Ask Me Anything with Paula Bennett

This week, Paula's guest is RNZ journalist Susie Ferguson. They discuss her new memoir, Bloody Minded, and get a range of advice from Susie, including from her experiences reporting from war zones, going public with her endometriosis diagnosis and subsequent hysterectomy, and being a woman in a man's world.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula's guest is broadcaster and mental health advocate turned farmer, Matt Chisholm. They both discuss their mental health struggles and learning to identify when things are wrong, before Matt shares advice on moving to rural life and what we can learn from farmers.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warning: This episode contains frequent strong language.  This week, Paula's guest is 'Coffin Confessor' Bill Edgar. They discuss his unique career  and what it involves - from airing secrets at funerals, to cleaning out people's homes, to even burying cash. He also shares his advice on dying and what he has learned from his clients over the years. Edgar's new book, The Afterlife Confessional, is...

This week, Paula's guest is long-time radio host Jay-Jay Feeney. They discuss her relationship with ex Dom Harvey know they are working together again and being an oversharer, before discussing Feeney's decision to leave radio, what prompted it, how she knew it was time, and reinventing yourself as an older woman.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula's guest is actress Antonia Prebble. They discuss her early career, her transition to adult characters, and working on comedy Double Parked, and get advice from Antonia on how to avoid being typecast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula's guest is multi-talented entertainer, Eric Idle. They discuss his 60-year career, spanning Monty Python, musicals and live shows, his cancer diagnosis, departed friends, and life in America. And Eric shares his advice for sticking around and how he's kept going in his career over the decades. Eric brings his new stage show, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Live, to New Zea...

Paula's back for another season, and her first guest is SportsCafe-ish host, Ric Salizzo. They discuss his return to New Zealand and bringing the iconic sports comedy show back as a podcast, as well as his adventures in the US and in journalism. He then shares advice for turning ideas into action, how to identify talent, being ahead of the game, and the importance of backing yourself.  See omnystu...

This week, Paula's final guest of the season is broadcaster Ryan Bridge. They discuss the closure of Newshub and his move to Newstalk ZB, his wedding to his long-time partner, and get advice on dealing with negative feedback, the balance between a private and public life, and holding his own opinions. Ask Me Anything will return in September.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula's guest is Sonia Gray, broadcaster and host of the award-winning  neurodiversity podcast, No Such Thing as Normal. They discuss Gray's career, being comfortable sharing her own neurodiversity story and her motivation for advocating for the community, before sharing her advice for parents going through the same battles she experienced.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

This week, Paula's guest is Property Academy Podcast co-host and resident economic for Opus Partners, Ed McKnight. He shares advice for getting on the property ladder, including how to maximise the 'no-cash method', where to buy and what sort of homes to look at, and what to know about maintenance. Plus, he discusses his former life studying opera and the lengths he went to get a first job.  See o...

This week, Paula's guest is Theresa Gattung, fresh off receiving her Dame Companion honour. They discuss the recognition and Theresa's long career in business, and why more progress is to be made on getting women a seat at the top table. And Theresa shares what she has learned about romance and dating in the modern era through her new venture, Compatico.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

This week, Paula's guest is broadcaster, journalist and former The Project co-host, Kanoa Lloyd. They discuss her career, her time on The Project and its end, battling stress, and her young family. Kanoa then shares her focus on finding meaningful outcomes in life and how she has adjusted to her new routine.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula's guest is radio host turned author, Matt Heath. They discuss his varied career - including his time as a columnist that caused trouble for Paula - before digging into his new book, A Life Less Punishing, and what he learned about living a more tranquil life.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula's guest is award-winning Newstalk ZB newsreader and Straight Up podcast co-host Niva Retimanu. They discuss Niva's early days in Invercargill, losing her parents at a young age and dealing with her grief, plus her and Paula's shared passion for costumes and secret nicknames. Then she shares her advice for Pacific youth and journalists on how to excell and thrive in your career.  S...

This week, Paula's guest is Wavewalker author Suzanne Heywood. At 6, Suzanne and her younger brother were taken on a round the world sailing voyage by her parents. What was meant to be a three year trip ballooned to a decade, with Heywood and her brother eventually ending up in New Zealand forced to fend for themselves.  Suzanne joins Paula to discuss about the epic story she details in her book,...

This week, Paula's guest is local entertainment icon Jason Gunn. He discusses why he quit radio, the impact of his mum's death and the changing face of local television, before digging into advice for how to best communicate with kids, whether that's through the TV, reading to them, or as a grandparent. Jason Gunn's 'Jason Mason' series is available for purchase, and he will be at the Auckland Wri...

This week, Paula is joined by doctor turned comedian Adam Kay. They discuss his bestselling book turned TV and standup show, This is Going to Hurt, his motivation for writing it, becoming a father and a BAFTA winner, and his advice for people considering a career in medicine, and what governments need to do to improve healthcare.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula is joined by former squash World Champion and Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy. They discuss her new memoir, Dame Suzy D: My Story, her acclaimed career, and her experiences on Celebrity Treasure Island, before discussing her experiences as Race Relations Commissioner and the backlash she faced in that role.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula is joined by legendary broadcaster Judy Bailey to talk her new book, Evolving. They discuss Judy's incredible career and her advice for those getting older, and why retirement doesn't mean the end of your life.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula's guest is AM host and journalist Lloyd Burr to discuss his background, coming out as gay - with support from Barry Soper - and losing two jobs in a row. Then, he and Paula share their experiences with getting bariatric surgery, what pushed them towards it, and if others should consider that.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula is joined by ordained minister, ZB's Sunday at Six host and Media Chaplaincy lead chaplain Reverend Frank Ritchie. They discuss the changing face of religion as the country celebrates Easter, before Frank shares his advice and experiences after fighting for his daughter's Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome to be taken seriously.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula is joined by HeadQuarters owner and formal Auckland Mayoral candidate, Leo Molloy. They discuss his early life and losing his dad young, his life as a jockey and moving into hospitality, and explains why he isn't as controversial as people think he is - and he's actually holding his tongue more often than people think! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula's guest is broadcaster Jack Tame. They discuss interviewing politicians, current media cuts, and his recent wedding, before digging into his advice for travellers based on his love for adventurous holidays.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula is joined by Sex. Life co-host and somatic sexologist Morgan Penn to discuss her hit podcast, why she got into sexology, and shares her advice and tips for sex - from why people need to be better at communicating, to what older women need to know. Sex. Life is live now wherever you get your podcasts.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former boxer and founder of Buttabean Movement, Dave Letele, joins Paula for the first episode of her new season to talk about his life growing up, his entry into sport, and how he shifted to being a community leader and how others can do the same.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.