Kiwi Yarns

This week on Kiwi Yarns, I sit down with legendary New Zealand author Witi Ihimaera. From The Whale Rider to The Matriarch, Witi's work has shaped generations of readers. But at 80 years old, he made a remarkable decision: to return to school and immerse himself in te reo Māori. The conversation moves from language and identity to climate change, leadership, ageing, courage and the importance of l...

What happens when you end your live show tour in Christchurch on a Sunday night in-front of a sell out crowd with one of the most loved faces on television (Jason Gunn) and a true queen of radio (and former princess of Dargaville Lana Searle)? An endless supply of stories that might have you taking out an ACC claim because your cheeks will suffer from laughing so much. Period. Learn more about you...

This week, Wayne Cameron from the Little Ardroy Beef Company pops into the bach to chat about his massive year. From a simple farm concept to launching in over a hundred supermarkets, Wayne shares exactly how he made it happen as part of New World Emerge. We dig into what ethically raised beef actually means and why sometimes you just have to wing it to chase your dream.   This episode was brought...

Joel Little works right at the top of the music industry. But, his latest and most challenging project is much closer to home. He and his wife Gemma co-founded and built BIG FAN - is a not-for-profit, world class multi-purpose music space in central Auckland, just down the road from where he and Lorde wrote Pure Heroine. He wants to foster the talents of musicians, songwriters and those behind the...

Have you ever thought about quitting your secure day job to become your own boss? This week, I yarn with Allie Hemmings, the former primary school teacher who did exactly that. Allie created ButterLuxe Co and won the 2025 New World Emerge startup award.  After discovering her son had a nut allergy, Allie set out to create a delicious, nut-free alternative. Through plenty of kitchen trials and shee...

This week, sit down and get your eye and earholes around this. The first of Brodie’s nationwide live tour of Kiwi Yarns begins in Auckland, with our beloved Comedian Tom Sainsbury and our one-of-a-kind, out-the-gate yet beautiful singer-songwriter Anika Moa. There are wigs, harmonising VERY badly, and an obscene amount of belly laughs and possibly some bits that enter into dangerous territory. Not...

Ash London is an Australian broadcaster who now calls New Zealand home, and works at The Edge Radio Station, on a show that is literally her name - that’s how good she is. Not only is she good, the talented broadcaster talks about why she sees it as her duty to protect the radio industry for future generations, making sure she helps the young women who will eventually replace her. How refreshing i...

What happens when you release your first album in eight years, open a sandwich shop, move back to New Zealand, and navigate a separation all at once? This week on Kiwi Yarns, we sit down with Gin Wigmore for one of the most honest conversations we've ever had. Gin opens up about heartbreak, rebuilding after divorce, raising two boys, and why she throws herself headfirst into everything she does. F...

Our beloved actress, Sara Wiseman has spent three decades gracing our screens - from stunt work during the Xena: Warrior Princess era to starring in A Place To Call Home and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. You better believe we'll find out what it takes to become an ape at "ape camp". Sara also discusses the moments that nearly made her quit acting and why she finds taking acting classes just a...

What happens when one of the most respected coaches in world MMA starts using his platform to tackle violence outside the cage? This week on Kiwi Yarns, we sit down with City Kickboxing head coach Eugene Bareman. From coaching UFC stars like Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker and Kai Kara-France, to launching the Walk Without Fear Trust after the tragic loss of friend and fighter Fau Vake, Eugene opens u...

We see our country's Armed Offenders Squad in the most serious of circumstances - but who are the people behind the helmets and balaclavas? This week I met the amazing Sergeant Eseta Autagavaia, who, alongside being one of the few women in New Zealand Police's AOS, also plays netball at a professional level. She talks about how physically and mentally challenging getting into the AOS was, and how...

Award-winning comedian Pax Assadi is having a massive month as his new book, Mortified, hits the shelves. The book contains the most embarrassing things that have happened in his life, including a legendary mishap in a Pakistani mosque. Pax wants us all to lean into our cringe, and why he’s over the curated perfection we see on social media. We talk about his family’s escape from Iran, and his Bah...

Laura McGoldrick is everywhere. And that’s an understatement. The Sky Sport Presenter is in the bach this week for a really solid heart-to-heart. From our accidental wedding in Vegas, to the raw reality of motherhood and navigating devastating miscarriages. Laura is hands down one of the most talented broadcasters on our screens, and it’s through hard work, hard slogs and dogged determination. She...

This week is an incredibly special episode with Jono Ridler - the open water, ultra marathon swimmer who, on Saturday 4 April, 2026, completed a 1367 kilometer swim - the length of the North Island. Jono didn’t do this swim for accolades or records, he did this swim because of his love for the ocean, and to raise awareness that we aren’t doing enough to protect it. Jono’s Swim4TheOcean campaign is...

This week meet the fabulously hilarious comedian, Courtney Dawson. We discuss her experience as a young mum, her Te Reo Māori journey and the highs and lows of performing stand-up comedy. When her jokes bomb, she leans into it! Courtney talks Celebrity Treasure Island, I test out her work as an Agony Aunt, and how to make the most of a trip to Australia for a court hearing (hint: it involves Dream...

This week the super talented Alex Tarrant - star of NCIS Hawaii - reflects on the often windy and bumpy road that has led him to where he is today. It wasn't until a significant life event that he realised acting and the industry surrounding it were his "people". And, on the podcast, we learn for the first time about this significant life event that occurred when he was at high school. Alex is bas...

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of miscarriage. If you need support, please find more information at https://wheturangitia.services.govt.nz/miscarriage/support-resources Meet the beautifully talented writer, actor, playwright, and novelist, Elisabeth Easther. You'll surely remember her as "Evil Nurse Carla" on our beloved Shortland Street back in the 90s. Now, a best-selling aut...

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of mental ill-health and suicide. Support is available any time from Lifeline, details at https://www.lifeline.org.nz/ This week on Kiwi Yarns, I sit down with Kate Thompson - star of the recently released documentary No Tears On The Field. The film follows a grassroots women's rugby season in Taranaki, and the backstories of what it takes to get...

What do you do when you're staring down a $700,000 mortgage and suddenly lose your job? For beloved broadcaster Brodie Kane, redundancy at the start of the pandemic was the push she needed to build her own media empire. We talk about the reality of being your own boss, redefining home ownership by buying with her mum, and why she still identifies as a girl from Waikuku Beach. This episode was made...

What happens when two very different minds click in all the right ways? The Rock's Jay Reeve and Duncan Heyde (aka Jay and Dunc) on the special relationship that’s powered their success on-air and beyond. From side hustles to global podcast growth, and maintaining healthy relationships while staying busy, the lads open up about how they navigate it all. There’s plenty of honesty around mental load...

From growing up in South Auckland to performing on the world’s biggest opera stages, Pene Pati shares a wonderful yarn of the long road (including all the speed bumps) that got him there. His is a story about resilience, family, identity, and the challenges he still faces before he walks out infront of an audience. He opens up about the pressure of the industry, the reality of rejection, and why h...

Imagine being responsible for a heart no bigger than a walnut.  This week I sit down with Dr Kirsten Finucane, the legendary former Chief Surgeon at Starship, to talk about a career spent performing life-saving miracles on New Zealand’s most vulnerable children.  Kirsten opens up about the grit it takes to handle high-stakes surgery and why she finally decided it was time to trade the operating th...

The media landscape in Aotearoa is changing at breakneck speed and we’re all feeling the noise. Brodie sits down with The Spinoff’s Toby Manhire to talk about the reality of the newsroom today. From the closure of Newshub to the rise of AI, Toby shares why he’s still optimistic about journalism in an election year. Plus, he gives us his personal plan for avoiding total news burnout. Find out more...

This week I'm joined by yoga teacher and dancer Renee Stewart, who opens up about forging her own path from the global dance stage to the world’s most remote corners. If there was ever a competition for 'coolest parents' at parent teacher interviews, Renee could be a front runner with Rachel Hunter and Rod Stewart.  Renee shares what it’s really like to cross the terrifying Drake Passage to reach...

Hello there beautiful listeners! Brodie, Gracie and Tegan here with some exciting news to share and, we wanted you to be the first to hear it from us. This year, we're bringing you Let Her Finish. The podcast will appear right here, so nothing for you to do. We cannot wait to see you all in a couple of weeks xxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices