Brian Tamaki vs Newshub: TV show pulls Destiny Church leader interview off-air

A Brian Tamaki TV interview was canned after Newshub and the church leader could not agree on terms. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Newshub Nation has canned a scheduled live TV interview with Brian Tamaki, ahead of a rumoured announcement the controversial church leader will make a new bid to get into Parliament.

His wife and Destiny Church co-leader Hannah Tamaki tweeted earlier this morning that her followers should watch today’s show, which screens at 9.30am on TV3.

“It’s going to be very exciting,” she tweeted, suggesting the interview would make news across the country.

However, shortly after Newshub Nation began at 9.30am, Hannah Tamaki tweeted that TV3 had “pulled” the interview with the Bishop.

“Not surprised.. they wanted all the details yesterday.. which wasn’t possible,” she said.

Announcement at 11am today. pic.twitter.com/pN3K4TF1gJ

— Hannah Tamaki (@hrhtamaki) May 12, 2023

Newshub Nation presenter Rebecca Wright said on-air that Brian Tamaki might be launching another bid for Parliament.

“There are rumours that this time it will be as leader of Freedoms NZ,” she said.

She also confirmed Brian Tamaki’s interview had been pulled from the show.

“We were expecting to have Bishop Brian on the programme today but we couldn’t agree on the terms of that interview,” she said.

Brian and Hannah Tamaki have a long history of controversial comments as they try to turn their brand of Christian worship into a broader political party.

Bishop Brian and Hannah Tamaki at the Italian War Cemetery at Caserta while holidaying in Europe. Photo / Supplied

Hannah Tamaki is leader of Vision NZ, a Christian political party that ran in the 2020 NZ general election, but won no seats.

The Tamakis also set up the Freedoms NZ party with the aim to try to become an umbrella party that wins support from various other small movements, such as groups unhappy with the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The couple were recently in the news for travelling to Gallipoli and Europe on a holiday, and for reports Brian Tamaki told his followers that Cyclone Gabrielle was brought to Aotearoa by porn, abortion and gay rights.

Just days after the storm caused widespread and tragic devastation, Tamaki delivered a sermon on the topic and zeroed in on Pornhub statistics showing that Gisborne and Hastings have the “highest number of porn watchers in the country”.

An NZ Herald editorial column afterwards said the comments deserved “ridicule”.

“Blaming extreme weather events on extreme online content is simply cynical opportunism as well as an insult to the courageous people of Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay,” the editorial story said.

Tamaki and his wife Hannah also appeared in Auckland District Court last month over allegations they violated the Covid-19 lockdown last year by organising or attending Auckland Domain protests.

The case will be reviewed this month.

Freedoms NZ later sent out a media release, saying it had expanded to include a number of small parties.

It said these are the NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party, New Nation Party and two new unregistered parties, called Rock The Vote New Zealand and Yes Aotearoa.

Brian Tamaki said the party’s flagship policies were yet to be announced.

Tamaki’s team emailed their media release out at 12.15pm today - inviting media to attend a press conference for a “major” Freedoms NZ announcement in central Auckland.

However, the press conference was scheduled for 11am today, one hour and 15 minutes before the media release was issued.