The April Fool's prank that tricked TVNZ's Breakfast hosts

An early morning prank saw the hosts of TVNZ's Breakfast lose their cool in one of the best April Fool's pranks to emerge in recent years.

Set up by ZM's Jase and PJ, the prank involved deactivating the swipecards of TVNZ's Breakfast show hosts, leaving them unable to to get into the TVNZ building this morning for work.

Moments of hilarity caught on a secret camera ensued as the hosts tried to negotiate with the fraudulent carpark operator.

Nadine Chalmers-Ross was the first victim of the prank arriving in the wee hours of the morning to find she was unable to get into the building carpark.

A confused Chalmers-Ross was then taken for a ride by Jase who posed as a the carpark operator.

"Hi my swipe card isn't working this morning," Chalmers-Ross said.

"Sorry what are you here for?" replied Jase.

"I host the breakfast programme."

"We are not a restaurant, we do not serve breakfast, I'm sorry."

A clearly frustrated Chalmers-Ross then leaned out of her car window to announce, "I host the breakfast show on Television New Zealand - I work here!"

The radio host then forced Chalmers-Ross to spell her name for him to "look up on the system". Needless to say, it didn't go down well.

Eventually the journalist picked up on the prank believing weatherman Sam Wallace was behind it.

Breakfast show news reader Melissa Stokes being pranked this morning by ZM's Jase and PJ.

The radio hosts' next victim was Melissa Stokes.

Upon discovering her swipe card was not working, PJ advised her it "might be a sensor problem" and she should "back up the car".

"We are backed up down the street, there are four of us waiting to get in," Stokes replied.

PJ said it was her first night and would hand the situation over to her supervisor who was just "watching the cricket".

Moments later Jase took the wheel quizzing Stokes on her role on show.

"I am the newsreader. I have also got Matthew Gibb behind me who is the weather presenter and Rawdon Christie who is the host of Breakfast."

Presenter Matt Gibb then joined Stokes at the carpark speaker pleading with the operator to "just let us in so we can get to work".

Stokes repeated his request asking for the gate to be opened.

"You didn't say please but I will do it," said Jase.

The hosts seemed unimpressed when the prank was revealed later in the carpark elevator.

- nzherald.co.nz