Kiwi Yarns

This week the super talented Alex Tarrant - star of NCIS Hawaii - reflects on the often windy and bumpy road that has led him to where he is today.

It wasn't until a significant life event that he realised acting and the industry surrounding it were his "people". And, on the podcast, we learn for the first time about this significant life event that occurred when he was at high school.

Alex is based in Hawaii and has landed brilliantly big roles both locally and abroad as his star continues to shine. The latest role, one of the most challenging for him thus far, is playing 28th Māori Battalion hero Haane Manahi in Sgt Haane.

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Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of miscarriage. If you need support, please find more information at https://wheturangitia.services.govt.nz/miscarriage/support-resources

Meet the beautifully talented writer, actor, playwright, and novelist, Elisabeth Easther. You'll surely remember her as "Evil Nurse Carla" on our beloved Shortland Street back in the 90s.

Now, a best-selling author with Seed, she shares how and why the novel was more than a decade in the making. And, while it's fiction, it is based on real-life experiences, personal loss, and the messy, complicated reality of fertility struggles. Elisabeth shares her stories of miscarriages, resilience, and how she turned pain into something meaningful through storytelling.

Also hear some cracking yarns about her fantastic parents, why she'd win the Olympics if reading books was a sport and discover her pretty solid knowledge of birds.

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Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of mental ill-health and suicide. Support is available any time from Lifeline, details at https://www.lifeline.org.nz/

This week on Kiwi Yarns, I sit down with Kate Thompson - star of the recently released documentary No Tears On The Field. The film follows a grassroots women's rugby season in Taranaki, and the backstories of what it takes to get to the field.

Kate talks the rise of women’s rugby in New Zealand, the realities of balancing farm life with sport, and the importance of community. She also opens up about mental health in rural areas, losing loved ones, and the role rugby plays in keeping her grounded.

Plus, her relationship with her mum is something pretty special.

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What do you do when you're staring down a $700,000 mortgage and suddenly lose your job?

For beloved broadcaster Brodie Kane, redundancy at the start of the pandemic was the push she needed to build her own media empire.

We talk about the reality of being your own boss, redefining home ownership by buying with her mum, and why she still identifies as a girl from Waikuku Beach.

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What happens when two very different minds click in all the right ways? The Rock's Jay Reeve and Duncan Heyde (aka Jay and Dunc) on the special relationship that’s powered their success on-air and beyond.

From side hustles to global podcast growth, and maintaining healthy relationships while staying busy, the lads open up about how they navigate it all. There’s plenty of honesty around mental load, family life, and the general chaos that comes with chasing every opportunity that life throws.

We also discuss what keeps the lads grounded! We talk about the power of strong connections, strong partners, and being good dads. 

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From growing up in South Auckland to performing on the world’s biggest opera stages, Pene Pati shares a wonderful yarn of the long road (including all the speed bumps) that got him there.

His is a story about resilience, family, identity, and the challenges he still faces before he walks out infront of an audience. He opens up about the pressure of the industry, the reality of rejection, and why he still sometimes feels like an outsider in the traditionally European opera world.

Let's not forget the great joy he brings us with being one-third of our beloved Sol3 Mio! We talk the sacrifices that come with living overseas, and the big dreams he still carries. One day, he hopes the world’s biggest opera houses will be singing Māori and Samoan songs too.

Tenor: My Name is Pati is out now in New Zealand cinemas.

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Imagine being responsible for a heart no bigger than a walnut. 

This week I sit down with Dr Kirsten Finucane, the legendary former Chief Surgeon at Starship, to talk about a career spent performing life-saving miracles on New Zealand’s most vulnerable children. 

Kirsten opens up about the grit it takes to handle high-stakes surgery and why she finally decided it was time to trade the operating theatre for conservation work in Central Otago. 

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The media landscape in Aotearoa is changing at breakneck speed and we’re all feeling the noise. Brodie sits down with The Spinoff’s Toby Manhire to talk about the reality of the newsroom today. From the closure of Newshub to the rise of AI, Toby shares why he’s still optimistic about journalism in an election year. Plus, he gives us his personal plan for avoiding total news burnout.

Find out more about Toby's upcoming event, 'Breakfast with Papers' here.

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This week I'm joined by yoga teacher and dancer Renee Stewart, who opens up about forging her own path from the global dance stage to the world’s most remote corners. If there was ever a competition for 'coolest parents' at parent teacher interviews, Renee could be a front runner with Rachel Hunter and Rod Stewart. 

Renee shares what it’s really like to cross the terrifying Drake Passage to reach Antarctica, and the pull back to her Kiwi roots. It’s a warm, honest chat about movement, mental tools, and finding your own flow.

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Hello there beautiful listeners! Brodie, Gracie and Tegan here with some exciting news to share and, we wanted you to be the first to hear it from us.
This year, we're bringing you Let Her Finish. The podcast will appear right here, so nothing for you to do.

We cannot wait to see you all in a couple of weeks xxx

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