A clip from Prime Minister, which chronicles the leadership and personal life of former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Video / Universal Pictures Content Group
Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern has discussed on the Graham Norton Show the time she wanted to “punch” Simon Bridges in the face.
Ardern appeared on the episode, which aired in the United Kingdom early this afternoon (NZT) as part of a promotional run for her documentary PrimeMinister, which drew on hundreds of hours of footage, including personal home videos taken by her partner Clarke Gayford.
It was Ardern’s first appearance on Norton’s show, and he called the documentary - released today in the UK - “truly extraordinary”.
During the episode, he played a clip from the documentary where former National Party leader Bridges yelled “she doesn’t do the economy” during Question Time in Parliament.
The clip then cut to Ardern saying “Simon Bridges yelled across the house, ‘she doesn’t do the economy’, I wanted to punch him in the face.”
“I kind of thought, okay, people want us to keep going. And so we did, but it got harder.
“The election then was almost like an election in the middle of a war, it’s sort of how it felt in some ways.”
Norton asked Ardern about why she thought her popularity began to decline.
She said while she took responsibility for her time in office, global politics had also changed over that period.
“I think we have seen politics carry a lot more grievance from individuals, and in some ways it’s become more violent and aggressive. So, you know, I don’t think it was just any one leader that has experienced that shift.”
Despite the shift in the political landscape, Ardern said she would still encourage young people to get into politics.
“What other job if you’re a do-gooder, like I can be sometimes, when you see a problem in the world, and you’ve got the power to do something about it, what other job do you get that gift?”
She made a plea for people to not “give up on the prospect that politics can be better”.
Throughout the lively episode, Ardern sat alongside actor Kate Winslet, talk show host Seth Meyers and comedian Alan Carr.
“Half of New Zealand auditioned, and half of New Zealand starred, except for me.”
Winslet, whose first film was Jackson’s HeavenlyCreatures, was full of praise for the way Ardern had handled her dual roles of pregnancy and global leadership.
The former politician said she discovered she was pregnant three days before finding out she would be Prime Minister.
“Oh my god she is so amazing. You are so amazing,” Winslet said, to applause from the audience.
Ardern said on the show that she would not return to politics because, after first entering Parliament at 28 years old, it was now up to the next generation.
The Graham Norton Show episode featuring Kate Winslet, Jacinda Ardern, Alan Carr and Seth Meyers will air on TVNZ and TVNZ+ on Friday 12 December.
