August 4, 2026 • 9 mins
Hugely popular Kiwi personality and content creator Louis Davis offers his advice on modern fatherhood in his signature warm and witty style in his new book The Modern Dad. He chatted to Clint and Cailtin about fatherhood, some advice for new mum Bree, and who he'd like to see on Celebrity Treasure Island next.
Bree Tomasel & Clint Roberts on ZM - find us @breeandclint on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
D it MS Brilling Clint p Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
That's our radio show but wrapped up in a neat
little package just for you.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
It's d MS Brill and Clint Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
We've had our Nick's guest and studio as a content
creator with Hediman here as a celebrity Treasure Island contestant,
but never before as a published author until now. Welcome
to the show. Louis Davis, published author.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Let's look it for hostess Milder kids always didn't keep
that English? Yeshd you know is that there's a book?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Are you good at spelling? Are you good like would
be good good handwriting? Did you ever think you'd write
a book?
Speaker 1 (00:37):
No, it's it's a crazy crazy thing to hold it,
hold it in my hands, and it exists. I'm actually
really proud of it, which which they actually not didn't
actually come when I wrote it. It came when I
read the audio book and I said my words and
said like that was really special. Yeah. Yeah, I cried
a lot. That was a buzzy experience because the sounds
didn't really care that I'd be like real emotion and
be like, hey can you just say that, Luis?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
It reads really really well. I've only managed to read
a couple of the first chapters, but I didn't want
to put it down, So congratulations author har Cool.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
The book is called The Modern Dad. I haven't read
it because I'm still reading I am pilgrim. It's taken
me twelve months so far. But your book is next.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Okay, tell me.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Is it a guide to parenting or is it your
experience as a dad? Where does this book?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yeah, so it's first of all, it's like a story
of my experience growing up with the most incredible parents.
You know, I had a dad who never had a dad,
but was incredible for me, my mother and all the
things that I learned from them. Yeah, and explores some
of the most tough stuff that I've gone through in
my life and stuff I've never talked about and I
never had the courage or the kaha to express because
(01:47):
they never felt like things I was on the other
side of, or I've overcome with some kind of lesson
I never felt. I just felt scared. This year, it
online and it's in the books. I'm really nervous for
people to read it. It's a really raw human exploration
of I guess, the brokenness of me, and then it
also offers us some really hopeful thoughts around what the
(02:10):
future could be like for our kids. And then the
thing I'm most proud about. It's a love letter to
my wife and my kids and and my Mokopuna one day.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
That's beautiful. I always wonder when you are writing a
book like this, do you have to have a story
that you haven't told yet? Like, if you're going to
get a book deal, does they have to Because you
share a lot about your life on social media and
you say there's things in this book that you've never
spoken about before. Is that part of the deal.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Do you have to have something I honestly went into
this thinking there's nothing new. I'm just going to reach
a new audience in a new way. But it's stories
I've already told. But there's so many things that came
out of me through this experience that again, even as
recent as yesterday, I was still feeling nervous and fearful
for people to read fuck Ama to be there, honest
(02:55):
and then but also very grateful for any one that
takes the time to read it.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
But I think it's something that is so valuable in
today in Alto and that we need. I mean I'm
not a parent yet and I'm not a man, but
I was like looking at some stuff that you were writing,
being like, Okay, this is things that I need to
look at following if and when I have Tamadiki. And
I think I really like how you go on to
talk about the things that you were worried about raising
(03:24):
your kids in today's society. Yeah, can you talk a
little bit more about that, because that's something that I'm
terrified about it.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I think it's just like a scary, scary time. There's
so many things that can touch our kids, you know,
in this era of the internet, you know, the idea
about who they are and what they should be, and
their identity and how they feel about themselves and others
and relationships, and like, our worlds used to be so small,
you know, our worlds were so much smaller when we
were growing up in our neighborhood and our neighbors and
(03:52):
our father and our grandparents and stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
You didn't talk to someone outside of your town litt
alone your country when.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
We were kids. Yeah, well back in the day in
my grandfather, you know, when you used to abandon your family,
just move one town over and start again. You never
see anyone again. You don't need to drive to our
start a new life, you know, never see your kids again.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
So you people who don't know you are a social
media superstar. You have millions and millions of followers, and
I imagine that means that you're on your phone all
day as a dad. When will you let your kids
have a phone?
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Ah?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Hopefully hopefully they will.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Hopefully they'll resent the phone from what's seeing their dad
and they'll and what we've given them growing up in
the North is they have they they have their fin
or you know, they have their grandparents. They have all
these amazing things that hopefully they do fall in love with,
fishing and diving and quad bikes and you know, ninety
mile beach and riding horses and you know, killing cows
(04:49):
and like all the things that I love about where
I grew up. Hopefully that's enough for them. But like all,
you know, like all kids, you know the you know
every keep hop demon hunters and got a new games games.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
But you talk about that with your wife Ash, how
you when it's fun, no time, the phones are away
and then you don't pack them up again until you
get back into bits.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Yeah, but that's pretty small winnow when you really think
about the day, because an insomnia that doesn't really sleep.
So it's that you're yeah, there's no phones when kids
come home and then yeah, till the end of the evening.
And then what that means is you stout late working
after sleep a like night.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah right, that's a good rule. I can need to
implement that. You're doing better.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
I have no discipline, So having it even I have
no discipline. Yeah, not get out. I get an email
like you. Yeah, so they're having that away just on
the charge in the room is the only thing that
keeps me from doing it. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Brie is away at the moment. She has just had
her Yeah, congrats breed first baby, a little boy named Toto.
What is your number one piece of parenting advice for
Brie and anyone who is just becoming a new parent?
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Oh, that that is so hard. The first is that
I think you're One of the most powerful things that
you can do for your kid is just be interested
in them. So that is like listening to them explain
their favorite Pokemon, that is listening to the Kendrick Lamar
song they Love, you know, letting them debrief their game
(06:21):
or their sports game, or like letting your son smash
you at FEFA or the other control. If you take
an interest in your kids, Man, what it tells your
child from a young age is that I matter, My
ideas matter, and for me, I know that the confidence
I have to face the world and share my ideas
and be seen by many people come from the belief
(06:42):
that my parents from younger sage just thought I was wonderful.
They love me to bits. You know, my mother calls
me a scrumptious muff and my dad, my dad put
in me that you know, if you stuff it up,
you can say sorry and you can make it right
move forward. If you have those two things, you know
you can face the world with so much courage and
(07:02):
so Yeah, taking an interest from the moment my earliest
is a child to like. Now, if I show my
mam a song I like on Spot Off, and she'll
she'll want to understand because I like it.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Yeah, that's pretty good advice. That's pretty sound advice. I
think celebrity Treasure Island. We've got to talk about that.
You almost went.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
All the way.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Oh so got it? You were my guy lose?
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, I know I would like the end to be
less random of.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Celebrity Treasure Island.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
I would like, I would rather lose like because like
in a really clear way.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Yeah you mean the digging part. Yeah, yeah, yeah, because
it didn't end up a level playing field there at
the end, didn't it. Everyone got to where they needed
to be and then it was however could put there there?
Speaker 1 (07:48):
That dig was way longer than it's portrayed in the show. Yeah,
just dig around and see.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
It just got announced that it's coming back for another season.
Celebrity Island so pumful other people experience. I've always wanted
you to go on it, like I want you to
do it. I want you to do it verse three.
If I want you to do you know against that's
quite good.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
My dream one is right versus left politicians. That's my
dream ct see more versus Chloe all right wing, all
left wing.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Yeah yeah yeah, Luxe and vers Chippy Yeah yeah yeah, yeah, that.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Is a good dream. I would go back. I loved it.
I think everyone says they'd go back. I would go back. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yeah, Well Maddie went back and won it.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
So if Madie, how can I go In the book
you've got author? Yeah, Unfortunately, set off this desire to
be on reality TV, so I went away and did
a couple in It really messed up my mentor, so
I think.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
I am you don't don't do like.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Is going to really ruin the brand if you do that.
The book is out today and today and stores Louis
Davis The Modern Dad, and we're excited to check it out.
Congratulations on everything, including the book. It's so cool to
see your success and follow your journey. You can see
it all on Louis TikTok and it's Instagram. Thanks for
coming on, Thank you, thank you, thank you. Play zims
(09:03):
Brien Clint on Insta, Facebook, TikTok
Speaker 3 (09:06):
And live weekdays from three on zidim
D it MS Brilling Clint p Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
That's our radio show but wrapped up in a neat
little package just for you.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
It's d MS Brill and Clint Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
We've had our Nick's guest and studio as a content
creator with Hediman here as a celebrity Treasure Island contestant,
but never before as a published author until now. Welcome
to the show. Louis Davis, published author.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Let's look it for hostess Milder kids always didn't keep
that English? Yeshd you know is that there's a book?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Are you good at spelling? Are you good like would
be good good handwriting? Did you ever think you'd write
a book?
Speaker 1 (00:37):
No, it's it's a crazy crazy thing to hold it,
hold it in my hands, and it exists. I'm actually
really proud of it, which which they actually not didn't
actually come when I wrote it. It came when I
read the audio book and I said my words and
said like that was really special. Yeah. Yeah, I cried
a lot. That was a buzzy experience because the sounds
didn't really care that I'd be like real emotion and
be like, hey can you just say that, Luis?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
It reads really really well. I've only managed to read
a couple of the first chapters, but I didn't want
to put it down, So congratulations author har Cool.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
The book is called The Modern Dad. I haven't read
it because I'm still reading I am pilgrim. It's taken
me twelve months so far. But your book is next.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Okay, tell me.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Is it a guide to parenting or is it your
experience as a dad? Where does this book?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yeah, so it's first of all, it's like a story
of my experience growing up with the most incredible parents.
You know, I had a dad who never had a dad,
but was incredible for me, my mother and all the
things that I learned from them. Yeah, and explores some
of the most tough stuff that I've gone through in
my life and stuff I've never talked about and I
never had the courage or the kaha to express because
(01:47):
they never felt like things I was on the other
side of, or I've overcome with some kind of lesson
I never felt. I just felt scared. This year, it
online and it's in the books. I'm really nervous for
people to read it. It's a really raw human exploration
of I guess, the brokenness of me, and then it
also offers us some really hopeful thoughts around what the
(02:10):
future could be like for our kids. And then the
thing I'm most proud about. It's a love letter to
my wife and my kids and and my Mokopuna one day.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
That's beautiful. I always wonder when you are writing a
book like this, do you have to have a story
that you haven't told yet? Like, if you're going to
get a book deal, does they have to Because you
share a lot about your life on social media and
you say there's things in this book that you've never
spoken about before. Is that part of the deal.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Do you have to have something I honestly went into
this thinking there's nothing new. I'm just going to reach
a new audience in a new way. But it's stories
I've already told. But there's so many things that came
out of me through this experience that again, even as
recent as yesterday, I was still feeling nervous and fearful
for people to read fuck Ama to be there, honest
(02:55):
and then but also very grateful for any one that
takes the time to read it.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
But I think it's something that is so valuable in
today in Alto and that we need. I mean I'm
not a parent yet and I'm not a man, but
I was like looking at some stuff that you were writing,
being like, Okay, this is things that I need to
look at following if and when I have Tamadiki. And
I think I really like how you go on to
talk about the things that you were worried about raising
(03:24):
your kids in today's society. Yeah, can you talk a
little bit more about that, because that's something that I'm
terrified about it.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I think it's just like a scary, scary time. There's
so many things that can touch our kids, you know,
in this era of the internet, you know, the idea
about who they are and what they should be, and
their identity and how they feel about themselves and others
and relationships, and like, our worlds used to be so small,
you know, our worlds were so much smaller when we
were growing up in our neighborhood and our neighbors and
(03:52):
our father and our grandparents and stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
You didn't talk to someone outside of your town litt
alone your country when.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
We were kids. Yeah, well back in the day in
my grandfather, you know, when you used to abandon your family,
just move one town over and start again. You never
see anyone again. You don't need to drive to our
start a new life, you know, never see your kids again.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
So you people who don't know you are a social
media superstar. You have millions and millions of followers, and
I imagine that means that you're on your phone all
day as a dad. When will you let your kids
have a phone?
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Ah?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Hopefully hopefully they will.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Hopefully they'll resent the phone from what's seeing their dad
and they'll and what we've given them growing up in
the North is they have they they have their fin
or you know, they have their grandparents. They have all
these amazing things that hopefully they do fall in love with,
fishing and diving and quad bikes and you know, ninety
mile beach and riding horses and you know, killing cows
(04:49):
and like all the things that I love about where
I grew up. Hopefully that's enough for them. But like all,
you know, like all kids, you know the you know
every keep hop demon hunters and got a new games games.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
But you talk about that with your wife Ash, how
you when it's fun, no time, the phones are away
and then you don't pack them up again until you
get back into bits.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Yeah, but that's pretty small winnow when you really think
about the day, because an insomnia that doesn't really sleep.
So it's that you're yeah, there's no phones when kids
come home and then yeah, till the end of the evening.
And then what that means is you stout late working
after sleep a like night.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah right, that's a good rule. I can need to
implement that. You're doing better.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
I have no discipline, So having it even I have
no discipline. Yeah, not get out. I get an email
like you. Yeah, so they're having that away just on
the charge in the room is the only thing that
keeps me from doing it. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Brie is away at the moment. She has just had
her Yeah, congrats breed first baby, a little boy named Toto.
What is your number one piece of parenting advice for
Brie and anyone who is just becoming a new parent?
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Oh, that that is so hard. The first is that
I think you're One of the most powerful things that
you can do for your kid is just be interested
in them. So that is like listening to them explain
their favorite Pokemon, that is listening to the Kendrick Lamar
song they Love, you know, letting them debrief their game
(06:21):
or their sports game, or like letting your son smash
you at FEFA or the other control. If you take
an interest in your kids, Man, what it tells your
child from a young age is that I matter, My
ideas matter, and for me, I know that the confidence
I have to face the world and share my ideas
and be seen by many people come from the belief
(06:42):
that my parents from younger sage just thought I was wonderful.
They love me to bits. You know, my mother calls
me a scrumptious muff and my dad, my dad put
in me that you know, if you stuff it up,
you can say sorry and you can make it right
move forward. If you have those two things, you know
you can face the world with so much courage and
(07:02):
so Yeah, taking an interest from the moment my earliest
is a child to like. Now, if I show my
mam a song I like on Spot Off, and she'll
she'll want to understand because I like it.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Yeah, that's pretty good advice. That's pretty sound advice. I
think celebrity Treasure Island. We've got to talk about that.
You almost went.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
All the way.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Oh so got it? You were my guy lose?
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, I know I would like the end to be
less random of.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Celebrity Treasure Island.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
I would like, I would rather lose like because like
in a really clear way.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Yeah you mean the digging part. Yeah, yeah, yeah, because
it didn't end up a level playing field there at
the end, didn't it. Everyone got to where they needed
to be and then it was however could put there there?
Speaker 1 (07:48):
That dig was way longer than it's portrayed in the show. Yeah,
just dig around and see.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
It just got announced that it's coming back for another season.
Celebrity Island so pumful other people experience. I've always wanted
you to go on it, like I want you to
do it. I want you to do it verse three.
If I want you to do you know against that's
quite good.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
My dream one is right versus left politicians. That's my
dream ct see more versus Chloe all right wing, all
left wing.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Yeah yeah yeah, Luxe and vers Chippy Yeah yeah yeah, yeah, that.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Is a good dream. I would go back. I loved it.
I think everyone says they'd go back. I would go back. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yeah, Well Maddie went back and won it.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
So if Madie, how can I go In the book
you've got author? Yeah, Unfortunately, set off this desire to
be on reality TV, so I went away and did
a couple in It really messed up my mentor, so
I think.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
I am you don't don't do like.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Is going to really ruin the brand if you do that.
The book is out today and today and stores Louis
Davis The Modern Dad, and we're excited to check it out.
Congratulations on everything, including the book. It's so cool to
see your success and follow your journey. You can see
it all on Louis TikTok and it's Instagram. Thanks for
coming on, Thank you, thank you, thank you. Play zims
(09:03):
Brien Clint on Insta, Facebook, TikTok
Speaker 3 (09:06):
And live weekdays from three on zidim
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