A female councillor in New Zealand has sparked massive reactions online after she joined an official government meeting via video call from her bathroom, with her washed underwear visibly hanging in the background.
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We have all had those awkward moments where we forget that our camera is on during a video call — but this one takes the biscuit entirely.
A New Zealand councillor by the name of Jo Galer*, who serves on the **Dunedin City Council**, has become the talk of the internet after she joined an official, *livestreamed council meeting from her bathroom — and her freshly washed underwear was hanging there for the whole world to see.
Yes, you read that correctly. Pants and all.
What Exactly Happened?
According to reports, Councillor Galer logged into the virtual council meeting remotely, as many government officials now do post-COVID. The problem? She apparently chose her bathroom as her “home office” for the day — and she did not think to check what was hanging behind her before going live.
The meeting was being livestreamed to the public, meaning that residents, journalists, and curious internet users across the globe got a full, unobstructed view of her delicates drying on what appeared to be a rack or towel rail in the background.
As you can imagine, the internet did not let it slide.
Nigerians Would Call This “Serious Embarrassment”
Now, if this had happened in Nigeria — imagine a House of Representatives member* or a **State Assembly lawmaker** joining a Zoom session from their bathroom with their boxers or bra hanging behind them during a live broadcast. The **Twitter streets** (now X) would have been on *fire from Lagos to Maiduguri. Blog headlines would not rest. Mama would be calling by morning.
In all seriousness though, this incident raises a very important question that is just as relevant here in Nigeria as it is in New Zealand: How seriously are our public officials taking virtual meetings and digital governance?
Since the pandemic, many government bodies — including Nigerian institutions — have adopted remote and hybrid meeting formats. While this is a welcome development in terms of accessibility and convenience, it also demands a certain level of professionalism and decorum from elected officials.
You are still a public servant on a public platform. The camera does not care if you are at home.
The Reaction
The clip, predictably, went viral. People online could not stop talking about it, with many finding the whole situation hilarious while others questioned the lack of professionalism from an elected official conducting government business.
Some sympathisers argued that working from home comes with its challenges, and that perhaps Councillor Galer simply did not realise what was visible in her background. Others were less forgiving, pointing out that a quick background check before going live is basic etiquette — especially when the meeting is being streamed publicly.
Councillor Galer has not been reported to have made any major public statement addressing the wardrobe malfunction — if we can even call it that.
The Lesson Here
Whether you are a councillor in Dunedin or a local government chairman in Ogun State, the rules of virtual professionalism are the same:
– ✅ Check your background before joining any official video call
– ✅ Find a clean, neutral space — not your bathroom, not your kitchen during cooking
– ✅ Dress appropriately, even if you are at home
– ✅ Test your setup before the meeting goes live
– ✅ Remember: once it is livestreamed, it is on the internet forever
The internet never forgets, and neither will the residents of Dunedin — or the rest of the world that stumbled on this clip.
As they say in Nigeria — “na small thing spoil big name.” A little background check could have saved this whole situation. Let this be a lesson for all of us navigating the world of remote work and virtual meetings.
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