TVNZ redundancies: Wendy Petrie's daughter's touching tribute to mum

The teenage daughter of dumped TVNZ news anchor Wendy Petrie has shared a touching tribute to her mum calling her a "true inspiration".

In a recent post on Petrie's Instagram account her daughter speaks about how proud she is of how her mother has dealt with the unexpected axing from her news reading role this week.

"So proud of my strong, intelligent and talented mum," she wrote in a rare statement on her mum's public page.

The tribute on Instagram.

"Despite what has happened in the last couple of days she had held her head up high.

"She is a true inspiration to women working in the television industry and I am so proud to call her my mum."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wendy Petrie (@wendytvnz)

In response to the heartfelt message from her daughter, mum-of-three Petrie added how grateful she was for all the kind messages and support that had flooded in from viewers and friends since this week's shock announcement.

"This one from my daughter, makes you realise how grown up they suddenly are!"

Petrie was dumped from her dual anchor role after the state broadcaster announced it was moving to a single newsreader for weekday programmes and confirmed Simon Dallow as the host.

The move is part of a Covid-19 restructure the company announced last month.

TVNZ said Petrie, who has co-anchored the 6pm bulletin since 2006, would continue to present across TVNZ's news and current affairs shows in a support presenter role.

The nation has watched the experienced journalist read the news alongside co-presenter Dallow for 14 years. She finishes at the end of August.

In a statement released from TVNZ Petrie said she was proud to have been a core part of the incredible 1 NEWS team, who each day come together to produce and present a one hour news programme for New Zealanders from scratch.

She then issued a special message on social media saying it was hard to believe it was over but she had "loved every minute".