Kiwi Yarns

Before Kiwi Yarns returns for 2024 - here's another oldie but a goodie! Such a beautiful chat with Toni back in 2021. Today’s guest is the wonderful Toni Street - and I’m pretty sure it would be fair to say there’s really not much this woman can’t do. She is an incredibly talented TV presenter and radio host, sports commentator, she’s a dab hand in the kitchen, she’s played both cricket and netbal...

While Kiwi Yarns is on a bit of a break, I'm sharing some of my favourite episodes! This interview with Ruby Tui was one of my first interviews on Kiwi Yarns, from back in 2020! She came to my house and we had a great chat - will definitely hit her up for another catch up because there is LOTS to catch up on! Ruby Tui is a ridiculously talented woman who not only lights up the rugby field, but has...

Happy New Year! Sharing a couple of favourite Kiwi Yarns while the show is on a break. This is a must-listen. Today’s guest is a remarkable young man with an incredible story. Abbas Nazari was just seven-years old when he and his family fled the Taliban in Afghanistan - and experienced a journey that would last for months - including being stuck onboard the Tampa. This was the boat that Australia...

Today’s guest is one of our country’s greatest athletes. Dame Sophie Pascoe is our most decorated Paralympian and is the youngest person to be appointed a Dame - in the 2022 New Year’s Honours for her services to swimming. She is a remarkable woman, a truly special role model - we are so lucky to have her! It’s also been a massive year away from the black line for Sophie - she got married this yea...

Today’s guest is the first comedian I ever saw live and rest assured she’s been a favourite ever since! The award-winning Justine Smith took her first gig as a dare - and to sound cliché the rest is history. But, as you'll hear, the rest took time, patience and bloody hard work. She won the Billy T Award in 2003, and has been the winner of the Award for Best Female Performer from the NZ Comedy Gui...

Today’s guest is TimProvise. He's a man I'm so glad I stumbled across on social media - sampling Aotearoa's best pies on his hilariously brilliant show Bakery Run. And then when I went down the TimProvise rabbit hole, he became my favourite roving sports reporter. The absolute hectic banter, and the way he brings out the best and funniest yarns with some of the biggest names in sport, he’s just my...

Today’s guest is a very familiar face on our TV screens, the wonderful Entertainment Editor and Film Reviewer for Newshub - Kate Rodger. She has been all over the world, interviewed the biggest actors in the world, and knows everything there is to know about the film industry. Kate has this divine voice and delivery style that lures you in - even if you didn’t like the movie she’s talking about, y...

Well I’m not mad about the fact that this week’s guest is yet another wonderful Kiwi success story - another brilliantly smart woman who’s made a name for herself on the global stage for all the right reasons. Brianne West is the founder and former CEO of Ethique - the world’s first zero waste beauty brand. As it stands, Ethique has prevented more than 28 million plastic bottles from beauty and ho...

We absolutely love and celebrate success stories here at Kiwi Yarns, and today’s episode is no exception. I have LOVED watching the rise of Emma Lewisham, since she and her stunning skincare products came on the scene in 2019. Now, Emma Lewisham is a global brand stocked at the likes of Mecca and Harrods, and stars are jumping over themselves to wear it. A fascinating insight into the mind of an i...

Today’s guest is actually, quite possibly, the nicest man you’ll ever meet. Sam Smith is a comedian, a writer, a musician (but not to be confused with the other Sam Smith haha), he’s a dentist (yes that's correct), an MC, AND he won this year’s first season of The Traitors alongside Anna Reeve. Not only is Sam one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, and has all those mad skills, he lives life w...

Today’s guest quite possibly could’ve learnt to drive before he walked… Third generation driver Jono Lester hails from mighty Palmerston North and was born and raised at the Manfield circuit - set up and operated by his family. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, father and aunty. It’s like he has petrol in his veins! It's fascinating hearing about the highs and lows of his career thu...

Today’s guest is a business owner and body confidence influencer who’s amassed a huge social media following for being funny, honest and undeniably authentic. Ellie Fitzgerald - or Loving Ellies Belly as she’s known on Instagram and TikTok - is someone that can put a smile on your face daily while also reminding you life doesn’t revolve around your fat rolls or what you look like in the mirror. Sh...

Today’s guest is one of the country’s most-loved chefs - not only because he makes glorious food and has owned a number of fantastic restaurants, but Michael Van de Elzen has also really nailed being a top notch TV presenter on shows like Eat Well for Less, The Food Truck and Kiwi Living. Now, Michael has released his sixth cookbook, Good from Scratch - the same name of his cooking school in Muriw...

Today’s guest is a beautiful, talented young woman who, despite the fact she cannot "smile", brings smiles to the faces of thousands every single day. Tayla Clement is 26-years young and has Moebius syndrome - a one-in-4-million condition. Tayla is not shy of discussing how brutally tough her life has been dealing with all that has come with this. What’s epic to see is the amazing mahi she is doin...

Today’s guest is fresh from winning the first New Zealand season of The Traitors (If you haven’t watched it, you absolutely need to - it's on Three Now)! Anna Reeve is a mother of two beautiful boys, she’s a former model, an influencer and a Global Alopecia Ambassador. We discuss how she lost all of her hair when she was just seven-years old and how she has navigated through living with Alopecia....

Reposting a couple of my faves this week! Today's guest is quite simply, a national treasure. Tammy Wells is someone we all feel like we have a connection with, she is pretty much part of our furniture...and of course the Briscoes furniture too. Tammy is the woman who, with a big warm smile, delights us with that welcome news that Briscoes is indeed having a sale. She's been the Briscoes Lady for...

Reposting one of my favourite chats this week! I've been hanging out to chat with investigative journalist and documentary maker David Farrier for a while now, so this big long decent yarn, best dissected with a long walk or maybe even a nice drink (or both haha). From his hilarious TV3 sign off from back in the day, to chasing Mongolian Death Worms, interviewing Colin Craig in the sauna, to now s...

Today’s guest is one of our talented radio broadcasters, and even though he’s still super young it feels like he’s been around the industry for years! Clint Roberts' success has a lot to do with his glorious-natured personality - plus he's a great champion of women in the industry. He’s also an extremely proud dad of two beautiful daughters - and recently launched a parenting podcast with another...

Today’s guest was New Zealand's first Bachelor. Back in 2015, Art Green was thrust into the spotlight, where he spent a good chunk of time on television without his shirt on, he got to pash a whole bunch of lovely ladies and got called super cliché things like a “heart throb”. And then, he fell in love on the show with Matilda, he picked her and it really was the start of something special. Now Ar...

Today’s guest is the international best-selling author and award-winning property investor and property coach, Nichole Lewis. Nichole is the CEO of the Property Lifestyle which she describes as her “dream job”. As we’ll hear, she's had an extremely interesting life and really challenging career - including coming painstakingly close to bankruptcy - pretty much losing everything around the Global F...

Today’s guest is one of the nicest guys in the music business. And when I say nice, I mean cool, kick-arse, bad-arse, delightful, ridiculously talented and extremely down to earth - all at the same time! All those things have led Mitch James to where he is today - he's just absolutely smashed out his first-ever headline world tour - performing 50 shows across 15 countries - unreal. Such a fascinat...

Today’s guest is a wonderful woman I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for the past three years. During that time Kelly Hutton - one of the OG Canterbury Flames netballers - has been living with stage three Ovarian Cancer. She’s beaten it twice - but was told at the start of August that she’s got just weeks to live. Kelly and I first met when she won a charity auction helicopter skydive with me, and...

Today’s guest is the co-captain of the 21-strong New Zealand Invictus Games team heading to Germany next month. Staff Sergeant Bob Pearce is a former Intelligence Operator with both the British Army and New Zealand Army. You'll hear how Bob is looking ahead to the Invictus Games to open a new chapter - 20 years after his good friend was killed in a blue on blue incident in Iraq by US Forces. It's...

Today’s guest is one of the biggest TikTokers in New Zealand. Louis Davis has amassed 1.3 million followers on the social media app. And no, it’s not for doing little dances (although he and his daughter dance and it is super cute) - he has captured the hearts of his audience with his beautiful content featuring his daughter Anakiwa. But also for packing up, and moving back to where he grew up to...

Today’s guest is Silver Fern number 162 - Storm Purvis. The talented netballer has now shifted her talents to the screen as a presenter on The Crowd Goes Wild, and Sky Sport. She’s funny, she’s really cool and possibly her only fault is her dicky knees… And, she lets us in on a massive announcement! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices