Clarke Gayford jokes he is 'punching above his weight' in relationship with Jacinda Ardern

Clarke Gayford has joked he is 'punching above his weight' in his relationship with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Gayford, who hosts fishing program Fish of the Day, has shared some rare insight into his relationship with Ardern in a new interview on Aussie radio station Nova 96.9.

Answering a question about how their romance began, he quipped, "I thought you were about to accuse me of punching [above my weight], and, well, you would be right!"

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Gayford explained to Nova hosts Fitzy and Wippa that he first encountered his now-fiancee through rather official channels.

"This is slightly embarrassing, I had a constituency issue and I emailed my local MP and I got some really good advice," he laughed.

The couple had met briefly in person for the first time at an awards show in 2012, which Gayford was emceeing.

At a later date, the TV presenter reached out to Ardern, then a Labour MP, with his concerns about a proposed bill, which they met over coffee to discuss.

The pair began dating in 2013, and four years later their relationship became a lot more high-profile.

In August 2017, Ardern became the leader of New Zealand's Labour Party, and seven weeks later she was elected to the office of Prime Minister.

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Gayford, who stars in the new Discovery Channel documentary Shark Lockdown, recalled he was diving in Queensland when his partner became Labour leader, sparking "a swift and sudden turn" in their life together.

"As I was about to go down underwater I turned my phone off, like 'I don't want to know about this'," he told Nova's Fitzy and Wippa.

"When I came back up the guy on the boat said, 'Yeah, mate, you might want to call back home. Your missus has had a promotion'."

Politics and major world events aside, the last three years have produced some major milestones for Ardern and Gayford.

In June 2018, the couple welcomed their first child, daughter Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford, making Ardern the second world leader to give birth while in office.

The following year, they became engaged during the Easter break, with Clarke proposing on top of the Mokotahi Hill in Mahia.

The broadcaster and spearfisher admits his days look rather different to his fiancee's.

Just last Saturday, she was tied up with a conference requiring calls through the night.

"She was doing interviews from 12 midnight through to three in the morning. I got up 2.5 hours later and snuck off working, out spearfishing," he laughed.