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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern recently announced that she has canceled her wedding due to a sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 omicron variant and a fresh set of restrictions in the country.
The Prime Minister made the official announcement during a press conference on Sunday, January 23, 2022:
"My wedding won't be going ahead but I just join many other New Zealanders who have had an experience like that as a result of the pandemic. To anyone who's caught up in that scenario, I'm so sorry."
As reporters asked how she felt about the postponement, Jacinda Ardern mentioned “such is life” and sympathized with other New Zealanders who have faced worse situations during the pandemic:
"I am no different to, dare I say it, thousands of other New Zealanders who have had much more devastating impacts felt by the pandemic, the most gutting of which is the inability to be with a loved one sometimes when they are gravely ill. That will far, far outstrip any sadness I experience."
The 41-year-old also shared that the latest outbreak was reported after a family of nine tested positive for omicron in Motueka, South Island. The family reportedly traveled to Auckland to attend a wedding and a funeral. They also visited an amusement park and the Sky Tower.
Although no exact wedding date for the Prime Minister was previously announced, People noted that the couple reportedly planned to tie the knot this weekend. Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford have been together for nearly a decade and also share three-year-old daughter Neve Te Aroha.
Everything to know about Jacinda Ardern's fiance, Clarke Gayford
Clarke Gayford is a radio host and TV broadcaster based in New Zealand. He was born on October 24, 1977, and grew up on a farm in Gisborne. He studied at Palmerston North Boys' High School and enrolled at Otago University in 1995.
However, he later shifted to New Zealand Broadcasting School in Christchurch. During his time at college, Gayford pitched a show called Cow TV to Channel 9 and went on to produce and direct a few episodes of the show.
The 44-year-old appeared on the reality TV program Treasure Island in 1999 and later moved to Auckland to experience several broadcasting opportunities on C4. Gayford got his breakthrough after hosting the popular travel show United Travel Getaway in 2007.
He also hosted the Kiwi version of the Ultimate Guinness World Records in 2008. The following year, the broadcaster took part in the Best Job in the World tourism campaign and earned a place among the final 16 contestants.
The Gisborne-native also hosted the Extraordinary Kiwis TV show in 2010 and went on to broadcast on popular radio channels like George FM, More FM, Channel Z, and The Edge. Gayford then decided to combine his passion for fishing with his work and introduced Fish of the Day in 2015.
The show gained immense popularity and Gayford became a well-known TV personality in New Zealand. It also won the Best Lifestyle Show award at the Houston International Film Festival.
The anchor went on to appear on shows like Seven Sharp, AA Torque Show and New Zealand’s Joker Poker. He also contributed to Radio New Zealand’s The Panel.
Clarke Gayford garnered further media attention after he started dating Jacinda Ardern. The duo first met at the Metro Restaurant Awards in 2012 and reconnected for work after the Government Communications Security Bureau bill in 2013.
The pair started dating shortly after and experienced a drastic change in their lives when Jacinda Ardern was elected the leader of the Labour Party and eventually the Prime Minister of New Zealand in 2017.
The duo continued to attend several public events together and went on to welcome their daughter in 2018.
Gayford proposed to Jacinda Ardern at the top of a hill in 2019 and the couple got engaged during Easter Holidays at the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand that same year.
As their nuptials were recently postponed amid the current COVID-19 outbreak in the country, it remains to be seen when the pair will walk down the aisle.
