John Campbell's terrible parting gift from TV3

John Campbell left TV3 for the last time after his final broadcast on Campbell Live in May last year. Photo/Jason Dorday

The former executive producer on axed TV3 show Campbell Live has revealed the "shitty" parting gift given to host John Campbell on his last day.

According to Pip Keane, all she and Campbell received on their final day at the network was "identical, shitty bunches of flowers".

That's not all: in a report on The Spinoff about terrible leaving gifts, Keane says the flowers were bought for a group of five staff who were leaving that day - but only four bunches were ordered.

Campbell left TV3 after 24 years of service in May last year when Campbell Live was put through a review process and then axed, despite viewer outrage and a major increase in ratings.

It was replaced first by a local version of cooking reality show Come Dine With Me, and then current affairs show Story, hosted by Duncan Garner and Heather du Plessis-Allan.

After a break, Campbell moved on to host Checkpoint on Radio NZ.

Other TV3 presenters to receive underwhelming gifts include Carolyn Robinson, who was given a $100 Whitcoulls voucher, Kamahl Santamaria, who received a Swiss Army pocketknife, and Carly Flynn, who says she didn't get a thing after leaving Sunrise.

Hilary Barry is the most recent presenter to leave TV3. She finished her final stints co-hosting Paul Henry and Newshub at 6pm yesterday.