wellington Paranormal". Stuff. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Hollie Smith on her musical journey and the inspiration behind her new album". womanmagazine.co.nz. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  11. ^ "The best man for the job". Stuff. 21 July 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Coming In From The Dark: Hollie Smith talks hope, grief and the 'coven' of female singers helping her survive lockdown". Newshub. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  13. ^ Fleming, Donna (25 March 2013). "Shavaughn Ruakere and Clarke Gayford's special celebration". Now To Love. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Shavaughn: Out of the blue". NZ Herald. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  15. ^ Jacobi, Stephen (22 April 2018). "PM's London visit not just 'pure nostalgia'". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  16. ^ "Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces pregnancy". The New Zealand Herald. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  17. ^ "It's a girl! Jacinda Ardern gives birth to her first child". Newshub. 21 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  18. ^ "Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern engaged to partner Clarke Gayford". Radio New Zealand. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  19. ^ "Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford engaged". New Zealand Herald. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  20. ^ "Covid: New Zealand PM Ardern cancels wedding amid Omicron wave". BBC. 23 January 2022.
  21. ^ Cooke, Henry (8 May 2022). "Covid-19 NZ: Jacinda Ardern isolating at home as partner Clarke Gayford infected". Stuff. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  22. ^ "Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tests positive for Covid-19". Radio New Zealand. 14 May 2022. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  23. ^ "Jacinda Ardern marries partner Clarke Gayford in private ceremony". BBC News. 13 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  24. ^ "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.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ "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.
  27. ^ "'Was there a single new idea?': Clarke Gayford rubbishes John Key comments". NZ Herald. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  28. ^ Key, Sir John (25 September 2021). "Sir John Key: We need to break free of the hermit kingdom and stop ruling by fear on Covid-19". Stuff. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  29. ^ "Clarke Gayford accuses Sir John Key of 'name slinging', Covid 'disinformation'". 1 News. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  30. ^ Sadler, Rachel (12 January 2021). "Coronavirus: Chris Bishop hits out at Clarke Gayford's 'deeply inappropriate' alleged bid to get rapid antigen tests for musician mates". Newshub. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  31. ^ McCulloch, Craig (13 January 2022). "PM tight-lipped on Clarke Gayford's apology over rapid antigen tests". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  32. ^ Coughlan, Thomas (12 January 2022). "'Deeply inappropriate': Clarke Gayford sorry for 'confusion' after claim he tried to get mate rapid Covid test". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  33. ^ "Where is Clarke Gayford? Jacinda Ardern laughs off conspiracy theories, reveals the answer". Newshub. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  34. ^ "Clarke Gayford pokes fun at court appearance rumours as police deny he's facing charges". Newshub. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  35. ^ Moir, Jo (11 June 2018). "It was a police decision to clear Clarke Gayford's name after rumours". Stuff. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  36. ^ McConnell, Glenn (29 July 2022). "Clarke Gayford receives apology and settlement for broadcast of 'baseless lies'". Stuff. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Mary English
 Partner of the Prime Minister of New Zealand
2017–2023 		Succeeded by
Jade Hipkins