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Inside the 60 Minutes interview
The Australian journalist who asked Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern when her baby was conceived has defended his television interview.
The interview came under fire on social media after it aired in Australia on Sunday night.
But Charles Wooley was yesterday unapologetic over avoiding discussing Ardern’s policies and defended his comment on how attractive she was. The Prime Minister has said she was not offended. Wooley said during the 60
Minutes interview: “I’ve met a lot of Prime Ministers in my time, but none so young and not so many so smart, and never one so attractive”.
Yesterday he told Newstalk ZB: “If you say somebody is attractive, my thesaurus defines it as 50 choices from good-looking to gorgeous to likeable, there is so many different meanings.”
On social media, Wooley came in for a bit of stick.
“Charles Wooley interviewing Jacinda Ardern on 60
Minutes would have to go down as the most patronising interview for a long time,” one viewer said.
Another said she was disgusted at Wooley’s “sexist comments” and was left won- dering if there would be any focus on Ardern’s achievements.
Another said she expected “a second half of the Jacinda interview after the break that talked about her policies and political achievements. But . . . nothing. All we got was sexist comments about her looks and baby talk. Ugh. Absolutely s***ful journalism . . . *changes channel*”, she wrote.
Wooley said the social media blowback was “Orwellian” and that people had to be careful about “thought crime”.
He did not regret the interview because the show rated well and Ardern was “terrific”.
But his wife had accused him of “gushing”, he said.
Australian residents would not be interested in hearing about issues of New Zealand housing or tertiary fees, so he did not raise them.
“On 60 Minutes they want to see this wonderful couple. I just loved being with them, I thought they were so much fun, such a breath of fresh air, you know it was just terrific to be with them.”
He said reports of Ardern being uncomfortable were not true. A press secretary had said after the episode that Ardern had enjoyed the interview, describing it as a “chat”.
Ardern said she was taken aback, but not offended by Wooley’s comments to her.
The question about concep- tion was a case of “too much information” but Ardern said she did not feel it or the interviewer’s comments on her looks were sexist.
Joking that “perhaps be- cause I’m from Morrinsville” Ardern said nothing in particular about it had stood out for her at the time of filming.
Wooley also came under fire for asking Ardern about the due date for her baby.
“One really important political question that I want to ask you, and that is, what exactly is the date that the baby’s due?” he said.
Wooley said he would have been fired by his executive producer if he had not asked Ardern about when her baby was conceived.
“I’ve conceived five chil-