TVNZ presenter Jenny-May Clarkson has signed off in an emotional farewell, with the Breakfast host joined by her whānau as she said her goodbyes.
The broadcast was filled with former and current colleagues expressing their deep gratitude before Clarkson let the tears fall in the last minutes of the programme.
“Thank you to the people here at TVNZ who have helped shape me. Thank you for your love and support,” she said.
“I’ve been surrounded by hardworking, passionate, clever people who turn up every day to serve you, our audiences.
“Brilliant, resilient, talented and committed to serving you every single day. Whatever Breakfast becomes next, it will be because of their talent and their heart.”
She gave a shout-out to her co-host Chris Chang, whom she called her “special friend” and said his friendship meant more to her than he probably realised.
She also gave special mentions to her husband, mother and late father.
“To my husband, Dean, who’s here, my rock, the love of my life, thank you for loving the grumpy me, the messy me, the exhausted me.
“Thank you, I love you. And to my mum, who’s here: your faith in me, Mum, has carried me further than you know.
“And my dad, who I feel every single day, whispering courage and reminding me of who I am.”
She finished with a message to the viewers.
“Thank you for the honour of being in your homes every single morning. I have never taken that for granted. I will miss the privilege. I’ll miss you all, but your brilliant Breakfast team will continue to look after you.
“Aroha nui ki a koutou. Kia pai ō rā ngāki whakata. Have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you when I see you.”
Clarkson was showered with well-wishes from guests and former co-hosts, including Matty McLean, who called working with Clarkson one of the “greatest joys” of his life.
“You are incredibly kind, warm and empathetic.”
Clarkson and Chang started the show this morning by immediately acknowledging that it was her last, explaining early in the broadcast that it would be difficult to “keep it together”.
“We are going to try to keep it together. I know the flowers have already started arriving,” Chang said.
Reporter Jack Tame gave a message to his long-time friend, along with a clip from their early days on the Breakfast desk with Hilary Barry and Stacey Morrison, before Clarkson was a regular.
At the midway point of the show, a highlight reel was shared of her best and funniest moments from her five years as a regular on Breakfast.
They included a lot of dancing videos alongside former hosts McLean and Melissa Chan-Green, and lots of laughter with guests.
It also showed Clarkson’s compassionate side, comforting flood victims as they spoke to her on air.
“That’s been the greatest privilege, giving people space to share their stories … I have never taken that for granted,” she said.
Archival footage was played of her announcing her retirement from netball in 2004 to focus on her broadcasting career.
1News political editor Maiki Sherman spoke of her love and respect for Clarkson.
“You have been a pillar of strength for Māori and Pasifika journos here at TVNZ.
“You have been a Māori matriarch … it has been a joy and never a chore.”
In the first hour, Clarkson received many emails from viewers, including one from her former teacher, wishing her the best for the future.
“It’s my last day and I am definitely not going to cry,” she said with a laugh.
The presenter has been in the role since 2020, most recently alongside Chang, and is one of the network’s longest-serving presenters.
She’s also the first wahine Māori to be appointed to the Breakfast co-host role, representing her Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Kahu heritage.
Before she was an on-screen regular, Clarkson made her name on the netball court.
She became a household name as Jenny-Mae Coffin at 23, debuting as a Silver Fern in 1997. She played 26 tests over six years for the team, and also represented Aotearoa in touch rugby.
After retiring from competitive sport, she applied for a job as a sports presenter with TVNZ in 2005, after a chance encounter, and has been with the network since. Before that, she was studying part-time to become a teacher. She also worked as a police officer in Hamilton.
She moved from sports news presenting in 2019, replacing Daniel Faitaua on Breakfast, when he left to take the network’s European correspondent role. She then landed a permanent spot on the couch in 2020, after the departure of Hayley Holt.