Ask Me Anything with Paula Bennett

What makes Chris Hipkins tick away from the political spotlight?

In the first of two conversations with the major party leaders, Paula Bennett asks Hipkins about his Lower Hutt childhood, his student protest days and the unexpected conversation that put him on the path to becoming prime minister.

He also opens up about fatherhood, protecting his children’s privacy, his unplanned election-night relationship announcement and why sausage rolls are off the campaign menu.

Then Hipkins turns the questions on Paula, prompting a candid admission about her biggest political regret.

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Brooke van Velden is preparing to leave Parliament after six years as an MP and three as a Cabinet minister.

At just 33, she could have had decades of political life ahead of her. Instead, van Velden says she wants to find out what else is out there — as she also prepares for another major change, becoming a mother.

She joins Paula Bennett for a candid conversation about growing up shy, finding her way into ACT almost by accident, life as a young woman in Parliament, the compromises that come with Cabinet, why she has no doubts about stepping away, and what happens when being “Minister” simply becomes being Brooke again.

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Former NZSAS soldier Mark Law has lived the kind of life that barely sounds real. He completed SAS selection at just 18, survived a terrifying parachuting accident, worked armed security around diamond operations in Angola, hunted deer from helicopters and nearly died from a flesh-eating disease.

But he is best known for what happened on December 9, 2019. After Whakaari White Island erupted, Mark and his colleagues flew to the island and helped rescue 12 victims as authorities decided no official rescue mission would be sent.

On Ask Me Anything, Mark joins Paula Bennett to reflect on his remarkable life, what happened on Whakaari, the aftermath of the disaster and the lessons he has learnt about risk, resilience and staying calm under pressure.

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Award-winning journalist Charlotte Glennie joins Paula Bennett to reflect on a remarkable career that took her across Asia and into some of the world’s biggest stories.

She opens up about the eight-metre fall in Croatia that nearly killed her, the long recovery that followed, reporting on the aftermath of the Boxing Day tsunami, and why those experiences have stayed with her.

Charlotte also discusses the future of journalism, declining trust in the media, AI, and why she still believes deeply in the power of telling human stories.

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At 18, Paul Wood was convicted of murder and sent to prison. Eleven years later, he left with undergraduate and master’s degrees, before going on to earn a doctorate in psychology.

Dr Wood joins Paula Bennett to discuss the environment that shaped his early life, the reality of maximum-security prison and why education became his path out. He also shares what psychology tells us about changing habits, escaping a victim mindset and building a life driven by purpose rather than regret.

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Dame Sophie Pascoe joins Paula Bennett to discuss life beyond elite swimming, the challenges of motherhood with a disability, and the severe depression she experienced after the Tokyo Paralympics were postponed.

She reflects on the teammates who recognised she was struggling, the simple question that helped save her life, and why her son ultimately became more important than another gold medal.

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After building and selling EnableMe, Hannah McQueen is tackling another challenge through Age Brightly. She joins Paula Bennett to talk about wealth, purpose, business and why New Zealand needs to rethink ageing.

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We've been told success means standing on our own two feet, but Petra Bagust isn't so sure.

The broadcaster and Grey Areas podcast host talks about her late ADHD diagnosis, why she's embracing aging, what caring for her parents has taught her about community, and why "nobody is truly independent"

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Colin Fassnidge reckons New Zealand pies are better than Australia's and he's not afraid to say it. The My Kitchen Rules judge and star of Off the Grid joins Paula Bennett to explain why food became his passport to the world and reveal the experience that eventually sent him to therapy. Now he wants more men to reach out for support.

Off the Grid returns to TVNZ 1 for a news season on Sunday June 7.

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Veteran political journalist Barry Soper reflects on nearly five decades in the parliamentary press gallery and his time observing 12 New Zealand prime ministers up close, discussing with Paula Bennett the often overlooked loneliness of political leadership and life inside the Beehive.

He recalls a very different parliamentary era of all-night sittings, and a rougher political culture, alongside candid reflections on figures like Robert Muldoon and the personal toll of power after office.

The conversation also touches on modern politics, media scrutiny, and why leaders such as Jacinda Ardern and Helen Clark continue to shape how New Zealand sees its leaders.

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