TVNZ's Wendy Petrie rolls back the years with dance routine, channels her cheerleading days

Wendy Petrie has wowed her followers with her epic dance moves and paid homage to her cheerleading days.

Taking a leaf out of Breakfast's book, Petrie joined weather presenter Renee Wright and showed off an impressive routine set to Mariah Carey's Fantasy.

Petrie shared the video on her Instagram and TikTok accounts.

TVNZ presenter Wendy Petrie channelled her dance moves from her cheerleading days in a bid to compete with the Breakfast team. Photo / TVNZ

"Sometimes you need to have a laugh right? The 6pm Red team trying to replicate our Breakfast gang's dance moves," she shared on Instagram.

On TikTok she wrote: "Our producer said 'have more fun' after we played Breakfasts' Child on the 6pm news. Is this what you meant?"

TVNZ's presenters are split into two alternating teams during Covid 19 alert levels three and four.

"Oh my God you guys are AMAZING! xx," Breakfast presenter Matty McLean commented.

"@tvnz breakfast have some competition," a user on TikTok said.

Petrie and Wright were joined by sports presenter Andrew Saville for a brief cameo near the end of their routine.

"Good to see Sav getting involved even though he was reluctant to start," another commenter said.

Since the start of lockdown, McLean, Jenny Suo and Jenny-May Clarkson have shared polished dance routines on social media. And they've gone viral - with hundreds of thousands of users watching the clips.

But now Petrie, 50, has reminded her TVNZ colleagues not to underestimate her dance skills.

Wendy Petrie and Renee Wright dance to Mariah Carey. Photo / Wendy Petrie via Instagram

"Wow you can really dance!", A fan said.

But for those familiar with Petrie, they'll know she had an advantage: she was a cheerleader in the late 80s and early 90s.

Check out her looks from her cheerleading days:

Wendy Petrie used to be a cheerleader before she started her career in journalism. Photo / Photosport

Wendy Petrie used to perform with the 91FM cheerleaders. Photo / Photosport

Petrie co-anchored TVNZ's 1 News programme with Simon Dallow for 14 years, but her position was made redundant last year when the broadcaster restructured.

Since then she has regularly returned to screens as a presenter across TVNZ's shows, including stints presenting the 6 o'clock bulletin solo.