Kiwi Yarns

What's better than Chris Parker, or Tom Sainsbury? Chris Parker AND Tom Sainsbury in the same room together on the same podcast.

Both have come on Kiwi Yarns individually, but they've achieved so much since then and are doing so many wonderful things that I thought we ought to sit them down together for a glorious catch up.

And they're such great mates! We decided their next venture should absolutely be a style-guide book - think New Zealand's Trinny and Susannah.

We talk about Tom being 75% gay and Buddhist and a queer sperm donor, and Chris crying throughout his wedding whilst suffering from gastro.

You'll feel like you're in the same room as them, which I felt very lucky to be!

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Josie Pagani works in aid, politics, trade and media and has recently become the chief executive of ChildFund New Zealand. She's a well-respected, international and political commentator and her mahi has taken her all over the world. From rubbing shoulders with world leaders, to nearly ending up in a KGB jail in Russia as a teenager, Josie shares some amazing stories, and offers some much needed intelligent, thoughtful conversations on some big issues.

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Brodie's been unwell this week (winter!) so in her absence, we're re-upping an oldie but a goodie ahead of the Paris Olympics later this month.

Enjoy this episode from the archive with kiwi champion rower Emma Twigg and her amazing story about how it all went right on the day.

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Olympic rowing champion Emma Twigg personifies a never-give-up attitude and we all were witness to that when she won Gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Many of us Kiwis cried when she crossed the finish line, because we felt the heartbreak she'd had with a fourth in London and another fourth in Rio. And this time, she'd done what she always knew she could do.

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Today’s guest is actress and presenter Shavaughn Ruakere.

There are many reasons Kiwis love Shavaughn - whether it’s the nostalgia of What Now, the heartbreak of her beloved character Roimata being taken from us so tragically on Shortland Street (I'm still not ok about it), her stunning dancing on Dancing with the Stars, or calling out the Fboys on Fboy Island - she's lit up our screens for nearly two decades. She talks about how hard the hustle of acting is, and a new challenge she's been facing with perimenopause.

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Today’s guest is award-winning journalist Mark Crysell.

I tell you one thing about award-winning journalists like Mark Crysell is they have GREAT stories to share. Like travelling to North Korea, working as Europe Correspondent for TVNZ and fighting for the little guy on Fair Go.

Mark is a wonderful storyteller, and puts a lot of it down to his love for adventure, connecting with people and being a chilled out surfer from Taranaki who used to go to school to eat his lunch and hang out with his mates.

We talk about the worrying media landscape in Aotearoa - after the show he's worked on for many years - Sunday - was scrapped by TVNZ earlier this year.

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Today’s guest is Ineke Meredith, a remarkable woman who spent a good chunk of her childhood in Samoa but left to follow her dreams, winning a a scholarship to study medicine in Aotearoa. Now, she's living in Paris as a surgeon with her husband, can see the Eiffel Tower from her apartment and rides her Vespa around the city of love. Ineke also runs a business called Fur Love, a doggo skin and body care business. Her best-selling memoir, On Call, came out this year too. Prepare to develop a major girl crush like I did!

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Today’s guest is a man by the name of Dario Nustrini, who's just published a book called Nothing Significant to Report: The Misadventures of a Kiwi Soldier. I thought it would be great to compare Army notes with him! Dario joined after high school, where he describes himself as a young man who had been on a steady diet of spliffs, Speights and the occasional sandwich, weighing about as much as an empty pillowcase. Dario shares his tales in a self-deprecating and often humorous way, but he also speaks openly about the toll being deployed to Iraq took on him, and why he left the moment he got home.

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Today’s guest is Lil O'Brien - who has written books about coming out, and being childless.

Lil has bared her soul in the most remarkable and vulnerable way. Her first book, Not That I'd Kiss A Girl, is an incredibly moving "coming out" memoir, about her navigating her sexuality during her years at Otago University. Now she and two other amazing women have released Other Hood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child-adjacent.

This is a really important conversation, we do go deep. Just letting you know Lil shares her own story of loss, which we appreciate may be upsetting for some to hear. A range of organisations can help. For support around miscarriage and stillbirth click here

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Today’s guest is Chloe Swarbrick - a return guest to Kiwi Yarns.

Last time we spoke it was just prior to the 2020 election and man, things have changed since then!

Chloe is now the co-leader of the Green Party, she's extremely vocal in opposition, and is grappling with what's been a tumultuous year for the party.

For someone who never intended pursuing a career in politics and allegedly described herself as “shy and introverted”, Chloe couldn’t be more in the thick of it if she tried.

People love her, people hate her, but you cannot knock her passion.

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Today’s guest is Matt Heath. Now, Matt Heath is genuinely one of my favourite straight white guys. I think he’s also someone who I would never call just Matt, he’s Matt Heath.

And while we usually drink, watch the Warriors and talk a mixture of serious and non-serious stuff - it’s been pretty cool to look back at all the things he’s achieved in his wildly hectic yet brilliant career. His latest achievement is a book - called A Life Less Punishing - 13 Ways To Love The Life You Got. Matt Heath says it’s a deep dive into the history, philosophy and science of not wasting our time lost in anger, loneliness, humiliation, stress, fear, boredom and all the other ways we find to not enjoy perfectly good lives. 

A GLORIOUS chat.

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