Ashley Bloomfield "humbly" turns down TV Personality of the Year nomination

Having graced our TV screens since the daily Covid-19 briefings began way back in March, unsurprisingly, Ashley Bloomfield landed a spot as a finalist in this year's NZ TV Awards' Personality of the Year category.

However, the Director-General of Health has now declined the nomination because he's "not a TV personality".

His office said in a statement yesterday that he was "humbled" to have been nominated up against the likes of TVNZ's Wendy Petrie and Hilary Barry.

"Given his primary role as a public servant and not a TV personality, he would like to step aside from being considered for the award," the statement reads.

"He wishes the candidates well and says he will be watching with interest on the night."

NZTV Awards officials supported his decision to withdraw from the nomination and thanked him for his work during the fight against Covid-19 alongside frontline workers and the Ministry of Health.

Many Kiwis, including Barry, took to Twitter to share their disappointment with his decision.

One user said: "On the one hand, I respect his choice. On the other hand, how could he do this to us?"

If you've voted for Bloomfield, you can still recast your vote for any of the other finalists, according to competition officials.

The awards are on November 18. Voting closes at midnight on Sunday 15 November.