Seven Sharp host Hilary Barry's 'news cleavage' joke on Formal Friday post

Hilary Barry dresses up in her 21st dress for Formal Friday. Video / Hilary Barry

Seven Sharp host Hilary Barry is back at it again with "Formal Friday" — this time with a 21st twist and a news cleavage joke.

Since the lockdown began, the presenter has started a "Formal Friday" trend encouraging Kiwis to dress up on a day that people usually dress casually before the weekend comes.

Every week she has come up with a theme, with today's one being outfits from your 21st.

However, she hilariously managed to slip in a joke about her cleavage.

"This #formalfriday I give you the outfit my mum made me for my 21st. Seems I was fond of #newscleave even back in 1990," she shared on social media.

This #formalfriday I give you the outfit my mum made me for my 21st. Seems I was fond of #newscleave even back in 1990. pic.twitter.com/8vl6SE3wp8

— Hilary Barry (@Hilary_Barry) April 16, 2020

Barry came up with the "news cleave" hashtag after receiving many complaints over the years about her outfits showing too much cleavage while she was on the air.

The presenter would promptly call those people out to the satisfaction of many of her followers.

The latest complaint came from a woman last year in September who posted: "Hilary, plenty of cleavage on show tonight. Not all that pretty!" to which Barry responded: "I'll never understand why women complain so much about other women's boobs."

The episode where Hilary Barry received a complaint on her cleavage. Photo / Seven Sharp

View this post on Instagram

I’ll never understand why women complain so much about other women’s boobs. Here’s tonight’s. #newscleave

A post shared by Hilary Barry (@hilary.barry) on Sep 17, 2019 at 12:43am PDT

Meanwhile, last week Barry shared an ingenious idea for getting away from it all this Easter — without flouting lockdown laws.

With a tent set up in the back yard, Barry showed off how she planned to spend some precious time away from the family — with glamping.

When #formalfriday coincides with a holiday weekend during lockdown you have to improvise. So I’m camping in the backyard. Tent for one.

Posted by Hilary Barry on Thursday, 9 April 2020

Barry took some good books into her "bubble within a bubble" and had hubby on hand to fetch the tea.