Warning: This article discusses suicidal ideation. One of New Zealand’s most experienced journalists has opened up on his brush with death – and how a subsequent battle with depression has enabled him to become a “wounded healer” for those in need. Rob Harley, whose storied 50-year career has seen him work in current affairs for TVNZ, in radio, as …

Kevin has been a fixture in the Aotearoa New Zealand film industry for over thirty years. He directed the highly successful Air New Zealand Nothing to Hide Brand campaign. His other celebrated projects, which have become cultural icons in New Zealand, include the Mitre 10 “Sandpit,” Toyota “Everyday People,” and the National Depression Initiative, …

Mark Richardson is a former professional cricket player who represented New Zealand in 38 test matches in the early 2000s. After his cricketing career Mark found his way into broadcasting via commentary for Sky Sport and co-hosted the popular show The Crowd Goes Wild on Prime. Mark's broadcasting career expanded beyond sports with roles on The Bloc…

Sequoia Schmidt is a celebrated author, adventurer, and speaker renowned for her compelling personal resilience and exploration narratives. Her debut book, "Journey of Heart: A Sojourn to K2," garnered acclaim as a finalist in the 2016 International Book Awards. This poignant memoir traces Sequoia's journey to K2 in Pakistan, a mountain that holds …

Wayne Brown is a seasoned leader with experience in business and public service, from steering large New Zealand businesses to serving as Mayor of New Zealand’s largest city. But beyond the boardroom and council chambers, Wayne is a keen surfer. He spends his spare time riding the swells and advocating for the protection of our marine environment, …

Sunday the 9th of June marked a big milestone for John Cowan as he reached 20 years of hosting Real Life on Newstalk ZB! Over 963 shows, John has spoken to 835 different guests in an effort to find out what makes each one of them tick. Listen back to the celebration of John's 20 years on Real Life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio…

Ben grew up in Otaki and went to Paraparaumu College. He is a self-taught computer coder and at the age of 12 those skills saw him inventing a GPS wristband that allowed hospitals and visitors to trace patients. This invention won him the youth category of Wellingtonian of the Year in 2016. After a gap year in Canada he launched his own company "Ra…

A popular contestant on Have You Been Paying Attention, comedian Melanie Bracewell has also appeared on The Project, Triple J, and Thank God You're Here. She was a contestant on the fourth series of Taskmaster NZ. Melanie has contributed as a writer to 7 Days, Have You Been Paying Attention, Wellington Paranormal, and Mean Mums. She is also an expe…

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Newstalk ZB

This week John's guest will be Peter Beck. Peter is a Kiwi entrepreneur who founded the aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider Rocket Lab. Peter grew up in Invercargill, born into a family who loved machines. A toolmaking apprenticeship at Fisher & Paykel gave him hands-on engineering skills and access to top-of-the-line machinery and m…

This week it's episode 265 including what would you sell in your shop, how would a four day working week week and a socks dilemmaBy Mark Denholm

Marty Donoghue, based in Wellington, has been Chief Executive of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association (RNZRSA) since October 2020. Marty has a 35-year track record of transformational leadership, successfully building and managing teams and mobilising volunteers in New Zealand and internationally across defence, sport, science, a…

Episode 263 includes Bank Holidays, haggles, bad form, passenger etiquette, runaway horses and a benefit to being short that's not really a benefit to being shortBy Mark Denholm

Judy joined the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation in 1971, working as a reporter on news and current affairs programmes. She presented the regional news with John Hawkesby for Auckland from 1980 to 1987 in the programme Top Half. Judy went on to front ONE News, the highest-rated evening television news programme in New Zealand, for twenty-six ye…

This week we've got AI, things that pain you to have to pay for, being low maintenance, banning people or things, stupidity for popularity, cost Of living crisis, work / life balance and money for nothingBy Mark Denholm

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Newstalk ZB

Episode 261 includes names, Gladiators, more names, unusual online auction listings, your face, popularity and annoying thingsBy Mark Denholm

Graeme has recently retired as the New Zealand director of Mercy Ships, an international faith-based organisation that operates hospital ships that sail worldwide and deliver free healthcare to countries with little or no access to safe surgical care. Graeme began at Mercy Ships in 1983 initially taught the crew's children on board the ships, worki…

This week we've got overpaid celebs, top five of getting over a broken relationship, Bank Holiday Days Off, benefits of invisibility, positive thinking, missing deliveries, Spotify vs Atom Radio, not a nice place to live and a takeaway dinner dilemmaBy Mark Denholm

Archdeacon of Tamaki Makaurau Until 2010, Dr Lyndon Drake was a Vice President at Barclays Capital, trading government bonds and interest-rate derivatives. Since then, he has served as pastor of Auckland Baptist Tabernacle, taught theology of work at seminaries, served in regional and international church leadership, and has served on a number of b…

Nelson MP Rachel Boyack says she “nearly ended up in a cult” as a teenager, but escaped after just a few weeks after growing suspicious with the group’s “dodgy” behaviour. The Labour politician was briefly a member of the International Church of Christ, a religious sect known for its aggressive proselytising, while attending Auckland University in …

Comedian Guy Montgomery was born and raised in Christchurch and went on to study at Victoria University of Wellington. He moved to Canada in 2010 to start his comedy career. He then returned home (partly to co-host Late U) before moving to New York City. Together with Tim Blatt, Guy is co-host of the podcasts Worst Idea of All Time, Friendzone, and…

Italian-Kiwi Vince worked as a civil engineer from 1990 to 2000 before developing his IT company, Cocurullo’s Ltd, which still operates today. In 2005 Vince became very ill with what turned out to be mercury poisoning from amalgam fillings in his teeth. As a result of this, he experienced a very personal reality check that became the catalyst for h…

This week we've got Taylor Swift, unimpressive wins, social media posts, a viral old lady, a legend on the show, what is Jeremy Hunt and the reality of Scottish independenceBy Mark Denholm

Tommy was born in New South Wales, Australia. He received his first guitar in 1959 (at age four) and was taught by his mother to accompany her, playing lap steel guitar. By age six, he was a working professional musician after his father created a family band, sold their home, and took his family on the road. Tommy would go on tour with country mus…

Episode 258 of the podcast and this week including what's real, things you wouldn't give up if you won the lottery, wheels on the bus, random trivia, Leap day birthday, liars and a poor embarrassed ladyBy Mark Denholm

Gary Chapman, born in a small town in North Carolina, USA, has become widely known for his work in the realm of relationships, particularly in marriage and family counselling. He has written more than forty books with The 5 Love Languages, one of his most popular titles, topping various bestseller charts for years. He also hosts radio programmes A …

In episode 257 we've got IQ, grumpy old people, the top five of hated phrases, ripped off spending a penny, safe travels and an extra terrestrial chickenBy Mark Denholm

In episode 256, how do you park a rowing boat, a cough remedy, things you wish you were genius at, annoying roadworks, a throaty issue, a ridiculous reason for being arrested, a very cheap holiday, the perfect response to a bad boss and somewhere you wouldn't want to come from!By Mark Denholm

As a child, acclaimed illusionist and mentalist Scott revelled in mystery. Born and raised in Glasgow, he found a mentor in the owner of a magic shop in Glasgow. As a teenager, he took a hypnosis course in Milan and went on to study drama and performance at the University of Edinburgh. Scott is making his New Zealand debut in March 2024 at the Auck…

After working as an English teacher and then as an Anglican clergyman near Liverpool, UK, Peter and his wife Miranda moved to Portugal in 1983 to establish and run A Rocha, a global family of conservation organisations working together to live out God’s calling to care for creation ​and equip others to do likewise, and the first field study centre …

This week it's episode 255 including making a tit of yourself, TikTok dating, mechanic or painter and decorator, lying, Ghost, half term, a very newsworthy umbrellaBy Mark Denholm

Dave Brebner grew up with undiagnosed and debilitating Tourette Syndrome. Despite the hardships of his teenage years, as a person who was not going to fit the mould of a standard high school education without difficulty, he has gone on to complete an electrical trade qualification, a Bachelor's Degree of Education in Adult Vocational and Workplace …

Episode 254 includes a short story redefined, giving up working from home, sleeping on the job, things you wish your phone could do, how to waste £15, a palava over £1, pizza, clickbait and a rubbish jokeBy Mark Denholm

This week, in Epsiode 253, there’s hypermiling, age gap relationships, Pianoman vs Chinese TV, AI and your job, shower thoughts, Nicola Stugeon and a stiff penaltyBy Mark Denholm

Ella Harris is a 25-year-old New Zealand professional cyclist, currently riding for UCI Women's Continental Team Lifeplus Wahoo. She won the Zwift global stationary trainer competition in 2018, which earned her a contract with Women's World Tour's Canyon SRAM team. At home, she won the national under-23 time trial in 2020 and has earned a number of…

Episode 252 includes a bad first date choice, telling someone you don't like without telling them you don't like them, a self help care for loneliness, reasons to give your other half a red card, a not so old old dog, an overpriced picture, fake social media, babies and an unruly bushBy Mark Denholm

It’s episode 251 and this week we’ve got soup kitchen start up, function over fashion, overstepping the mark asking for free stuff, New Year's Resolution, being full of excrement, stupid reasons for fighting, a joke shamelessly stolen from Steve Lee and smoking for mental health reasonsBy Mark Denholm

Happy New Year! Welcome to episode 250 of the Podcast where we’ve got the Best Bits from this week including a political review, the after effects of Christmas, pettiness to be proud of, Freddie Mercury, Eurovision news, Women Rock! Day, women's hair fashion, a matching tattoo situation and futurology…

It's the final Podcast of 2023 and we've got the best and worst places to live, what makes men attractive to women, awkward Christmases, shower hygiene, beauty and your hopes for 2024By Mark Denholm

Educated in Sri Lanka, Selina Kumar went on to study in the Philippines and the United States. She then returned to Sri Lanka to work with underprivileged children. After a 26-year civil war in Sri Lanka left thousands widowed, homeless and without livelihoods, Selina wanted to help smallholder dairy farmers out of poverty. She created something su…

This week we've got a relationship dilemma revisited, reminiscing, top Five of reasons you don't like Monday, roast potatoes that are not roasted! annoying door knockers, a naughty police officer, old people behaving badly and caught shortBy Mark Denholm

Mikey Havoc first became a DJ on the University of Auckland's 95bFM radio station in the early 1990s. He was on the breakfast show from 1996 to 2002, winning Best New Broadcaster at the 1997 New Zealand Radio Awards and later moved to the afternoon-evening "Drive" show. He once again took over as the breakfast show host in 2006. In 2010 Havoc retur…

This week's Podcast includes the wrong attire, free stuff on your birthday, a small Christmas dinner, being single at Christmas time is good! a work intrusion, a chocolate crisis, a relationship dilemmaBy Mark Denholm

Dr Claire Achmad is an advocate for children, having worked in various areas relating to children's rights. She was appointed as the Deputy Chair of the Children and Young People's Commission in July 2023 and, from November 1st, took up the role of Chief Children's Commissioner and Chair of the Commission for a five-year term. From 2021 to 2023, Cl…

Welcome to December and episode 246 has a Christmas light turn on where you can't see the lights. chocolate is good for you! aliens, reminiscing, Gen Z ruining Christmas Dinner, what made your generation the hardest done by, biscuits, a proposal to timetable, and enjoying extreme cleaningBy Mark Denholm

Shane Hales, known by the stage name Shane, grew up in Surrey, England, before moving to Australia and then New Zealand. He started his career in 1966 as a member of the Australian band The Pleazers before forming his own band, Shane. He became a regular singer on the television pop programme C'mon and was part of the C'mon 1968 national tour. His …

Episode 245 includes a late Library book, cyclists who never break the rules, top policies for popularity, beware people of England, Black Friday beware, a poor hard done by Youtuber, trying to explain a set of rules with no logic that make no sense and words that are difficult to sayBy Mark Denholm

Dr Phil Bagshaw was an Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Otago Christchurch until he retired in 2010. He practised as a specialist General Surgeon, did research and taught surgery. In 2007, he opened the Canterbury Charity Hospital for patients who can’t access public hospital care and can’t afford private care. He is chairman of …

In Episode 244 Christmas marketing solved, shed envy, the need for speed, late to the party, bad choice of phrases, driving annoyances, love or oppression? Burnley Lara, singing, too early for deep thinking and what came first? The chicken or the eggBy Mark Denholm