MediaWorks has confirmed it has shelved plans to have Hannah Tamaki join the cast of Dancing with the Stars this year.
Hannah Tamaki, the wife of Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki, will lead a new political party called Coalition New Zealand. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
A spokesperson for the company said the cast was due to be announced at the end of March, but it was "taking the unusual step" to confirm Tamaki will not be part of that lineup.
"It was originally planned for Hannah to take part in the show. We now recognise this was a mistake and we apologise.
"We have seen a very strong reaction, some of which has been extreme and concerning and MediaWorks does not condone bullying. We would be failing in our duty of care to everyone if we continued as planned.
"We will be reviewing our decision making processes to make sure we get it right in the future."
Meanwhile, Tamaki's Vision New Zealand party has sacked its campaign manager Jevan Goulter after his response to criticism of Dancing with the Stars having Tamaki as a contestant.
In a press release, Tamaki - who along with husband Brian Tamaki is a leader and pastor of Destiny Church - announced the party's executive "have decided to terminate its arrangement with Mr Goulter as Campaign Manager for Vision New Zealand, effective immediately".
"Even though I believe Vision New Zealand, and myself have been unfairly targeted by the media using questionable tactics and journalistic ethics, we in no way condone the language he used towards a woman and inferences made by Mr Goulter in his post," the press release said.
It comes after Goulter attacked The Project host Kanoa Lloyd after she called on her network, which runs Dancing with the Stars, not to have Tamaki as a contestant on the show which is due to air in a few months.
Some fans of the show have said they would boycott it due to Tamaki's well-documented xenophobic and homophobic views.
The company carries the Rainbow Tick, showing it is committed to keep making its workplace better for LGBTTQIA+ staff. Rainbow Tick said it would not comment until the cast had been announced.
Goulter himself apologised in a video posted to his Facebook page to Lloyd - and to Tamaki - saying his comments were "unacceptable, and frankly downright disgusting really".
"To Kanoa and to any of your friends or anybody else that I ahve offended or upset or caused distress or harm to - especially not thinking of the stupidity I was doing when I made some of those comments - I genuinely, sincerely apologise. To Hannah I apologise again for not exercising any judgement whatsoever when I made those comments."
He said he had offered his resignation to Tamaki, and "I believe she has accepted that".
Tamaki launched the Vision New Zealand party - initially under the name "Coalition New Zealand" in May last year.
At the time, she told RNZ's Morning Report she was against abortion and said being gay was "wrong".
The Electoral Commission refused the Coalition New Zealand party name in August, saying it could create confusion for voters.
Brian Tamaki has previously called homosexuality a sin, but later apologised for any hurt his comments had caused, although he also said he did not agree with homosexual activity and maintained that "there is a definite link to natural disasters and to a type of activity".
