Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - Dai Henwood Talks Touring

Episode Date: November 5, 2025

Comedian Dai Henwood joins us ahead of the 7 Days Live tour to chat about life on the road, working with fellow comics, and taking on the role of tour organiser. He also shares highlights from a family trip to the NRL Grand Final in Sydney, reflects on his health, and gives us a few classic league fan moments. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks to hello fresh cookies, delicious dinners, the whole family will love because nothing beats dinner time. Hello. He did it! He answered a private number, Dye Hennwood, you answer private numbers. Yeah, I know, it's crazy. Actually, when I got that new iOS or whatever on an iPhone, it answers it for you, but it started freaking people out. Oh, yes, you sometimes get an AIVO's going. What is your, the purpose of this phone call?

And Kiwis don't like answering the purpose of their call Usually I'm getting run by some seriously suspicious individuals Well, you have, that's us, that's us right now Well, I love to hear your voice though, how's things? They're good, really good Because I'm heading off on tour We're pretty much rocking all around the country And it's been a bit of a rugged winter for me

with a few hospitalisations and that. So the fact that the sun's shining and I'm out telling jokes is awesome. Oh, good on you. And how is the health at the moment, do I? Right now it is good. I had like a positive scan about a month and a half back that said the treatment I'm doing at the moment is working. So I just take every day where I'm feeling good as a good day.

Oh, good on you, that's good to hear. Well, yeah, getting on the road with your friends and being silly and telling jokes is what it's all about tonight. you're in the Hawks Bay. Yes, I mean, it was a pretty big call, they're saying friends. But, you know, there's on the road with four acquaintances and three friends. The Hawks Bay is always a good one. Yeah, nature's got a beautiful little theatre.

And the Hawks Bay is this sort of perfect mix between Art Deco and heavy gang activity. That's what you want. We actually asked, you know, a couple of people from seven days about who's the worst person to tour with, and they said Josh Thompson comedian, but just because he's lovable, but he's a bit of a shambles, leaving things behind and running late. Yeah, and it's just this whole approach to bathrooms is a shambles. But the thing is, he makes up for it in spades and the fact that Josh is one of those people that just makes me laugh all day long. even when he's not trying to make you laugh he makes you laugh so he's an absolute joy to have on tour

we are talking to Dai Henwood and you're going on tour with Paul Ego Jeremy Corbett Josh Thompson that we're talking about and others but like who is he's Josh is the shambles who's the dad who's the safety dad on tour

you know I'd hate to out myself but probably me really yeah I've always been a bit of a rules guy when I worked with you you were not a rules guy No, then you die, then you die. The upgrade of the IOS version.

Let's just say this stage of my life. Okay. I am a rules guy. I definitely have spent a lot of my time not as a rules guy, and I have emails from various bosses to prove that. I also liked that version of Dijas, by the way. It's good fun. Yeah, I always had a good moral compass,

just maybe not the rules might not have a bit. are followed to the letter of the law. And, hey, in your defence, in the contract back in the day, nothing stipulated that you needed to go home to sleep between being at a bar and then doing a radio show. No, exactly. And I actually had it in my contract that it was at the director's discretion whether I used

so, I'd rather up. I contractually could never get sex. But now I'm not really on the booze, you're saying. So those others, they'll turn it up and I'll sit there and have a good laugh with everyone. But see, I'm the one who's up a bit fresh face. I'm getting people in the van, driving them around, you know, stopping for various amounts of hydration and food. So you're running a tight tour issue. Hey, actually, I was listening to a podcast the other day where you were on and you were talking about how great,

speaking of traveling away, you went to the NRL final in Australia. I know you love your league like me. and took your family over there, stayed at a hotel that was pretty much overlooking the ground. It sounded incredible. It was absolutely insane. We go over there. My mum's family all sort of defected to Australia.

So I've got quite a few family up on, around your sort of manly area. So we stay there for a whole week, and I just get really annoyed at how much hotter than Kiwis Aussies are. It's depressing state of affairs. especially as a shorter, stockier man, all your dudes over there just tops off six foot, well tan,

but enough about... They can walk around in speedos and it just looks natural. Definitely a way higher speedo budgie smuggler ratio to New Zealand, eh? You can rock a speedo. You can rock one. I have tried, and my children

have said that that will not be happening again. And so, yeah, we went over a week on the beach of Manley, which was such a tonic after a winter of rain and various health issues. And yet then we went to the grand final. And ACOR that sponsor the ground there, that's ACOR Stadium, their sort of affiliated hotels are right, basically connected to the stadium. You're talking like 50 metres walk. So we went really early because the Young, the Warriors in New South Wales, Cuttside was playing the early game. So we went really early, sucked in the atmosphere.

There were so many awesome New Zealanders over there. And it was just a good time for my children to really witness what the progression of alcohol is in people. 11 o'clock in the morning to 10pm at a night at a grand final. Long hot day too over there, too, in Australia, isn't it? Yeah, so it was 27 degrees at 9 p.m. Wow. That is. Yeah, that is what, yeah.

How are the league fans by 9pm? They were, they were pretty toasty, I must say. In fact, I was really intrigued to watch Teddy Swims, right? Because he did the warm-up hat for it. And I was like, you know, he's got an amazing set of pipes. He's sort of huge on Instagram TikTok and that. And I was wondering how your average 60-year-old Bogum was going to take him. And, you know, and he came out dressed like a hotel foyer.

Like, he had every piece of fabric and colour you would imagine on. It was quite, it was a high concept outfit. There was a lot going on, you're right. Oh, yeah, so much going on. But he just smashed it out of the park. Everyone loved it. It set such a good tone. That's right when the sun's setting and then the game happens.

And it's super cool, like my nine-year-old daughter and wife. club coming along to the game. So the whole family really enjoy the experience. And, of course, my son's just full noise into his rugby and league. So it was awesome and it was a primo way to do it. I just want to do it next year when the Waza. Yeah, well, yeah, right. He played some Akadak and ACDC as well, too, which I thought was a great move by him

to sing along to that. Yeah. So awesome. Oh, I did you had a great time. I had the same when I take my kids. You're like, you go to the league, you're going to hear some things. You're going to, the people are going to say some stuff around you, some colorful language. You're going to learn some new words.

Yes, and when my son, when he is four, he learned to swear at the Warriors. So I thank the crowd for that. We were walking out, and he just looked at me in the eye, this little four-year-old and goes, Dad, I'm so glad we beat those effing roosters. And his tone was perfect, his intonation, you know. Right then it was sort of, it was a beautiful evening. a tear started welling up in my eyes. Great delivery, son.

You're growing into a good league fan. You could be a toothless 49-year-old mechanic right now. Absolutely. It was a good game. He'd only had about a liter and a half a monster. So then, you know, as a four-year-old. So you've got to start him young. Well, tonight, the Hawks Bay, listen, I don't know,

being the fastidious tour guide, Have you got clearance that we can give away a couple of tickets to the show tonight, Dye? Yeah, absolutely. In fact, you know, I've got the seating plan just when I close my eyes. I can see the exact seating plan and all the names of everyone is in tonight. So, yeah, we can give away a couple's fair, aren't we, they'll go. Awesome. A seven days alive.

We're going right around the country. Make sure you go see them. All the details at seven days.co.n. They could be coming to a town near you as they head around the country. Love it, hearing your voice again. Great talking to you, I. Always you guys make me smile and you have a beautiful rest of your day.