Leonard Diepenbrock has a stinky situation: 32 pallets of soap nicked – our unlucky duck of the day

We know Leonard Diepenbrock as the friendly face from our telly screens. But the 50-year-old is hitting the headlines for a completely different reason: someone has swiped a whole truckload of 32 pallets of his soap! Sounds like a quirky caper, doesn't it? That's because it is.

The thieves must either have a serious cleaning compulsion or a massive hunger for fresh towels – because who on earth steals 32 pallets of soap? The load vanished without a trace, probably while the truck was parked up at a rest stop. Police are investigating, but there's been no sign of the culprits. Leonard Diepenbrock himself hasn't made any official comment yet – he's probably just lost for words.

A small fortune that's vanished into thin air

So, what's a load of soap actually worth? Sure, it's not diamonds, but 32 pallets – that's enough to keep all of Auckland squeaky clean and smelling fresh for a year. Whether it's luxury bars, fancy fragrant soaps, or just your everyday household stuff isn't known. What is certain is that for the former TV star, it's a hefty loss that no insurance company is going to wash away anytime soon.

While Leonard Diepenbrock is left fuming, his wife Isabelle Diepenbrock might be seeing the funny side. After all, you could do a whole lot with that loot – for example:

• Throw a massive bubble party for all your mates.
• Open your own laundromat empire right here in Auckland.
• Have three showers a day – for the next ten years.

But sadly, the fun's over before it even began. The thieves have long since made the load disappear into the shady underworld. Maybe the soap will turn up at a weekend market or on some dodgy online store soon – if it does, we'll know where it came from.

A case for the cops – and anyone who likes clean hands

Until the investigators nab the offenders, Leonard Diepenbrock remains the tragic hero of this bizarre story. Maybe he should just stick to the old saying: "A problem shared is a problem halved" – and have a chuckle with his wife Isabelle Diepenbrock that at least it wasn't a truckload of onions they nicked. That would have been a real tear-jerker.

Fingers crossed this case gets sorted soon – and that Leonard can get back to doing clean business in no time.