60 Minutes reporter Charles Wooley defends Jacinda Ardern interview

The 60 Minutes reporter slammed over his “creepy’’ interview with New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern answers his critics.

The 60 Minutes reporter who described New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as “attractive” and speculated when her baby was conceived has defended his interview with her, saying the reaction has been overwhelming and “Orwellian”.

Charles Wooley, a veteran journalist with the Nine Network, has come under fire from some viewers and critics for marvelling at Ms Ardern’s age and appearance, rather than her policies.

“I’ve met a lot of prime ministers in my time, but none so young, not too many so smart, and never one so attractive”, he said during the 13-minute segment that aired on Sunday night.

On New Zealand radio yesterday, Wooley said Australians and New Zealanders are “culturally different” and conceded while he thought the details of the pregnancy were funny, he may have been wrong.

“It’s a bit Orwellian, you know I think. You’ve got to be so careful now with newsspeak and thought crime and everything else. We suffer the same thing in Australia. It’s not a good time to be a journalist,” 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.”

Wooley told the station he had thoroughly enjoyed spending time with their prime minister and her partner.

“This is an absolutely shocking thing to say, but Australians aren’t interested in the minutiae of New Zealand politics… on 60 Minutes they want to see this wonderful couple. I’m not really a social reporter, I just loved being with them, they were so much fun. You know what our PM’s like,” he said.

“I thought they were so much fun, such a breath of fresh air, you know it was just terrific to be with them.”

With an unexpected - but very exciting - pregnancy, when @jacindaardern gives birth in June, she’ll become the first elected female western leader to have a child in office. #60Mins pic.twitter.com/mCB9rxeT81

— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) February 25, 2018

Wooley would have been fired by his executive producer if he had not asked Ms Ardern, 37, when her baby was conceived.

“I’ve conceived five children so it’s no surprise to me that children get conceived in joy ... stress or in any time,” he said. His wife said he had been “too gushing” in the interview, Wooley added.

Ms Ardern was asked about the interview in her post-Cabinet press conference in Wellington yesterday.

She said while the conception question “threw me a bit”, she wasn’t “particularly fazed or offended”.

“You’re assuming I haven’t been asked that question by NZ media,” she said. Ms Ardern said she had been asked the same question “in a roundabout sort of way” since she announced she was expecting her first child.

Charles Wooley has defended his interview with Jacinda Ardern.

A spokesman for Nine said in a statement: “In its 40 years on-air, 60 Minutes has always been renowned for its political interviews conducted without fear or favour.

“In interviews with various world leaders including Bob Hawke, Margaret Thatcher and current Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull, 60 Minutes reporters have always asked the tough questions which the public has been wanting to hear, while also showing the human side of these individuals that we rarely get to see.

“Charles Wooley came away from his interview with Jacinda Ardern in awe of her poise, intelligence and everyday charm, which was reflected in the full story.’’