Ask Me Anything with Paula Bennett
Paula Bennett's life journey has had plenty of ups and down - going from a teenage solo mum in Taupo all the way to deputy Prime Minister - but it's taught her a lot along the way. One thing she has learned is it’s never too late to learn something new. In Ask Me Anything, Paula will be talking to Kiwis from all walks of life, to learn how they got to where they are, and to share stories, advice and guidance the rest of us can learn from. New episodes out every Sunday.
Episodes
Entrepreneur Cecilia Robinson has built some of New Zealand’s most successful companies in Au Pair Link, My Food Bag and Tend Health. She joins Paula to talk about the key attribute of a true leader, juggling business and family life, the heartbreak of fertility struggles, and why she’s pushing for a ban on social media for under-16s.
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Broadcaster, mum, and podcast host Toni Street joins Paula to talk about confidence, communication, and what balance really looks like. She shares how she builds self-belief, why she thinks balance is a myth, and the simple habits that help her keep it all together.
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Today’s episode is a little different and super exciting.
We’re teaming up with ANZ to talk about something really important: financial confidence and KiwiSaver.
But here’s the twist — Paula's not the one asking the questions this time!
The amazing Hayley Sproull is stepping in to interview her about how she thinks about money, the future, and what she's learned along the way.
Book yo...
English comedian, actor and musician Bill Bailey joins Paula Bennett for a wide-ranging chat about his lifelong love of performance, the chaos of early comedy gigs, and why he thinks everyone has rhythm. He talks about growing up surrounded by music and laughter, finding freedom in creativity, and how a teacher’s advice shaped his belief in human potential. And it wouldn't be an episode with Bill Bailey if there wasn't a litt...
Two women whose lives were changed by the Pike River disaster open up about the real events that inspired the new film Pike River. Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse share their enduring friendship, the long fight for accountability, and what it means to see their story on screen.
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It's the 100th episode of Ask Me Anything, and we're flipping the script! This week, Paula's in the hot seat as Heather du Plessis-Allan takes over hosting duties to ask the hard questions. Paula opens up about life in John Key’s inner circle, the grief that changed her and what she really thinks of Winston Peters and David Seymour.
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A social media ban for under-16s could do more harm than good according to Jazz Thornton. The mental health advocate joins Paula to discuss what she’s learned from time spent in psychiatric wards with young people, redefining what it means to be resilient, and the personal cost of sharing her own story of survival so publicly.
Suicide and depression help services:
If it is an emergency and you or someone else is at risk, call...
New Zealand music icon Suzanne Lynch joins Paula to talk about how trusting her gut – and knowing when to say yes or no – has shaped a career that took her from teenage stardom in The Chicks to touring the world with Cat Stevens. She reflects on childhood mischief, the magic of the sixties, and the work ethic that’s kept her grounded for six decades in music.
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Chef, author and fisherman Al Brown joins Paula to talk food, family and finding joy in the simple things. Al discusses growing up on a farm, discovering his love of kitchens on his OE, and why he believes informality beats fine dining every time. He also opens up about dyslexia and the drive that’s pushed him through decades in hospitality, and the inspiration behind his new book
Ignore the fear and just try it. That's the message from broadcaster, author and te reo translator Stacey Morrison as she joins Paula in celebration of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. Stacey shares her own “ugly, awkward, embarrassing” public learning journey, and why intent and aroha matter more than getting every word perfect.
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Ask Me Anything returns for a brand new season! And Paula's first guest is fellow former deputy prime minister, Grant Robertson. Once political adversaries, the pair sit down for a candid conversation about their shared experience as student protestors, the dangers of stress eating and why Grant was never interested in the top job.
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For the final guest of the season, Paula is joined by 'That Guy' Leigh Hart. They dig into his intriguing childhood and early years dabbling in a variety of careers such as building the Channel Tunnel, and the troubles he got up to while overseas, before eventually breaking out on Sportscafe and Moon TV. And Leigh shares his advice for controlling your own brand and career, and how he's kept a handle on the various different fields...
This week, Paula is joined by children's entertainment legend, and recent King's Birthday honoree, Suzy Cato. They dig into Suzy's career in front of the camera and what impact that's had on her life, and get her advice for connecting with children. Plus, Suzy discusses how she got through some of the tough times in her life - including being made redundant at the height of her popularity - and insights into her life, including not...
This week, Paula's guest is Dr Ivor Popovich, an intensive care doctor in Auckland. He has worked across different hospitals and specialities for the last 10 years and will fully qualify as a specialist in August, but he has had first-hand knowledge of the state of our health system in that time.
He has written a book - A Dim Prognosis: Our Health System in Crisis – and a Doctor’s View on How To Fix It - and ...
This week, Paula's guest is Silver Fern turned commentator, broadcaster and Breakfast co-host, Jenny-May Clarkson. She discusses her new memoir, Full Circle, and her life story - from her rural upbringing, losing two of her brothers, her time with the Silver Ferns, moving into broadcasting, becoming a mum to twin boys in her 40s, and how she came to claim back her Māori identity.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...
This week, Paula's guest is celebrity chef and businesswoman Nadia Lim. They discuss her successful career as a chef, author, farm owner and founder of My Food Bag, and how Nadia has capitalised on the opportunities in her life to get where she is today - and what she has learnt from the risks she took and the mistakes she made along the way.
Easy Weeknight Meals - 10th Anniversary Edition is in bookstores this week.
This week, Paula's guest is motivational speaker and author Jake Bailey. They discuss his cancer diagnosis nearly 10 years ago and the viral speech that followed it, and how that has shaped his life since - and why he is ready for that part of his story to no longer define him. And Jake offers advice he has learned for overcoming adversity - and how to not only be resilient, but how to thrive during difficult times.
Jake's new book...
This week, Paula's guest is Matilda Green, who has recently started as the fill-in host on The Hits Drive show. They discuss 10 years since she appeared on The Bachelor and found love with her husband-to-be, Art, and how that experience has changed her life. She shares advice for living your life on social media, and how to get a handle on people's perceptions and misconceptions of you.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy ...
This week, Paula's guest is Australian author, Trent Dalton, who returns to Auckland for a special talk about his acclaimed career, including Boy Swallows Universe.
They discuss how his life story influenced his debut novel, what his family thinks about being a part of his fiction, meeting his idol Eddie Veder, and he shares his advice for being optimistic and why he doesn't think it's naive to view the world with positivity....
This week, Paula's guest is comedian and TV host, Guy Williams. They dig into his ADHD diagnosis, why his family is full of a lot of performers, his time spent on our screens, and his new standup show, If You Mildly Criticise Me I’ll Say It’s Cancel Culture and Turn To The Alt-Right.
And Guy digs into his TV show, New Zealand Today, why he likes visiting small towns, and how he approaches interviews with people he doesn...
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