In this episode, Sienna tells her dad Ben she wants to grow up and be like Sonia Gray - someone who’s not only had an incredible media career but also uses her platform to make a difference.

Sonia has been one of New Zealand’s most recognisable faces for decades - from acting and presenting to calling the numbers on the weekly Lotto draw. More recently, she’s become a powerful voice for neurodiversity, sharing her family’s journey and helping people better understand kids whose brains work differently.

Sienna and Ben chat with Sonia about:

• Growing up in the Hutt Valley and what she dreamed of being as a kid
• Being scouted as a model, travelling the world, and handling the pressures of that industry
• Acting alongside a young Ryan Gosling in Young Hercules in New Zealand
  
• Playing a villain on Shortland Street and dealing with some wild public reactions - including having a drink poured over her!
• Hosting Lotto live for 20 years and answering all the burning Lotto questions
• Discovering neurodiversity through parenting her daughter and the lessons it’s taught her
• Personal stories about a surprise ADHD diagnosis
• Advice for teens or parents who suspect they or their child might be neurodivergent
• Turning life’s highs and lows - from career setbacks like Dancing With the Stars to personal challenges - into learning moments
• What she would tell her younger self

Sonia shows that you can build a long, successful career, embrace neurodiversity, and still have plenty of epic behind-the-scenes media stories along the way.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.