Ben Boyce's Wairarapa mum is standing by her celebrity son, who is facing a possible jail term after his television show's airport prank.
Boyce, 33, a former Wairarapa College pupil and host of television comedy show WANNA-BEn, appeared in Manukau District Court on Monday alongside show colleagues radio station DJ Bryce Casey, 32, and television producer Andrew Robinson, 26, on charges of breaching the Civil Aviation Act.
The trio face up to 12 months' jail or a fine of up to $10,000 after Casey allegedly tried to access a restricted area of Auckland Airport on Saturday dressed in a fake pilot's uniform. The stunt was being recorded for the TV show.
Police launched a manhunt for the fake pilot on Saturday and Boyce and his cohorts later handed themselves in.
Boyce's mother, Jenni Berthold, speaking yesterday from the Waiohine Gorge family home, said she had spoken to her son in the wake of the incident and was standing by him.
"He's a family member, so we always keep in touch. As a mum, I'm always worried about my children," she said.
"I'm very proud of Ben and I love him dearly but sometimes things happen."
Mrs Berthold declined to comment further.
Boyce yesterday would not comment to the Times-Age but apologised for the incident on the courtroom steps, via TV3 and on social media website Facebook.
"We want to apologise for any alarm that was caused by our 'pilot' skit. We've been doing skits for over nine years but this time we crossed the line and we fully accept that," Boyce said on the site.
"There was never any intention to cause trouble at the airport. Nor was it our intention for Bryce to breach security. On Sunday, when we saw that the police were looking for us, we called them immediately."
Prime Minister John Key described the trio as clowns who should grow up.
Paul Lyons, Airline Pilots' Association aviation security co-ordinator, has called for them to be imprisoned. WANNA-BEn is a TV3 comedy skit show in its second season that follows Boyce, formerly of Pulp Sport, as he looks for a new job.
Mrs Berthold earlier told the Times-Age her son had developed his perilous sense of humour during his years at Wairarapa College.
His father Kevin Boyce, a former principal at Hadlow School in Masterton, could not be reached for comment at his new position as head of St Michael's Church School in Christchurch.
Police yesterday arrested a cameraman, a sound recordist, and a production co-ordinator in connection to the attempted breach at Auckland airport on Saturday. All three men are facing charges under the Civil Aviation Act.