Hugs, tears, speeches, highlights videos and quite a few pranks - one involving Britney Spears - marked Rawdon Christie's last day on the Breakfast couch.
Christie finishes his up his 13-year career at TVNZ today, and his co-hosts used his final broadcast to pay tribute to the long-serving presenter - and play a few pranks.
Christie leaves today as part of a shake-up of the Breakfast team that saw newsreader Peter Williams leave on Wednesday.
Rawdon Christie is being farewelled from Breakfast today.
Nadine Chalmers-Ross finishes up next Friday, before new hosts Jack Tame and Hilary Barry take over on September 19.
Christie used his final moments on the show to deliver a heartfelt monologue, calling his time at Breakfast "the best job in TV".
"This team are the most dedicated hardworking team in the newsroom ... and I know no one else in the newsroom will argue with that."
"We've put 3000 hours of live TV to air," he said. "I've met rock stars, interviewed icons, covered World Cups. Will I miss it? Of course I will. Because I love telling stories ... and that's what matters about what we do for a living."
Christie's co-host Chalmers-Ross described him as "a bit like a husband - sometimes I want to wring your neck, other times I want to kiss you".
He was presented with cake and champagne as credits rolled on his final show.
Rawdon Christie and the Breakfast team on his last day hosting the show. Photo/TVNZ
Christie said he and his family were "going for some new adventures - whatever they may be".
Earlier, Christie's send off started when Melissa Stokes introduced a highlights package of some of his highs - and a few lows.
Highs included eight hours of straight live coverage of the Christchurch earthquake, as well as stints hosting Dragon's Den, Sunday and One News.
Bloopers were also peppered throughout the segment, including the time Christie presented a feature on lingerie and told a shop assistant he didn't know what size his wife's "bits" were.
He also had beach art repeatedly wiped out by waves, dropped a few f-bombs, and jokingly wiped out a rare species of frog during a segment filmed in the bush.
"I honestly thought I'd done no bloopers - I thought I hadn't done anything wrong. You've done some serious digging," Christie said after the clip had aired.
Christie was later snared in another prank when he was tricked into introducing a "new" Britney Spears video that was actually just a clip of the pop star's 2000 hit Oops! ... I Did It Again with Christie's face used to replace Spears.
A later video was mostly comprised of clips of Christie falling: one while he was attempting a handstand, another tripping while playing hallway soccer, and a third while attempting hurdles. He was seen attempting to jog in high heels.
It wasn't all fun and games: Stokes teared up when Christie paid tribute to her and thanked her for helping him through his first few days at the network 13 years ago.
"It's a special friendship that will continue for many more years to come," he said.
"Excuse me - this is a special moment for me," Stokes said after the pair hugged.
Seven Sharp and former Breakfast presenter Toni Street also made an appearance to say goodbye.
"I know we'll stay friends and you'll come to my house and eat food and you won't bring anything. You're one of the best friends I've made here," said Street.
Toni Street farewells Rawdon Christie on his last day at Breakfast.
Tributes flowed on social media for Christie, with one using Twitter to say she couldn't "face breakfast" without him.
@RawdonChristie Gutted mate, can't even face breakfast, need you on Breakfast! Won't watch it anymore, gonna sulk lol 😢😢best wishes xxx
