Ryan Bridge reacts as TikTok fans swoon over viral earthquake broadcast

Herald NOW host Ryan Bridge has garnered 910,000 views on TikTok with video coverage of the September 19 earthquake in Russia’s far east. Photo / Michael Craig

Herald NOW host Ryan Bridge is capturing international hearts thanks to a recent viral video that had commenters posting compliments like “News Zaddy”.

Bridge caught the attention of TikTok users while covering a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Russia’s far east.

In a video that has now been viewed nearly 910,000 times, Bridge broke the news of the September 19 quake that rocked the region of Kamchatka.

However, going by comments on the viral video, most users were paying more attention to Bridge’s appearance than what he had to say.

“Earthquake or heartquake”, one commenter wrote.

“New Zealand, you’ve been holding out on us,” another said.

Another lamented, “We don’t have reporters like this in Canada”.

The barrage of admiration came as a shock to Kiwis, who are used to seeing Bridge on local screens.

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A large, shallow earthquake has struck off the coast of Russia, with “hazardous tsunami waves” possible for coastal areas within 1000km of the epicentre, the US Geological Survey says. The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.8 and at a depth of 10km deep, occurred off the east coast of Kamchatka around 7am (NZT). A spokeswoman for the National Emergency Management Agency said the quake had been assessed by both Earth Science NZ and NEMA. Any potential tsunami from the quake posed no risk to New Zealand, she said. 🔗 Get the full story via the link in our bio.

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Bridge, for his part, was amused by the online excitement – as was his husband, who thought the balloon meme “was the best”.

While he hasn’t seen the reactions to the post himself, he has been sent several by friends and colleagues.

“The thing with internet comments is sometimes they’re good and sometimes they’re bad. So it’s best to take it all with a grain of salt.”

His message to “all the American ladies” is simple: “It’s never going to happen. But I have zero issues with being objectified.”

Some fans think Bridge looks like fellow Kiwi Daniel Gillies.

Several comments compared him to Daniel Gillies, who played Elijah Mikaelson in the popular teen series The Vampire Diaries and spinoff The Originals.

One commenter said, “he looks like the original brother in Vampire Diaries”, while another quipped “Elijah, what are you doing here??!!”

Gillies grew up in Hamilton before moving to Hollywood to pursue acting. He was married to She’s All That star Rachael Leigh Cook for 15 years and shares two children with the actress, Charlotte and Theodore Gillies.

While the 49-year-old told the Herald he had no plans to move back to Aotearoa, he was still warm about the place he grew up.

“I think New Zealand is one of those places you grow fonder of the more time that goes by that you’re away from it.”

In the meantime, the Hollywood heartthrob has a local doppelganger in Bridge – who doesn’t see the resemblance.

“I’m flattered, but that guy is way hotter.”