Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk zed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
The man we're going to talk to, well, he made
us laugh for more than twenty years, and then he
made us sad when he was diagnosed with incurable bowel cancer.
But then he made us believe in hope, love and
family again with his best selling book about his philosophy
to life and his approaches to the ups and downs,
and his openness to come and talk to us in
(00:37):
the media, to be open about what he was going through.
Di Henwood has today been honored as an Officer of
the New Zealand Order of Merit and die joins mem
Now morning, Die.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Good morning. I do feel quite honored and I've never
never had got an official title like that before.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Your dad would be so proud.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Oh, I tell you my dad would be so proud.
Unfortunately past in twenty nineteen he also was a o
n ZDM. And my mum, who's sort of my biggest support.
She's a seen vedim and a dame. So we've sort
of hit the trifecta in our little faro.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Well, you've still got a way to go to rule
the roosm I'm still the Queen.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Absolutely, and no matter what happens, it will always stay
that way.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
What does this award mean to you?
Speaker 3 (01:29):
It's huge for me actually, because I've been dealt a
lot of hard cards on the health situation, and what
it means to me is it's actually forced me to
sit down and reflect on what I've done over my life,
and carving a career in comedy where you can help
(01:50):
support a family is huge. I've sort of been able
to have the joy of traveling around the country making
people laugh, traveling abroad making people laugh, and in recent
years raising money for cancer, raising awareness, helping people through
sharing my journey, and it's made me reflect on the
(02:12):
beauty of humans, seeing humans laugh, seeing the generosity of humans,
especially in times where you can open the newspaper and
just see the worst side of humans. So for me,
it's huge because it's just made me pause and reflect
and I'm very proud of how I've carried myself.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Very good.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
You deserve the award for your entertainment work, that is true,
but that book and what you've done since is next level.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
See.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
I've got a couple of friends who've been diagnosed with
stage four cancer over the past year. And the thing
about your book is that it is a great manual
for what I could do to help them. So thank
you so much for your wisdom. Meanwhile, you're into the
latest stage of your journey. You put your latest tour
on hold, So what would be the chapter you wrote
about that?
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Yes, this is to be honest, been getting into a
This has been a very trialing twenty twenty five for me.
I went on to a new drug which is actually
working very well against the tumors. But then I've had
some side effects for fluid around my heart and lungs.
I've had many procedures, and as I mentioned, I'm going
(03:22):
into a bit of a surgery to hopefully not that
on the head. And I've had to reread a bit
of my book actually to just get back in my headspace.
Because as much as you think you're on top of things,
it can all fall away very quickly. And the self
care things that all humans need to do, whether it
(03:45):
be having a hot bath to doing meditation, spending time
with your kids, that can fall apart when things actually
get hard. And so it's been reminding myself to be
kind to myself, have no expectations and to be honest,
for me, it's just finding the smiles wherever I can.
And last week I went to my school, my son's
(04:08):
rugby tournament. It was the sun was shining, he was
smiling and that brought me so much joy. So for me,
it's just finding the smiles and the small moments.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Well, look, you've got this, and the Henwood family would
like some hot meals, thank you very much. Start cooking
for them and having them out.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
And I need to get a bigger freezer.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Hey, congratulations, die thanks very much. Die Hem would such
a loving book. Guy's having surgery tomorrow. What are he
was talking about? He's having surgery tomorrow. Keen to talk
to us today and that's all good.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
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