Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - Best Of The Week: Anniversary Fails and Accidental Car Theft

Episode Date: September 6, 2025

Missed Jono, Ben and Megan this week? We’ve got you covered.Catch the best moments from the week in one bite-sized episode. Megan shares how her son hijacked a car. Ben accidentally jumps into a stranger’s vehicle after his wife told him to. Jono’s anniversary plans completely fall apart. And we successfully break a world record! Instagram: @THEHITSBREAKFAST Facebook: The Hits Breakfast with Jono, Ben & MeganSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks to Hello Fresh, cook easy, delicious dinners, the whole family will love because nothing beats dinner time. What did you hijack over the weekend? You can tell me if you think this is frowned upon or not. But in the mall, these are things that we avoid light the plague with our two-year-old and four-year-old. This is like their candy, right? So you're walking through them all. And there seems to be so many at the moment of those cars that you put coins into, or now you can swipe your... I was going to say, they're probably upgraded to pay-wave now, wouldn't they?

got paywave. Yeah. A lot of people are, you can't avoid the old paywave now, can you? There's no way you can't donate or do anything. Some people just put the kids in there and just rattle the back and forth. My dad used to do that to me.

I did that to my kids. He's just to rattle it around and I'm like, this is probably not a great lot. You're going to have a speed bumps. Also they're like three bucks now, some of them. You're like, oh no, forget it. And it's the most disappointing ride. It's just, yeah.

So I let them sit in them, but we never like pay for it. Because I'm like, once we start, we're just going to do all. all the time and you're usually on a hustle and yeah call me a tight-ass I don't care but there was So they don't know that they're meant to move mechanically your kids? Well they do now

because we went through them all and they're doing the usual oh no ride and I don't want to ride and there was it was kind of like a merry-go-round situation with two seats on it and my son was walking past and another kid

their parents had paid for good on them they'd paid for the ride Better parents. Better parents. Love their kids. Actually love their children, yeah. So there was a kid already riding this merry-go-round. It's already going, but there's a spare seat.

Oh, you didn't. You didn't. Bassi's like, can I ride it? And we're like, well, go on then. Jumps in. So you didn't say anything. You didn't front foot it and go. Hijacks the ride.

No, what was I supposed to say? No. No, spare seats. No, ask the person they play. Did you mind of my son, you know? We'll go halves on the petrol costs. You know, it's a free ride. Yeah.

It's just carpool is waiting to work or something. Well, the things are really going. They were happy to pay for the solo ride. It's not a bloody, what's the Uber one where you can share with random? Yeah, it's not an Uber pool. Everyone could just leap on there. Also, technically, he's only getting half ride. And it already started.

So we'd be like, yeah, jump on. Well, the pair is like, excuse me? They did look at us. There was like, I'd call it a. a wry smile like a it wasn't like a yeah go ahead kind of smile but then I was like

I don't blame them no one else is sitting in that seat 100% when they were driving home in the mall they'd be like can you believe that lady yeah let a kid do that didn't say anything did not say anything

sorry my kid just jumped in there oh that's okay yeah like at least you could have feigned some sort of performance to be like no bestie don't oh he's here now yeah sorry yeah well it's definitely going to backfire on me now because he knows

that they move. Yeah. Yeah, so... Top dollar for that. Every time now. John O'Bennon and Megan. It's a podcast. The Hats. It's a Friday night heartbreaking loss as well where I thought we'd won and the try got disallowed and they looked at it multiple times. It's very controversial call.

Here's my theory. I don't think the Australians will ever let us win the NRL grand final. Honestly don't. They don't want to... It's not a good look for an Australian sport to have a New Zealand team winning it, you know? Maybe, maybe. There's a conspiracy theory. Let's go to the bunker, really?

Because the bunker's never going to go in our favour. Yeah, it definitely felt like that. So you disagree with the bunker? Well, that won on the weekend, I thought, very contentious because the referee had awarded the try. And so that means that it's a good, it means really conclusive evidence to overturn it if the referee is. And it felt like it was 50-50. Yeah, so it felt like, well, maybe we should have got it. But anyway, the Warriors are still on the top eight, but no longer in the top four.

But after the game, went along there with my family as well. And love being there for the atmosphere. Awesome. Go Media Stadium, Mount Smart, but getting in and out of, well, particularly getting out is hard because there's nowhere really to go afterwards. So everyone's kind of just leaving at the same time. Yeah. So to get yourself, get yourself an Uber or a taxi or get to public transport, it's tricky. You're left in the wild, wild industrial area of Penrose. And it's a close game, you know, so it's not like anyone left early because it was, you know, nail bite us. So we're all leaving together. We're walking along and it's, you know, the weather's

not the best, we're walking along. And we're like, we'll get an Uber. And we're walking down the road. And then suddenly my wife's like, she was on the other side. She's like, get in, get in this car. It's all good. And she says this guy's name. I'm like, oh, sweet, great. What are the chances? Lovely car.

We get in. And we're like, get in. The whole family, we clamber in the car. I get in the front seat. And I'm like, hey, mate, good to see you. How do you know Amanda? And he's like, I don't. Is this an Uber driver?

No. Who was it? I'm like, oh, I thought, because my way, my wife said, get in and she said the guy's name, which I won't say now. I was like, oh, oh, they must know each other. They go way back. He's like, no, I don't. Your wife just came up and said, hey, you've got a nice car. You're driving anywhere.

You're drinking we can pay you to take us home. He's like, ah, you don't need to pay me. Just hop in. What? Yeah. You're at the beginning of a news story. She is so opposite to you. You'd be like, oh my God, this is terrifying when we're about to be like kidnapped.

And she's like, so good. I'm cool with the kids in the back. He was a lovely guy. We've chatting away. And I'm like, oh, this is lovely. Lovely, you're doing this. You sure you don't want any money. He goes, nah, no, it's all good.

But then midway through, I'm like, well, I'd better front foot to the kids and go, hey, guys, normally we wouldn't do this. Imagine. Don't make a habit of this. Normally, we want to do this. Like, at this occasion, it seemed like a lovely bloke. It's very kind going out of your way to take us home. It's lovely.

We did offer, you know. I'm sure some of the world's greatest kidnappers seem like lovely blokes on the surface. What was he doing just, like, cruising through that area? No, he'd been to the game. He'd been to the game as well. He'd been looking after some clients as well. Hadn't drunk in his car. How far out of his way was it to take you home?

Well, yeah, he was like, it's only nine minutes out of my way and I'm like, still nine minutes out of your way, yeah. But what a lovely thing to do with a, from a stranger's point of view. But at the same time, I was very confused when I got in and I was like, so how do you guys know each other? He's like, we don't. Boom, doors are locked. Yeah, I know, is it doors locked?

Oh, my gosh. So thank you very much to that gentleman. We didn't end up on the news and we got home. Man, your wife is a mad dog. Yeah, that is full mad dog behavior. I don't even think I'd hop on. Ben, get it, Gary. We're all getting it in the whole family.

I had baby seats in the back. We all clambered around that, you know, as well. So, yeah, and you would have to turn to the girls and go, hey, listen, this is, yeah. It's not a normal thing, but on this occasion, hey, a great win. Yeah, a great one. Even though the warriors didn't have a great one. The bunker would have disallowed that one, but hey. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast.

The Hits. Producer Troy has come in somewhat traumatized and limping after what happened yesterday, Troy. Yeah, I've decided to do a Les Mills challenge, gym challenge this month. Okay, so you've joined the gym. You said you were paying weekly fees for this gym that you were never attending. Yes. So you're like, okay, I'm all guns blazing. Yeah, they've got this challenge on the app where every time you swipe into the gym, you get points.

Every time you go and do a class, you get more points. What do the points stand for? What do they mean? Absolutely nothing. There is a leaderboard. Is there a prize? No. Glory.

You get a little badge in the app, but that's about it. Okay. But so I just want to be... Non-existent points that don't mean anything, yeah. But you can see where you are on the leaderboard. So I want to be top 20%. Good motivation. Yeah.

Yeah. And so I decided to do my first ever Les Mills gym class yesterday. Right. What did you choose? I chose one that I'd heard talked about in the kind of macha laboo-boos circles. Yeah. Ceremony. Ceremony.

Yes. Have they all got like a very mysterious names? Yeah. Ceremony. Conquer. Who's conquer? Conca's a boxing one. Right.

and then they've got the trip oh the trip's great that's a cycling one yeah so I did ceremony yeah sounds nice and I rocked up and found my little position I didn't know what I was doing I was just kind of like looking at what the the girls and the yoga pants were doing

and I was kind of just copying them yeah and then it's not the main reason he goes to the class by the way two girls on the yoga pants no no but uh then the lady came over the intercom and said all right welcome to partners day I've hope you've all got your partners oh no isn't like your

your lovers or you're just you bring someone to do it with? I think it was just bring someone to do it with, but it did look like everyone had bought their significant others. Yeah. And then I look around the room and everyone's kind of, oh yes, everyone's in pairs. And I'm just kind of by myself in the corner.

Lone wolf. And the lady said, that's okay. If you by yourself, we'll pair you up with someone. Oh, no. First of all that, that's not really what I thought. You don't want to work out with a complete stranger. I get that. No.

Especially in a team sort of, yeah. Especially you've got a partner and if you get partnered up with, you know, some girl. Exactly. I don't even think about that. What moves are you going to be doing together? Yeah. Yeah.

And so I got paired up with someone called Francisco. Great. I hope Francisco looks like I imagine. Just a perfect specimen of a human being. Yep. Yeah, 100% Hulk of a man. Did he have a ponytail? He didn't have a ponytail, but he had kind of this, like, Sicilian black,

slicked back hair, and the tightest clothing you could imagine. Oh, yeah. bulging, ripped muscles. Yeah, Francisco. So he's looking you up and down. He's like, I've partnered with this. And I did tell him, I was like, hey, Francisco, this is my first ceremony class. You might just have to show me what to do.

And he let out the biggest sigh. Oh. That's okay, mate. Yep, just keep up. Oh. And the way that this class was structured is you couldn't move on from your exercise until your partner had completed their exercise. Oh.

So Francisco was just waiting. It was just doing like way more cardio. than he expected waiting for me to do my... Oh, it was just so bad. But hang on, Francisco also didn't bring a partner. No, well, he was supposed to be leading the class. Oh, he's a personal trainer. He was a PT?

Oh, Troy. And was Francisco getting a bit spicy, was he a bit salty, and you're holding him up? It was a lot of y'all. It was 45 minutes of yelling and swearing. And I thought he was kind of trying to do it in like a motivational sense, but I almost cry. Oh, great. There was a layer of frustration underneath that motivation. Did he have an accent?

Yeah, he was, he was like Mexican, I think, maybe Southern American. Yeah. So he's swearing at you in a beautiful way. Yeah. Like, every time you move this morning, you're like, ugh. Like, he's making these groaning noises. I don't think he knows that we can hear them. I'm so sorry.

Those groans are thanks to Francisco. Francisco's groans. One and done with Francisco? I'm not going back to Francisco. I'm not going back to ceremony. I might be done with the monthly challenge. I don't know. John O'Benn and Megan.

The podcast. The hits. October, my wedding anniversary. and I said to Jennifer, who's my wife, I said, don't you worry about our anniversary. I got everything sorted, okay? Now, she's like, Ben. So what you, you've gone early too for you.

I'm very old. That's why I'm like, don't. Everybody just ticked over in September. I'm like, geez. Don't you worry, I've got everything. I've got a plan in my head. And she's like Ben. She doesn't like surprises.

She likes to be across all details, doesn't want to be thrown out. I like looking forward to something rather than just having something sprung upon me. What if you knew something was coming up, but you knew it was a surprise? Would that create more? Oh, yeah, that definitely would.

Yeah, yeah, definitely. Well, she's in the same in the case. And I said, don't you worry, I've got all the plans in my head. And she rolls her eyes. And I said, excuse me? What is what this eye roll? She's like, you can't plan. You're not the planner.

As soon as you said, don't worry, I've got it sort of. I'm like, no, no. So, and then I got on, I feel like, I can plan. I can, and then, do you know what's ironic? Is we're going to Christchurch next week. And for four weeks, she's like, have you bought the rental car? Have you bought the rental car? And I haven't bought the rental car.

You're talking about that this morning, is that what you're doing? I just did it at the 6 o'clock this morning as the show started, just so I could say the rental car's book, so I can plan. So you roll with me on this anniversary, it's going to be very special once I figure out what the plans are. John O'Ben and Megan, the podcast, the hits. A lot of great sport going along at the moment. The Black Furns and the Women's Rugby World Cup through the quarterfinals.

We've got the All-Blaks taking on South Africa this weekend at Eden Park, which would be very exciting. Now, producer choice set of South African radio show has got in touch and they want to have a wager with our radio show so we'll find out what that is they're going to propose something to us before the end of the week yeah and as well as

as that the Warriors are making the top eight we're not sure if they're going to make the top four after last Friday's a bit of a shock and well it was a bit of a controversial loss on your birthday as well being yeah it was it was it was my birthday and you guys I'm not really a big birthday person I'd rather avoid it but you guys gave me early in the morning gave me lovely gift you know I appreciate

lovely gifts it was under the cover of darkness it was it was and, you know, like chewing gum, which I like. Not just one, it was a pack of 30. A whole pack of 30, you know, chewing gum as well. And Warriors, like, I love my Warriors merch, and you gave me some Warriors underpants, which was lovely. You know, so on Friday night, it was going to the Warriors game, and I was like,

hey, should I put on the undies? Yeah. So he's been my lucky undies. It seems like an appropriate time. Yeah, it does. And I said, two pack, two back of undies. I was like, thanks very much. And then I went to put them on and I looked and I was like, small.

Gosh, small. Oh, I mean, like, I mean, yeah, okay, small is probably the size I should be wearing, but God, I mean, at least. Excuse me, give me a medium to large, you know. Was it two days earlier when we were talking to you about, and I said, do you have Warriors undies? This was on air so we can get this audio. Yeah, and I don't. And I said, what size would you wear? And you said, small.

For comedic. Yeah, for comedy. well yeah like at least it's like giving you an extra extra large or something megan you know in a shirt or something you'd be like oh my next question your honor did they fit that's not the point the point is another point whether they fit or not it's the fact that you're like you would have preferred oversized underpants oh ben he's very large in the underwear department you know he's a small guy but only underwear department he'd be wearing extra large or something

your own admission you were like i'd need a small one struggle to fill out anything else and it's not yeah i came by my admission they fit perfectly but but that's not the point i was i was like small guys you know it lured me with immediate but you know how he saves money buying NBA singles he buys kids sizes yeah he can buy kids extra large sizes do you buy kids warriors tops as well i could actually try kids extra large is it yeah but then if we bought you a kid's size they'd be insulting apparently particularly in the underwear region you know but they were perfect

yeah but that's not the point like when I buy the kids stuff for school it's up they buy something bigger so they can grow into them you know well we would like to thank cotton on I don't think you're growing into them cotton on kids for supplying those underpants as well John O'Ben and Megan

The podcast The Hits Producer Grace Gen Z producer Grace has been learning something for the past probably about the past month actually all 47 US presidents in order It's crazy I never thought two months ago that my home life would be about the US president.

Yeah, it's your existence now. And you saw a Guinness World Record online. I didn't understand or realize it was held by a child, which makes this all the more better, that we're bullying a little child out of their record. You know, this kid's got a couple of things in life, and Guinness World Record is one of them, and a grown adult is wanting to take that from this child.

Yeah, but she's got her whole life to do something else. And you've got the records. Grace has less time. And if you already got the record, no one can take that, the moment about the fact that this child's got the record and that's what happens with his record someone's going to come along better and that's what we're trying to do here so this is

well this was the previous record holder who we were like well grace you can smash this one George Washington John Adams Thomas Jefferson James Madison James Monroe John Quincy Adams Andrew Jackson credits we credits do he's remembering He's remembered pronunciation

That's all 47 presidents in the order from the United States of America but we've since found out someone did it a lot faster. Another child. The children are really into this record. and you listen, he says, Brotherford, Haynes, Jacobs,

Chester, Arthur, Grover, Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, Grover, Grover, Cleveland again, William McKinley, Theatre, Roosevelt, William Taff, Woodrow, Wilson, Warner, Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Delano, Roosevelt, Harry Tumann, Dwight and Howard John of Kennedy,

Linda Johnson. And then, fair enough, I mean, it's a lot to remember, and to do it fast, and clarity of words. That's what I'm looking for. I'm just looking for clarity of words. I was practicing last night, and I was like, Ben told me to practice my diction.

I don't want you to get through it and then go, oh, we couldn't quite get a couple of presidents, you know? And you remember them. I know you can remember them all. Yeah. Two things. Do we have to have middle names?

Yeah, that's what I've still don't know. We could cut the middle names. And you say again, I've been practicing not saying again. What is all made to? That's a second, surely. There's Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Motors, John Quincy Adams, Cygnon, Jackson, Martin, Van, we did. Blimeary.

Mixes it up, John Quincy. He says William Henry Harrison, and I just say William Harrison. Okay, okay, all right. So there's obviously no, they're not going to worry about that. As long as you understand who the president is. Now, we do know it's an absolute fiasco getting a Guinness World Record, the paperwork, and they sort of want $8 million into you to donate a kidney or something. So what we're going to do is is just going to film it.

Ben, you're going to hold up the paper again, hey, today's paper. There you go. On camera, this is an attempt for the Guinness World Record. This is the wonderful... Blindfolded, too? Blindfolded, too. I've got my blindfolded this time. Yeah, blindfolded.

Grace Hilliam, which is like William with an H. Yes, thank you. Attempting to beat a little child with naming the most amount of U.S. presidents in under 28 seconds? Yes, I think. Okay. Okay, all right. I've got the stop watch. You start when she starts.

Okay, I'll count us down. Yeah. Three, two, one. George Washington, John Adams, Thomas, Thomas, Jefferson, James Monroe, John Quincy, Adams, Andrew Jackson, Mata Vambium, William Harrison, John Tyler, James Poe, Zachary, Taylor, Miller, P.S., James Buchanan, Abraham, Lincoln,

Andrew Johnson, Ullis says, Grant, Rutherford, B, Haybes, James Gaffield, Arthur, Grover, Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, William McKeele, Theta, William Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren, Howard, Howard Howard Howard Howard Howard, Howard Howard, Frank and Delano, Roosevelt, Robert, Howard Eisenhower, John of Kennedy,

Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jared Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Donald Trump. Stop. What is that? 27! 27!

I was following along with all 47, and you did the order of all 47. Guys. Hold that up to the camera. June is going to record. September 2nd, baby. Porsche Woodman's on the front page of the paper. Grace Hilliam.

Record breaker. There's no other radio show in the country right now at 640 in the morning. Smashing World Records I'm so proud of you That was really repressive Thank you I'm bowing everyone Wow Suck on that kid

Yeah Wow really okay I feel so good What a way to start That was really good Send it off to the kids world records Let's try and see what they say Well done

27.93 It's because I had a coffee this morning Wow they're really impressive Yeah you've just shaved the record But hey you got it Hey well done That's very impressive Now what

Now what I don't know Someone's good to see it again Just poor Troy's going to have to deal with the back end John O'Ben and Megan The podcast The Hats Yeah, Ellie joins us on the show

Good morning Good morning This is my best friend Ellie She would like to let everyone know It's a public service announcement You've been scammed And this is so elaborate That I feel like we could all fall for it

So what happened? What exactly happened, Ali? I've been selling some bits and pieces on a Facebook marketplace As many of us do And yeah Someone said that they would organized some postage for me to send the item,

sent me a link, and it was the easy as that. So you were dealing with a legitimate person, and then obviously the scammer somehow got hold of their account. Is that what happened? Yeah, yeah. They hacked into somebody else's account, and were fishing me through that. So when you got this emails, you were like,

well, that's great. I'll be selling this particular item to this person. seems legit of a board? Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. And the website that I, unfortunately, clicked through was a New Zealand post site, and it looked so legit. Oh, my God. No, red flags there.

No. And so what details are you putting into this fake site? Oh, that's where I got stupid. That's where they got my card details. Yeah, but you're paying for postage, though. You think you're legitimately paying for postage. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You just don't think in the moment.

You just... Well, all so far, it feels like it ticks all the boxes. You're like, cool, go doing this. And you're probably running an autopilot with admin and going, yeah, cool. Also, you're expecting to hear from that person, too. It's not as if it was out of the blue. Yeah, no. No, exactly.

Oh, your road toll charges are, yeah. This is really, you know, it's a masterpiece of scammery. And so what did they take from you? Oh, they took $1,700, unfortunately. Jeez. Cleared you out. From my car. card so a lot of random transactions

which the bank bless them is helping me try to get back but it all happened because you didn't realize until maybe like an hour later eh? Yeah yeah yeah it literally all happened within like 40 minutes it was crazy geez at least hopefully they left you a good review five stars would scam again she got to get something out of this I really kept to say a few words to them

I bet what's the thing because I've had that you know we've all had things we've been tricked by scammers and it's getting more cleverer these days clever and cleverer but you'll feel embarrassed afterwards hey you're like it's that feeling of like oh i'm such an idiot oh of course and i'm i'm a young spring chicken so you think that uh these things happen to an older demographic like someone like me yeah exactly i don't want to say it out loud but yeah and so has this have you lost all faith and trust and marketplace now will you use it again no god no i uh i donated everything else that was on But then again, it's probably, it's not their fault, you know, like I would imagine as well.

And that woman, she obviously didn't know that she had been hacked, the Facebook page. No, apparently not. Oh, God. And so how does the bank actually, I'm always interested, because they do generally try and get your money back. What do they do? I'm not too sure the intricacies, but they basically dispute it. They dispute every single transaction with the merchant that the money is trying to go to. If the person on the other end

agrees that it's a fraudulent transaction, then yeah, hopefully they give you money back. But it's never guaranteed, which is the crazy part. But also when you rang the bank, they said it's happening a lot. Yes, yes. Yeah, the guys at ASB said that it's happening very

frequently. They're getting calls every day, all sorts of elaborate fishing schemes. Honestly, the trust is gone with the internet. You know, once the trust is gone. That's what I'm saying, yeah. Trust. But me, hey.

Yeah, obviously, yes, yes. Although you could be doing a long play. You could be a Nigerian prince. Megan, really, your best friend, Ellie? I don't know if she has got that Nigerian prince vibe about me. Come into your family's inheritance. Yeah. Oh, well, hey, well, listen, thank you of anything for alerting the audience about this.

And really, sorry, hopefully you get all your money back there, Ellie. I know, I know. Thank you for, yeah, talking about it. Let me know if you need a sugar mama. I can spot you. I'm not coming to you who's a sugar, but you've got two children. And no money. We're in the same boat here, my friends.

Yeah, one to what you're out for?