Actress Rebecca Gibney on the key to longevity, hosting Sensing Murder, dancing, and MMA
Rebecca Gibney is everything I’d hoped she’d be – and more.
If I say Packed to the Rafters, Halifax f.p., The Flying Doctors, Sensing Murder – you say Rebecca Gibney.
Rebecca Gibney – and I don’t think you can refer to her by just her first name – has been a fixture in film and television for over 40 years, working across both Aotearoa and Australia.
And while she celebrated her 60th birthday last year – making it clear that her foot is still very much on the throttle – Rebecca Gibney was honoured with a thoroughly deserved Hall of Fame Logie: a lifetime achievement award recognising her exceptional career.
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51:56
'I've been able to get through because of the strength of other survivors': Ali Mau's powerful memoir reveals abuse, but also unimaginable strength
I've known Ali Mau for 13 years. We first met when I started working as a producer on Q+A at TVNZ, and she was the host of Fair Go.
She took me under her wing, taught me how to do piece-to-cameras, and has been a mentor and dear friend ever since.
Like many others, I did not know about the abuse she had suffered as a child until I read her book.
It is confronting and brave, and by the end, it hit me in both the gut and the heart.
But what it - and this interview with Ali - shows is a strength beyond words.
We also explore her career, her passions, and an incredible story about her competing at Horse of the Year.
*Warning: this episode discusses sexual abuse
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1:24:00
Samantha Hayes on dealing with grief from all angles, interviewing Megadeth, auditioning with a cold sore, and being a perfectionist
Samantha Hayes was just 23 when she became the presenter of Nightline - the country's youngest presenter at the time.
Since then, she has cage-dived with sharks without the main part of the cage (wild), brought the Mongrel Mob and Black Power together for an interview for the first time, and been in most Kiwis’ living rooms as co-anchor alongside Mike McRoberts on ThreeNews.
2024 was tumultuous, to say the least, for Sam. She was dealing with the end of her relationship with the father of her two children when the very public and shocking announcement of Newshub’s closure came barreling through. Sam also lost a very dear friend in 2024.
As you’ll hear, these are all things she is processing while learning to navigate a new life - whilst still maintaining utter professionalism and storytelling as she now presents the news solo for ThreeNews in its relatively new format with Stuff.
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1:31:57
‘The best thing I’ve ever done’: How full immersion kura changed former Silver Fern Courtney Tairi’s life
Today’s guest is Silver Fern number 151, Courtney Tairi.
The former netball international and award-winning broadcaster was born and raised in Sydney, but, in her own words, her whānau and blood are Kiwi. Tainui is her tribe, Waikato is her river, Maungatautari is her mountain, and her subtribe is Ngāti Korokī/Kahukura.
Courtney has just left Sky Sport after ten years, stepping out on her own as an independent wahine in media.
She also shares the monumental change in her life after completing full immersion kura.
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1:03:02
Understanding your Human Design profile with Charlotte Hill
Today’s guest works in a space that, I’ll admit, I am not remotely close to being an expert on.
But when I heard Charlotte Hill, founder of True North, speak at a women’s event late last year, I was intrigued enough to open my mind and learn more. And what better way to do that than right here on Kiwi Yarns!
Human Design claims to provide insights into energy dynamics, decision-making, and life purpose, with the goal of helping people better understand themselves.
This episode is a fascinating discussion, and even if this isn’t typically your sort of thing, I encourage you to give it a listen. I think there could be a lesson in there for everyone!
Welcome to Kiwi Yarns - those yarns you have where you sit down, put the kettle on, pour a whiskey or crack open a beer I honestly don‘t mind. Anyway! We‘re sitting down and we’re yarning to some great New Zealanders, their back stories, their front stories, even stories where they went sideways, we will go there. It’s a place where we celebrate the great people of this glorious nation.
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