TVNZ’s Breakfast show experienced an on-air hiccup this morning when presenter Jenny-May Clarkson dissolved into laughter after mispronouncing the name of a German museum, leading to an extended, unscripted break in programming.
Clarkson’s fit of giggles occurred while reporting on Taylor Swift‘s new music video, which features imagery inspired by a painting housed at the Hessische Landesmuseum in Wiesbaden, Germany. After struggling with the museum’s name, Clarkson was visibly overcome with laughter, prompting the show to cut to a two-minute, unnarrated financial market update while she composed herself. Fellow presenter Matty McLean stepped in to deliver the weather forecast, jokingly referencing the situation by stating, “I don’t know what it’s like in Germany at the moment, but here it’s sunny for most of the North Island.”
The incident has drawn attention to the museum itself, which has reported a surge in visitors eager to see the artwork that inspired swift. Museum director Andreas Henning expressed delight at the unexpected publicity,telling german news agency DPA,”This is,of course,a great possibility to attract people to the museum who don’t know us yet.” The museum is currently celebrating its 200th anniversary.
Museum Wiesbaden gained further prominence in 2023 as one of seven German institutions to repatriate Māori and Moriori remains to New Zealand’s Te Papa museum. The incident on Breakfast occurred around 7:35 am, with Clarkson offering a brief apology before the show continued with its scheduled programming.
