Unfiltered with Dave Letele

This week, Dave sits down with entertainer, freestyle rapper and autism advocate Tihei Harawera for a kōrero about identity, resilience, family and finding your own path. Growing up as the son of Hōne Harawira and grandson of Titewhai Harawira came with plenty of expectation. But as a teenager, Tihei made a decision to go his own way, turning to freestyle rap and eventually building a life around...

This week, Dave sits down with former Kiwi international and two-time NRL premiership winner Paul Whatuira for a kōrero about the incredible highs of professional sport, the struggles that followed, and rebuilding his life from the ground up. Paul won premierships with both the Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers and represented New Zealand, but behind those achievements were challenges that eventua...

This week, Dave sits down with Bhaskar Sharma, better known online as @whoisbuskey for a kōrero about growing up in Māngere, finding his place, and turning a love of making people laugh into a career in content. Bhaskar moved to New Zealand from India as a kid and grew up surrounded by Māori and Pasifika culture. After being bullied at school, he found confidence through martial arts and humour, b...

This week, Dave sits down with Shelwin Khan for a kōrero about addiction, recovery, and what it takes to completely rebuild your life. Shelwin first started experimenting with drugs at just 13 and spent more than a decade caught in addiction, overdoses, psych wards and alcoholism. Today, he’s seven years sober and works in peer support, using his own lived experience to help people facing the same...

This week, Dave sits down with Dr Karina McHardy, author of 'All In' for a kōrero about the reality of parenthood — the things we carry, the things nobody sees, and what happens when life starts to feel too heavy. Karina’s own journey has taken her from elite gymnastics and classical ballet to medicine and public health. But after her son was diagnosed with autism, she found herself on the...

This week, Dave sits down with Rob Johnson for a kōrero about building success, finding purpose, and using what you’ve learned to help others. Rob grew up in a small village in the north of England, surrounded by unemployment, poverty and very few opportunities. He went on to build a successful career in technology, business and mentoring young entrepreneurs — now using that experience to help tac...

Former professional boxer Cairo George finished his career with 18 wins from 20 fights and multiple national and international titles, before moving into coaching and building a strong stable of professional fighters, including David Nyika. In this episode, Dave sits down with his longtime friend to talk about walking away from boxing as a teenager, the motorbike crash that brought him back on tra...

This week, Dave sits down with Rob Campbell (CNZM) , former chairman of some of New Zealand’s largest companies and current Chancellor of AUT. Rob’s career has taken an extraordinary path, from radical student politics and the union movement to senior leadership across corporate New Zealand. He shares some incredible stories from the 1981 Springbok Tour, getting arrested on a picket line, and how...

Fresh off a huge WIN over Floyd Masson in Saturday night’s IBF World Title Eliminator, Dave sits down with Olympic medallist, two-time Commonwealth Games champion and world title contender David Nyika for a kōrero that goes far beyond boxing. Recorded during fight week ahead of the huge IBF World Title Eliminator against Floyd Masson this Saturday night 🥊 David has been chasing one goal since he...

This week, Dave sits down with All Black legend Frank Bunce to share the stories behind his extraordinary life and career. After years of missing rep teams, Frank thought his dream of becoming an All Black was over. Until he represented Samoa at the 1991 Rugby World Cup, then he got a call from Laurie Mains that changed everything. What followed was a front-row seat to one of the greatest eras in...

Keven was on our 3rd ever Unfiltered episode and one of the all-time favourites! With a lot of new Unfiltered listeners around, we thought we'd spruce it up and bring it back this week. Last year Dave sat down with All Blacks legend Keven Mealamu. From dreaming of wearing the black jersey at just 8 years old to becoming a two-time Rugby World Cup winner. Keven reflects on the highs, heartbreak...

This week, Dave sits down with Professor Rangi Mātāmua — the man behind the revival of Matariki — for a special kōrero about the history, meaning, and resurgence of Aotearoa's Māori New Year. After inheriting a 400-page manuscript from his grandfather documenting over a thousand Māori stars, Rangi set out to honour his grandfather's wish to share that knowledge with others. His work has he...

At nearly 300kg, James McDiarmid was told he might not make it out of hospital. He feared dying on his son’s birthday and leaving his family behind. Today, he’s lost 130kg, works alongside Dave at BBM, and is helping others transform their lives through the very programme that changed his own. In this episode, Dave sits down with James to talk about hitting rock bottom, finding the courage to ask...

Eugene Bareman is the head coach of City Kickboxing — one of the world’s most respected combat sports gyms, producing UFC champions and elite fighters on the global stage. Israel Adesanya. Dan Hooker. Kai Kara-France. Carlos Ulberg. Navajo Stirling… and many more. In this episode, Dave sits down with Eugene to talk about building City Kickboxing from the ground up, the culture behind its success,...

Dr Timoti Te Moke’s story is one of the most remarkable we’ve ever shared on Unfiltered. Growing up surrounded by violence, abuse and poverty, Timoti became involved in gangs, spent time in prison, and was told his future had already been written. Against all odds, he turned his life around, became a paramedic, and went on to qualify as a doctor at 56 years old. In this episode, Dave sits down wit...

For decades, Lolo Heimuli has been one of the most respected figures in New Zealand combat sports — training more than 100 national champions and 10 world champions, including names like Ray Sefo, Mark Hunt, Shane Cameron, and future coaching great Eugene Bareman. In this episode, Dave sits down with Lolo to talk about his journey from Tonga to New Zealand, building Balmoral Lee Gar Gym from a chu...

It’s tough out there right now. So Dave sat down with Mike Bennetts — Ex-CEO of Z Energy and one of New Zealand’s most experienced business leaders — to ask the questions every business owner is thinking about. From leading one of New Zealand’s largest companies through economic uncertainty, to coaching leaders and founders today, Mike shares practical advice on navigating tough times, looking aft...

To celebrate 50 episodes of Unfiltered, we’ve pulled together some of our favourite moments from the journey so far. A huge thank you to every guest who has trusted us with their story, and to everyone who has watched, listened, shared, and supported the podcast along the way. If you’ve enjoyed the first 50 episodes and want to help us keep these conversations going, you can now support the show h...

Surviving Sexual Abuse, Now Fighting for Reform This week, Dave sits down with Sam Troth from ‘Road To Healing Aotearoa’ for one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had about survival, healing, and turning pain into purpose. After experiencing sexual abuse as a child, Sam opens up about the spiral that followed — violence, addiction, prison, and years of carrying pain in silence. But instead...

This week, Dave sits down with Anthony Tina from Lifewise — for a powerful kōrero about rebuilding his life after homelessness, and finding meaning again. Anthony opens up about going from hitting rock bottom, addiction and prison to finding community, connection and purpose — and why empathy matters more than judgement, when it comes to homelessness in Aotearoa. Leading up to Lifewise’s Big Sleep...

This week, Dave sits down with Jenny-May — former Silver Fern, broadcaster, and one of Aotearoa’s most respected voices — for a powerful kōrero about legacy, identity, and the balance between ambition and family. From growing up in Piopio and knowing at just 10 years old she would become a Silver Fern, to breakfast television, motherhood, and raising her own whānau — Jenny-May opens up about the p...

This week, Dave sits down with Ladi6 — artist, storyteller, and one of Aotearoa’s most respected voices in music — for a raw kōrero about the life behind the music. From growing up in Christchurch with social worker parents who gave everything to their community, to navigating trauma, anxiety, and learning how to separate her own identity from the stories she inherited, Ladi opens up about the wor...

This week, Dave sits down with Ezra Hirawani — co-founder of Nau Mai Rā — for a powerful kōrero about business, purpose, and building something that actually helps people. After telling his nan he was starting a power company, she shared that she would sometimes sit cold and alone, afraid to turn the heater on because she couldn’t afford the power bill. That moment changed everything. Ezra turned...

This week, Dave sits down with Chris Hipkins for a straight kōrero about what people are dealing with right now — the cost of living, rising fuel prices, the genocide in Gaza and the war on Iran, and how it’s impacting Kiwis here at home. From growing up in Lower Hutt to finding his way into politics, Chris also shares the perspective behind how he sees these issues — and why understanding the roo...

This week, Dave sits down with Tammy Davis — actor, radio host, and storyteller — for a raw kōrero about the life behind the public image. This is a side of Tammy you haven’t seen before. From growing up in a small town to struggling to find his place after moving to Auckland, he opens up about getting caught up in drugs, alcohol, and violence — and how close he came to a path he might not have co...