Kiwi Yarns

Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester are two brilliantly talented comedians, actors, and writers. They’re also close friends who have just bared their souls in a new TV show all about being single.The Billy T Award winners travelled up and down the motu in search of love, delivering plenty of laughs along the way. But Bryn and Ku’s Singles Club also reveals a rarely seen, more personal side of both of them.

Today’s guest is triple gold medal-winning Paralympian Anna Grimaldi, fresh off a Halberg Award win and delivering one of the best speeches of the night.The personal milestones Anna has achieved since becoming a para athlete are nothing short of remarkable. While we often focus on sporting achievements, it’s equally fascinating to look beyond the results and gain insight into the person behind the headlines.This is a compelling, open, and raw discussion with Anna.

Richard Adams is a former British Army officer who served in Afghanistan. He shares how his experiences there moved him to establish Taskforce Kiwi, a disaster relief charity made up of Defence Force veterans and former emergency service workers.The organisation provides crucial support to communities, offering assistance during and after natural disasters—which, as we know, are becoming all too frequent.His incredible mahi has earned him a place as a semi-finalist in this year's New Zealander of the Year Awards.*Warning: This episode discusses suicide. For free help, text or call 1737, 24 hours.

Now, full disclosure—today’s guest is an Australian. But before you hit skip, this Australian has played a monumental role in bringing some of the biggest events the country has seen to our largest sporting stadium, creating lifelong memories for hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders. Therefore, he gets a crack!Nick Sautner is the Chief Executive of Eden Park and during his time there, he has - in my opinion - made the stadium come alive. From World Cups to global rockstars, Nick wants Eden Park to be recognised as our national stadium. He has plans for a roof and played a key role in securing approval for the park to host 12 concerts a year—after a long, hard-fought battle with residents.

A fascinating chat this week with Dr Waseem Alzaher, the founder of Cannabis Clinic - the country's largest prescriber of medicinal cannabis.The 36-year-old moved to New Zealand from Iraq when he was seven. While he admits to having had a challenging start to his medical career, grappling with his identity and purpose, he has now found his path, playing an integral role in the rapidly growing field of alternative therapy for Kiwis across the country.We discuss the challenges he has faced along the way, and the stigma that still exists within the healthcare industry and society.

If this episode doesn't get you even a little bit inspired or fired up, I'll give you your money back!Ganesh Raj graces our TV screens with the hit show Eat Well for Less, and it's there where his passion for food education grew.Now, this top chef dedicates a massive chunk of his life to ensuring as many people as possible have access to good food for their dinner tables.Ganesh says the first 12 years of your life shape your food and cooking experiences as an adult. He shares stories from his upbringing, adding fascinating context to this idea.You'll hear just how passionate Ganesh is about making cooking accessible for all - and you'll also discover a mind-blowing way to make some DELICIOUS chicken!

It’s the first episode of the year and I thought we’d come in really hot!Today's guest is certified holistic sex and relationship coach and educator, Melissa Vranjes.Melissa loves to empower women, encouraging us to embrace our sexuality, and it doesn't necessarily start (or finish) in the bedroom. What I love about people like Melissa is she puts herself out there in a space (ie sex) that we are still relatively new to talking so openly about.You'll enjoy it, even if you start off a little prudish...*This episode comes with a content and language warning. If a frank discussion about sex isn't your thing you might want to give this one a miss.

Today we re-visit my yarn with a NATIONAL TREASURE.Sure, Suzanne Paul was born in England but she is our official infomercial queen. But it’s not just thousands of luminous spheres that make us all love her - her dogged determination and work ethic through every part of her career is so inspirational. Gosh, talk about someone who never ever ever gives up! She's remarkable!

Today we re-visit my yarn with the first comedian I ever saw live and rest assured she’s been a favourite ever since!The award-winning Justine Smith took her first gig as a dare - and to sound cliché the rest is history. But, as you'll hear, the rest took time, patience and bloody hard work. She won the Billy T Award in 2003, and has been the winner of the Award for Best Female Performer from the NZ Comedy Guild an incredible four times.

Today we re-visit a yarn I had with a man, I feel like it’s fair to say, we all know and love - Sir John Kirwan.JK had a remarkable rugby career as a World Cup winning All Black, played rugby league for the Auckland Warriors, has been a respected international coach, and of course is a major figure in Aotearoa as a mental health advocate. Being one of the first high profile New Zealanders, to talk about depression and mental health, JK plays a massive role in this space - he is remarkable to watch and learn from.He also has a wine company, is an amazing TV Presenter and Rugby commentator, and really bloody fantastic man.This podcast was EVERYTHING I needed to hear at the moment - so I best let him invoice me for one of the most valuable therapy sessions ever! Hope you get something from it too.