PM Jacinda Ardern denies Clarke Gayford gave away gender of baby

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has denied that her partner Clarke Gayford has let slip the gender of their baby.

She told reporters at the education summit today that she had listened to a radio interview Gayford gave to check that he didn't say he was looking forward to meeting "her".

"I have gone back and listened to that," she said.

"I'm damned either way, of course. People will then assume from my defensiveness or my lack of defensiveness.

"I've listened to the actual audio and he definitely did not."

In a video interview about his upcoming role as a stay-at-home dad, Clarke Gayford may have let slip the gender of his and the Prime Minister's baby.

Or did he?

In an interview with Radio New Zealand about Ardern's pregnancy, Gayford compared the anticipation of expecting a child, to looking forward to opening your Christmas presents as a child.

"It's like that, now," he told RNZ.

The reality is there, you know, that we're going to have a child."

Gayford then finished his answer saying he was excited to meet said child.

But whether he said "I'm pretty excited to meet it" or "I'm pretty excited to meet her", is up for debate.

Gayford trails off at the end of the comment, making it hard to decipher.

Ardern, who is due to give birth in June, has previously confirmed she and Gayford already knew its gender.

However, she said this would remain between them until the child's birth - as one of the few things left in their lives that was theirs alone.

The rest of Gayford's interview with RNZ, in which his comments are more easily decipherable, delved into his preparation for his role as stay-at-home dad.

Asked about the advice he's received in the leadup to Ardern giving birth, he talked about the stacks of books he had been sent - along with snippets of wisdom from other fathers.