Ask Me Anything with Paula Bennett

Dame Sophie Pascoe joins Paula Bennett to discuss life beyond elite swimming, the challenges of motherhood with a disability, and the severe depression she experienced after the Tokyo Paralympics were postponed.
She reflects on the teammates who recognised she was struggling, the simple question that helped save her life, and why her son ultimately became more important than another gold medal.
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After building and selling EnableMe, Hannah McQueen is tackling another challenge through Age Brightly. She joins Paula Bennett to talk about wealth, purpose, business and why New Zealand needs to rethink ageing.
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We've been told success means standing on our own two feet, but Petra Bagust isn't so sure.
The broadcaster and Grey Areas podcast host talks about her late ADHD diagnosis, why she's embracing aging, what caring for her parents has taught her about community, and why "nobody is truly independent"
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Colin Fassnidge reckons New Zealand pies are better than Australia's and he's not afraid to say it. The My Kitchen Rules judge and star of Off the Grid joins Paula Bennett to explain why food became his passport to the world and reveal the experience that eventually sent him to therapy. Now he wants more men to reach out for support.

Off the Grid returns to TVNZ 1 for a news season on Sunday June 7.
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Veteran political journalist Barry Soper reflects on nearly five decades in the parliamentary press gallery and his time observing 12 New Zealand prime ministers up close, discussing with Paula Bennett the often overlooked loneliness of political leadership and life inside the Beehive.
He recalls a very different parliamentary era of all-night sittings, and a rougher political culture, alongside candid reflections on figures like Robert Muldoon and the personal toll of power after office.
The conversation also touches on modern politics, media scrutiny, and why leaders such as Jacinda Ardern and Helen Clark continue to shape how New Zealand sees its leaders.
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